World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler just accomplished something only one other legend has ever done before. After winning six PGA Tour events throughout the season, which include the PGA Championship and Open Championship, Scheffler officially won the Jack Nicklaus Award as the PGA Tour Player of the Year. It was his historic fourth consecutive win, a feat not seen since Tiger Woods’ prime  (1999-2003). After winning the award, Scheffler didn’t hide his genuine surprise regarding the historic announcement during his appearance at the Pat McAfee show.

“I mean, that’s really cool. I definitely did not expect that coming on here today. It’s when you’re able to receive the vote of your peers. I think that’s something that’s really special. You know, that means a lot to me is the guys I’m playing against week in week out. For them to vote for me to be player of the year is something that’s really special,” Scheffler said.

“And that really does mean a lot to me.  Tough to put into words what it’s like to win it for the fourth time. I definitely never imagined that. But it was a great season. And I was hoping to be able to win the award again, so you know, very fortunate to receive the vote of my peers.”

The PGA Tour members who teed up at 15 tournaments or more are eligible to vote for the Jack Nicklaus Award between 4th December and 12th December. Scheffler defeated a ballot featuring Tommy Fleetwood and breakout star Ben Griffin. But his true rival was the legendary Rory McIlroy. The peers had to choose between Scheffler’s relentless consistency and McIlroy’s most emotional year.

It started at Pebble Beach, a golf course Rory said, “one of the cathedrals of golf.” Rory won that with a 21 under par score to start the season. Then came his second PLAYERS title against the J.J. Spaun in a rare playoff with a 12-under-par score. Then the Northern Irishman finally captured the elusive Green Jacket at the Masters to complete the Career Grand Slam and became the sixth player in history and first European to achieve that feat less than a month later.

Now, if a Career Grand Slam wasn’t enough to dethrone Scheffler, just how good was he?

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Let’s see why Scheffler’s season was untouchable

Scheffler’s 2025 numbers are actually absurd and arguably better than his previous years. The Texan finished first in 30% of his 20 starts and landed in the top 10 in 17 of those events. And most remarkably, he placed inside the top 25 in every single tournament, simply refusing to have a bad single week all over the year.

Remember, he started the season late due to a hand injury from a cooking accident in December 2024. But he bounced back to win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson with a record-tying 31-under 253 to lift his first trophy in May. Then Scheffler won the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow by five shots. And in June, he became the first player since Woods to defend his title at the Memorial Tournament. He followed that by conquering the Open Championship at Royal Portrush after finishing four strokes ahead of the field in Northern Ireland. 

And for all of that, besides the PGA Tour Player of the Year Award, Scheffler won the Byron Nelson Award for scoring average once again for the third straight times. He led the Tour in scoring average for all four rounds individually and became the first player since Tiger Woods in 2000 to do so. It shows how Scheffler owns every single day of all the tournaments.

But don’t feel too bad for McIlroy, as his trophy case didn’t stay empty as well. Beyond the green jacket, McIlroy secured the Race to Dubai title for the seventh time. This achievement moved him past the legendary Seve Ballesteros on the all-time European list. He also help the Team Europe to a Ryder Cup victory at Bethpage against Scheffler’s US Team.

And fans won’t have to wait long to see them battle. They face off on December 17 at the Optum Golf Channel Games, which features a “Captain’s Challenge” between Rory and Scottie, where they will compete against the clock in a unique format.