Masters champion Adam Scott narrowly beat Tiger Woods as the male player of the year in voting by the Golf Writers Association of America on Thursday.
The GWAA takes into account more than just a player’s performance on the US PGA Tour. Scott won four times around the world, none bigger than his playoff victory at Augusta National to become the first Australian in a green jacket.
He also won a FedEx Cup playoff event and twice in Australia, and he joined Jason Day to win the portion of the World Cup for Australia at Royal Melbourne.
Out of 218 ballots, Scott won by five votes.
“It is an honour to be recognised as the most consistent male golfer of 2013 and it is appreciated to have the respect of the Golf Writers of America. Thank you,” Scott said from Kapalua, where he’s playing in the 30-man Tournament of Champions.
Woods won five times on the US tour, including The Players Championship and two World Golf Championships, though he went a fifth straight year without winning a major. Woods also won the tour money title and the Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average.
Woods won player of the year from the US PGA Tour (a vote of players) and PGA of America (based on points). Those awards consider only a player’s tour record. The tour does not disclose vote totals.
Scott received 75 votes, or 34 per cent of the vote, compared with 70 votes for Woods.
In a season that had so many players accomplish so much, Phil Mickelson received 17 per cent, while Henrik Stenson got 16 per cent. Mickelson won the British Open for the third leg of the Grand Slam, along with the Phoenix Open and the Scottish Open. Stenson became the first player to win the FedEx Cup and the Race to Dubai in the same season.
The other GWAA awards were landslides.
Inbee Park, who had three straight majors among her six victories on the US LPGA Tour, received 91 per cent of the vote to win female player of the year. Women’s British Open champion Stacy Lewis and Evian Championship winner Suzann Pettersen received the other votes.
Park rose to No.1 in the women’s world ranking shortly after winning the Kraft Nabisco Championship. She won the LPGA Championship, and made it three straight majors at the US Women’s Open. She led women’s golf with six victories and captured the US LPGA Tour money title for the second straight year.
“Last year was a year that I could never forget,” Park said. “I was able to put my name among the greatest players around the world. Now, on top of that, I am being recognised and honoured by golf writers. They are those who know what has just happened last year in every detail. I can almost say that they know me better than I know myself. That’s why this honour is very special and means a lot to me.”
Kenny Perry, who won two majors on the Champions Tour and captured the Schwab Cup, also had 91 per cent of the vote for senior player of the year over Bernhard Langer and David Frost.
