With fewer than 10 events remaining before the FedExCup Playoffs, the PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year race is shaping up to be one of the most interesting subplots to the end of the season.
At last month’s PGA Championship, Mito Pereira was one hole away from arguably ending the discussion. But Pereira drove into the creek right of the fairway, made double-bogey and lost his one-shot lead, missing the playoff between Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris by a stroke. A win at Southern Hills would have not only vaulted Pereira up the FedExCup standings, it might have made him impossible to catch in the rookie race.
Instead, the race remains wide open. Let’s break down the leading candidates to hoist the Arnold Palmer Award given to the season’s top rookie.
Cameron Young
FedExCup position: 17th
Best finish: 2nd, three times
Pereira wasn’t the only rookie who had a chance to win that Sunday at Southern Hills. For many casual golf fans, it was their introduction to Cameron Young, who also tied for third, a stroke out of the playoff. It was his third consecutive top-three finish, and one of five for him this season. Only FedExCup leader and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has more finishes in the top three this season. Young also trails only Scheffler in rounds spent inside the top-five this season (18).
Young doesn’t just have the high finishes. He’s a statistical darling, as well, with his consistent play accented by lofty spots in several key metrics. He’s ranked in the top 20 in Strokes Gained: Total, Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and adjusted scoring average. He’s in the top 10 in birdie average and birdie conversion percentage. He’s gained two or more strokes from tee-to-green on the field in 23 different rounds this season, tied for the most of any player on TOUR.
