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| 2015 PGA TOUR Player Awards |  |
The PGA TOUR announced late last week that two 2015 Valero Texas Open participants were honored by their peers. Jordan Spieth is the PGA TOUR Player of the Year and Jack Nicklaus Award recipient, while Daniel Berger was named PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year, as voted by the TOUR’s membership for the 2014-15 season.
Jordan Spieth – PGA TOUR Player of the Year
It was a historic and record-setting year for Spieth who won two major championships and the season-ending TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, becoming the youngest winner of the FedExCup. In total, the Dallas native won five events, including the Masters Tournament and the U.S. Open, and was just the sixth different player to win five or more times in a season on the PGA TOUR since 1980, joining Tom Watson (1980), Nick Price (1994), Vijay Singh (2004), Tiger Woods (10 times) and Jason Day (2014-15).
In the majors, Spieth became the youngest player since Gene Sarzazen (1922) to capture two major championships. Spieth’s remarkable run at the Grand Slam ended at The Open Championship, where he fell one shot shy of a three-way playoff but managed a tie for fourth, followed by a second-place finish to Day at the PGA Championship.
The 22-year-old Spieth became the youngest PGA TOUR Player of the Year since Tiger Woods won the award at the age of 21 in 1997. Along the way to the FedExCup title, Spieth broke Woods’ PGA TOUR season record for FedExCup points (4,169) and entered the FedExCup Playoffs No. 1 in the standings. After two missed cuts in the Playoffs, Spieth rebounded to finish T13 at the BMW Championship and went on to clinch the FedExCup with a four-shot victory over Henrik Stenson, Danny Lee and Justin Rose at the TOUR Championship.
Currently the No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking, Spieth amassed a PGA TOUR-record $12,030,465 to earn the Arnold Palmer Award as the leading money winner and also finished first in Adjusted Scoring Average (68.938) to earn the Byron Nelson Award (PGA TOUR) and Vardon Trophy (PGA of America).
In 25 starts he made 21 cuts. Spieth led the PGA TOUR with 15 top-10s, and four runner-up finishes including the Valero Texas Open.
Set to play for the United States in his second Presidents Cup matches, Spieth was elected as PGA TOUR Player of the Year over Jason Day, Rickie Fowler and Rory McIlroy.
“The PGA TOUR enjoyed a sensational season from every perspective as our young stars shone brighter than ever before, but none brighter than the PGA TOUR Player of the Year Jordan Spieth,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. “The sportsmanship he displayed in both victory and defeat was a stirring indication of the role model and ambassador he has become in a very short period of time.”
Daniel Berger – PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year
One of nine PGA TOUR rookies who advanced to the FedExCup Playoffs, Berger, 22, earned his spot as the only rookie at the season-ending TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola after a runner-up finish in the penultimate Playoffs event, the BMW Championship.
In just his fifth PGA TOUR start as a PGA TOUR rookie, Berger’s name found its way to the top of the leaderboard after an opening 65 at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba. While a pair of 74s in the second and third round derailed a strong finish, he followed with top-10s in three of his next six starts, including his playoff loss at The Honda Classic.
A few miles from his home in Jupiter, Fla., Berger fired a final-round 6-under 64 to take the clubhouse lead in front of a hometown crowd. He later fell to Padraig Harrington in a playoff, one of two runner-up finishes in 2014-15.
After a streak of seven missed cuts, Berger rebounded with a strong showing in his first FedExCup Playoffs. One of nine rookies to advance to the Playoffs, Berger finished T12 at the Deutsche Bank Championship and second at the BMW Championship to enter the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola at No. 9 in the FedExCup standings. Berger became the seventh PGA TOUR rookie in history to make it to the Playoffs finale. All seven rookies who advanced to Atlanta went on to be named PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year.
The 2014 Web.com Tour graduate finished T12 at the TOUR Championship to end the season ranked 11th in the FedExCup. Only Jordan Spieth in 2013 (seventh) finished a rookie season on TOUR higher in the FedExCup standings.
In 31 starts, Berger recorded six top-10 finishes, including two runner-up finishes, with 17 made cuts. Berger was elected as PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year over Tony Finau, Nick Taylor and Justin Thomas.
“Daniel Berger capped his first season on TOUR with a strong showing in the FedExCup Playoffs and demonstrated great character and sportsmanship on and off the course, as evidence by this peer vote,” said Finchem.
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| The Presidents Cup is Underway | |
The Presidents Cup is underway in Incheon City, Korea, where the U.S. Team looks to win for the sixth consecutive time.
Will Phil Mickelson, a captain’s pick who has played in every Presidents Cup, be a huge asset for the U.S. team due to his experience? Will Jordan Spieth, recently crowned PGA TOUR Player of the Year, continue his amazing run and lead the Americans to victory?
For the Internationals, there is a slew of talent – including Jason Day, Hideki Matsuyama and two past Valero Texas Open champions in Adam Scott and Steven Bowditch – who could very well end the recent dominance of the U.S. team.
Can Captain Jay Haas pull through another victory for the U.S. or will Captain Nick Price break the streak for the International team and prevail?
| Tune in to Watch: |
| Thursday, October 8: | | 1:00 - 6:00 pm CST | GOLF | | 7:30 - 2:00 am CST | GOLF |
| | Friday, October 9: | | 9:00 am – 2:00 pm CST | GOLF | |
5:00 – 3:00 am CST | GOLF |
| | Saturday, October 10: | | 11:00 am – 2:30 pm CST | NBC | | 2:30 – 7:30 pm CST | GOLF | | 8:30 – 2:30 am CST | GOLF |
| | Sunday, October 11: | | 11:00 am – 5:00 pm CST | NBC | | 6:00 – 12:00 am CST | GOLF |
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| Birdies for Charity: Countdown to Campaign Kickoff Events | |
Later this month the Valero Texas Open’s Birdies for Charity®, a successful annual fundraising campaign, will kick off in San Antonio on October 21, Corpus Christi on Oct. 22 and Austin on Oct. 23. The official 2016 campaign will begin accepting donations and pledges starting Monday, October 26 at www.ValeroTexasOpen.com/birdies.
The program designed in 1997, gives participating charities and schools a unique platform to engage potential donors and generate contributions. A no-cost program, Birdies for Charity, gives 100% of the funds raised back to the participating organizations.
Funds are generated by soliciting pledges from individuals and corporations. Birdies for Charity is like a walk-a-thon, but instead of donating per mile, participants make a pledge for every birdie made at the Valero Texas Open. The 2015 Valero Texas Open had 2,103 birdies made, so a pledge of $0.01 yielded a donation of $21.03. Donors also have the ability to make a one-time donation with the flexibility to pay in advance or to be billed after the tournament. Donations are accepted from anywhere around the world and are tax deductible, thanks to the Valero Texas Open’s non-profit 501(c)3 status.
The 2015 fundraising campaign, which combined efforts of one hundred fifty-four charities and schools, grew just over 14% since 2014 generating a record-breaking $2.1M with a collections rate of 99.3% from donor commitments. These hardworking organizations were awarded an additional $120,000 combined, based on performance, through incentive programs funded by the Valero Texas Open and its corporate partners.
Registration to participate in the 2016 fundraising campaign for charities and schools is presently underway. If you know of a charity or school that isn’t already involved, please encourage them to participate in this great community initiative. Click here to learn more.
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