The PGA Player of the Year award was created in 1948 and is awarded by the PGA of America. From 1982 the winner was selected using a points system based on wins, money list position and scoring average. It has not been awarded since 2022.
Introduced in 1990, the PGA Tour Player of the Year award, aka the Jack Nicklaus Trophy, is awarded by the PGA Tour. The winner is selected by tour players by ballot, and details of the results are not released.
| Year | PGA Player of the Year | PGA Tour Player of the Year Jack Nicklaus Trophy |
| 2024 | — | Scottie Scheffler (3) |
| 2023 | — | Scottie Scheffler |
| 2022 | Cameron Smith | Scottie Scheffler (2) |
| 2021 | Jon Rahm | Patrick Cantlay |
| 2020 | Justin Thomas (2) | Dustin Johnson (2) |
| 2019 | Brooks Koepka (2) | Rory McIlroy (3) |
| 2018 | Brooks Koepka | Brooks Koepka |
| 2017 | Justin Thomas | Justin Thomas |
| 2016 | Dustin Johnson | Dustin Johnson |
| 2015 | Jordan Spieth[68] | Jordan Spieth |
| 2014 | Rory McIlroy (2) | Rory McIlroy (2) |
| 2013 | Tiger Woods (11) | Tiger Woods (11) |
| 2012 | Rory McIlroy | Rory McIlroy |
| 2011 | Luke Donald | Luke Donald |
| 2010 | Jim Furyk | Jim Furyk |
| 2009 | Tiger Woods (10) | Tiger Woods (10) |
| 2008 | Pádraig Harrington | Pádraig Harrington |
| 2007 | Tiger Woods (9) | Tiger Woods (9) |
| 2006 | Tiger Woods (8) | Tiger Woods (8) |
| 2005 | Tiger Woods (7) | Tiger Woods (7) |
| 2004 | Vijay Singh | Vijay Singh |
| 2003 | Tiger Woods (6) | Tiger Woods (6) |
| 2002 | Tiger Woods (5) | Tiger Woods (5) |
| 2001 | Tiger Woods (4) | Tiger Woods (4) |
| 2000 | Tiger Woods (3) | Tiger Woods (3) |
| 1999 | Tiger Woods (2) | Tiger Woods (2) |
| 1998 | Mark O’Meara | Mark O’Meara |
| 1997 | Tiger Woods | Tiger Woods |
| 1996 | Tom Lehman | Tom Lehman |
| 1995 | Greg Norman | Greg Norman |
| 1994 | Nick Price (2) | Nick Price (2) |
| 1993 | Nick Price | Nick Price |
| 1992 | Fred Couples | Fred Couples (2) |
| 1991 | Corey Pavin | Fred Couples |
| 1990 | Nick Faldo | Wayne Levi |
| Year | PGA Player of the Year | |
| 1989 | Tom Kite | |
| 1988 | Curtis Strange | |
| 1987 | Paul Azinger | |
| 1986 | Bob Tway | |
| 1985 | Lanny Wadkins | |
| 1984 | Tom Watson (6) | |
| 1983 | Hal Sutton | |
| 1982 | Tom Watson (5) | |
| 1981 | Bill Rogers | |
| 1980 | Tom Watson (4) | |
| 1979 | Tom Watson (3) | |
| 1978 | Tom Watson (2) | |
| 1977 | Tom Watson | |
| 1976 | Jack Nicklaus (5) | |
| 1975 | Jack Nicklaus (4) | |
| 1974 | Johnny Miller | |
| 1973 | Jack Nicklaus (3) | |
| 1972 | Jack Nicklaus (2) | |
| 1971 | Lee Trevino | |
| 1970 | Billy Casper (2) | |
| 1969 | Orville Moody | |
| 1968 | N/A due to rift between PGA of America and Tour pros |
|
| 1967 | Jack Nicklaus | |
| 1966 | Billy Casper | |
| 1965 | Dave Marr | |
| 1964 | Ken Venturi | |
| 1963 | Julius Boros (2) | |
| 1962 | Arnold Palmer (2) | |
| 1961 | Jerry Barber | |
| 1960 | Arnold Palmer | |
| 1959 | Art Wall, Jr. | |
| 1958 | Dow Finsterwald | |
| 1957 | Dick Mayer | |
| 1956 | Jack Burke, Jr. | |
| 1955 | Doug Ford | |
| 1954 | Ed Furgol | |
| 1953 | Ben Hogan (4) | |
| 1952 | Julius Boros | |
| 1951 | Ben Hogan (3) | |
| 1950 | Ben Hogan (2) | |
| 1949 | Sam Snead | |
| 1948 | Ben Hogan |
Related: European Tour – Golfer of the Year
Inaugurated in 1985.
