Tiger Woods was named PGA Tour Player of the Year Friday, winning the Jack Nicklaus Award for the 11th time in his career.
Woods, who failed to win a major this season, took the award on the strength of his five tournament wins this season, including two World Golf Championships and The Players Championship. Woods was also awarded the Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average and the PGA Tour money title. No other golfer won more than two tournaments this season.
"It's been an incredible year to have won five times, two of those World Golf Championships and one Players," Woods said on a conference call Friday. "It's been just a fantastic year all around. It's also an incredible feeling to be voted by your peers, and to have that type of respect is something that's very humbling."
Woods beat out 2013 British Open champion Phil Mickelson (winning the Phoenix Open and runner-up in the U.S. Open), 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott (winner of The Barclays, the FedEx Cup's first leg of the playoffs), 2013 FedEx Cup champion Henrik Stenson, and Matt Kuchar.
"These last couple years is no exception to that," said Woods. "There were a lot of people saying I could never win again, and two years later I've got eight wins on our tour. I'm very proud of where I've come from, from being ranked outside the top 50 to being ranked where I am now, and to have had the success that I've had this year just makes it all the more rewarding."
Jordan Spieth took the Rookie of the Year award. The 20-year-old started the year with no status on the tour but won the John Deere Classic, reached the Tour Championship, finished 10th on the money list making nearly $4 million, and was chosen for next week's Presidents Cup team - the first PGA rookie to make the squad.
"I don't know if it's a 'pinch me' moment yet," said Spieth. "I think my mind is still really on next week."