The PGA TOUR announced on Tuesday that Dustin Johnson has been named the 2016 PGA TOUR Player of the Year as voted on by the TOUR’s membership for the 2015-16 season.
PGA TOUR members who played in at least 15 official money events this past season were eligible to vote. The balloting process ended on October 7.
“On behalf of the PGA TOUR, my congratulations to Dustin Johnson for his outstanding play on big stages during the 2015-16 season,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. “His hard work on the golf course and in the gym paid off with the finest season of his career, and the member vote reflects the respect his peers have for him.”
Johnson, 32, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, fashioned a career-best three wins during the 2015-16 season at the U.S. Open, World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational and BMW Championship. With his record-breaking victory at the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick Golf Club, Johnson took over the lead in the FedExCup and ultimately finished second to Rory McIlroy in the season-long competition.
In 22 starts, Johnson had a TOUR-best 15 top-10 finishes with 21 made cuts. In addition to his three wins, he posted top-3 finishes at the RBC Canadian Open (T2), Shell Houston Open (third) and the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide (third). Johnson also took home the Byron Nelson Award for Adjusted Scoring Average (69.172) and the Arnold Palmer Award as the TOUR’s leading money-winner ($9,365,185).
“I don’t even know if I ever dreamed this would be happening,” said Johnson, who climbed to a career-high (for the moment) No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking this summer. “Obviously, it was a great season. I worked hard on all parts of my game, and I’m going to continue to do that.”
Johnson has now won at least one PGA TOUR event in nine consecutive seasons dating back to his rookie season in 2008, the longest active streak on TOUR.
Johnson, who will receive the Jack Nicklaus Trophy for winning PGA TOUR Player of the Year, was selected for the honor over Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth and Henrik Stenson.
DJ will start his 2016-’17 season at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai later this month, and he said he plans to play in the Tournament of Champions to kick off the new year. Johnson has won both of those events before.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in the game right now. There’s nothing I don’t feel good with,” said Johnson, who noted improvement with his wedge game was the biggest key to this breakout season. “Hopefully, next year, I can play up to the way I played this year. And hopefully, I can have a better year.”