KAILUA-KONA — For the fifth year in a row and eighth time overall, Bernhard Langer was named the recipient of the 2018 Jack Nicklaus Award as the PGA Tour Champions Player of the Year.
Langer and Ken Tanigawa, who was voted the 2018 Rookie of the Year, were presented their awards Tuesday evening at the PGA Tour Champions annual Awards Dinner held at the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.
In 2018, Langer recorded two victories, six runner-up finishes and 14 top-10s en route to winning his fifth Charles Schwab Cup. The 61-year-old also won the Arnold Palmer Award (leading money winner) for the seventh straight year and 10th time overall, and the Byron Nelson Award (lowest scoring average) for the fifth straight year and seventh time overall.
“I have great respect for all my fellow competitors, and to be voted Player of the Year by my peers makes the award even more special,” Langer said. “So many players played well last year and the competition on PGA Tour Champions has never been higher. I’m very blessed to have played well enough to win the award eight times.”
Langer won the player vote over six other Player of the Year candidates: Vijay Singh, Steve Stricker and Paul Broadhurst, who each won three times; Miguel Angel Jimenez, who won two majors; and Scott McCarron and Scott Parel, who each won twice.
“Bernhard is the gold standard on PGA Tour Champions, and to be voted Player of the Year for the eighth time is nothing short of remarkable,” said Miller Brady, President of PGA Tour Champions. “Not only is he consistent, he continues to find ways to get better, and it’s truly inspiring to see him challenge himself and everyone else on PGA Tour Champions.”
Tanigawa’s rookie campaign included three top-10s and was highlighted by a win at the PURE Insurance Championship, where he eagled the 18th hole at Pebble Beach to win by one. As the only rookie to win last year, Tanigawa finished 30th in the Charles Schwab Cup and 25th on the money list.
“Last year was a dream season for me and I’m very grateful to be named Rookie of the Year,” said Tanigawa, who won the player vote over Kent Jones. “I proved a lot to myself and loved competing alongside some of the game’s best players, and I can’t wait for my second season on PGA Tour Champions.”
By virtue of his victory at Pebble Beach, Tanigawa is fully exempt for the 2019 season and earned a two-year exemption to the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.
The 2019 season begins Thursday with the first round of the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. Langer, a three-time champion of the event, will make his 12th appearance, while Tanigawa will make his tournament debut.