The Vardon Trophy is awarded by the PGA of America to the PGA Tour's leader in scoring average.^[1] When the award was first given in 1937, it was awarded on the basis of a points system. No award was given from 1942–1946 due to World War II. In 1947, the PGA began awarding it for low scoring average. In 1988, the trophy began going to the golfer with the lowest adjusted scoring average over a minimum of 60 rounds, with no mid-round withdrawals (instituted in 1988^[2]). The trophy is named for the Jersey golfing great Harry Vardon, who died in 1937.

The PGA Tour presents its own Byron Nelson Award annually to the player with the lowest adjusted scoring average for the year. It has a 50-round minimum, and was instituted in 1980.^[3]

For both awards, non-medal rounds (such as in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and The International) count towards the minimum number of rounds but are not included in the calculation of the scoring average.^[4]

Differences in the eligibility criteria for the awards have resulted in different players winning the awards on six occasions. In 1988, 1993, and 1995, Greg Norman won the Byron Nelson Award but not the Vardon Trophy because he failed to meet the 60 round minimum for the Vardon Trophy (52, 54, and 58 rounds, respectively).^[5] This also happened to Tiger Woods in 2006 (55 rounds)^[4][5] and Steve Stricker in 2013 (51 rounds). In 1989, Payne Stewart failed to qualify for the Vardon Trophy because of his mid-round withdrawal from the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.^[6] In 1987, Dan Pohl won the Vardon Trophy even though David Frost and Paul Azinger both had lower averages;^[5] Frost and Azinger were not PGA of America members, a requirement for eligibility that was dropped after the 1987 season.^[7] The minimum rounds required also dropped from 80 to 60 at that time.

For the 2019–20 season, the minimum rounds required to be eligible for the trophy was reduced from 60 to 44, due to cancellation of tournaments because of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[8] The minimum rounds for the Byron Nelson Award dropped from 50 to 35.^[9]

Winners

Year	Winner	Adjusted Scoring Average (60 round minimum)	Byron Nelson Award	Adjusted Scoring Average (50 round minimum)
2023	Scottie Scheffler	68.63	Scottie Scheffler	68.63
2022	Rory McIlroy	68.67	Rory McIlroy	68.67
2021	Jon Rahm	69.30	Jon Rahm	69.30
2020	Webb Simpson	68.98	Webb Simpson	68.98
2019	Rory McIlroy	69.06	Rory McIlroy	69.06
2018	Dustin Johnson	68.70	Dustin Johnson	68.70
2017	Jordan Spieth	68.85	Jordan Spieth	68.85
2016	Dustin Johnson	69.17	Dustin Johnson	69.17
2015	Jordan Spieth	68.91	Jordan Spieth	68.91
2014	Rory McIlroy	68.83	Rory McIlroy	68.83
2013	Tiger Woods	68.98	Steve Stricker	68.95
2012	Rory McIlroy	68.87	Rory McIlroy	68.87
2011	Luke Donald	68.86	Luke Donald	68.86
2010	Matt Kuchar	69.61	Matt Kuchar	69.61
2009	Tiger Woods	68.05	Tiger Woods	68.05
2008	Sergio García	69.12	Sergio García	69.12
2007	Tiger Woods	67.79	Tiger Woods	67.79
2006	Jim Furyk	68.86	Tiger Woods	68.11
2005	Tiger Woods	68.66	Tiger Woods	68.66
2004	Vijay Singh	68.84	Vijay Singh	68.84
2003	Tiger Woods	68.41	Tiger Woods	68.41
2002	Tiger Woods	68.56	Tiger Woods	68.56
2001	Tiger Woods	68.81	Tiger Woods	68.81
2000	Tiger Woods	67.79	Tiger Woods	67.79
1999	Tiger Woods	68.43	Tiger Woods	68.43
1998	David Duval	69.13	David Duval	69.13
1997	Nick Price	68.98	Nick Price	68.98
1996	Tom Lehman	69.32	Tom Lehman	69.32
1995	Steve Elkington	69.92	Greg Norman	69.06
1994	Greg Norman	68.81	Greg Norman	68.81
1993	Nick Price	69.11	Greg Norman	68.90
1992	Fred Couples	69.38	Fred Couples	69.38
1991	Fred Couples	69.59	Fred Couples	69.38
1990	Greg Norman	69.10	Greg Norman	69.10
1989	Greg Norman	69.49	Payne Stewart	69.485
1988	Chip Beck	69.46	Greg Norman	69.38
Year	Winner	Scoring Average (80 round minimum)	Byron Nelson Award	Scoring Average (50 round minimum)
1987	Dan Pohl	70.25	David Frost	70.09
1986	Scott Hoch	70.08	Scott Hoch	70.08
1985	Don Pooley	70.36	Don Pooley	70.36
1984	Calvin Peete	70.56	Calvin Peete	70.56
1983	Raymond Floyd	70.61	Raymond Floyd	70.61
1982	Tom Kite	70.21	Tom Kite	70.21
1981	Tom Kite	69.80	Tom Kite	69.80
1980	Lee Trevino	69.73	Lee Trevino	69.73

Year	Winner	Scoring Average
1979	Tom Watson	70.27
1978	Tom Watson	70.16
1977	Tom Watson	70.32
1976	Don January	70.56
1975	Bruce Crampton	70.57
1974	Lee Trevino	70.53
1973	Bruce Crampton	70.57
1972	Lee Trevino	70.89
1971	Lee Trevino	70.27
1970	Lee Trevino	70.64
1969	Dave Hill	70.34
1968	Billy Casper	69.82
1967	Arnold Palmer	70.18
1966	Billy Casper	70.27
1965	Billy Casper	70.85
1964	Arnold Palmer	70.01
1963	Billy Casper	70.58
1962	Arnold Palmer	70.27
1961	Arnold Palmer	69.85
1960	Billy Casper	69.95
1959	Art Wall Jr.	70.35
1958	Bob Rosburg	70.11
1957	Dow Finsterwald	70.30
1956	Cary Middlecoff	70.35
1955	Sam Snead	69.86
1954	Dutch Harrison	70.41
1953	Lloyd Mangrum	70.22
1952	Jack Burke Jr.	70.54
1951	Lloyd Mangrum	70.05
1950	Sam Snead	69.23
1949	Sam Snead	69.37
1948	Ben Hogan	69.30
1947	Jimmy Demaret	69.90

Year	Winner	Points
1941	Ben Hogan	494
1940	Ben Hogan	423
1939	Byron Nelson	473
1938	Sam Snead	520
1937	Harry Cooper	500

Multiple winners

Sixteen men have won the Vardon Trophy more than once (1937–2020).

• 9 wins
  • Tiger Woods: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2013
• 5 wins
  • Billy Casper: 1960, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968
  • Lee Trevino: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1980
• 4 wins
  • Arnold Palmer: 1961, 1962, 1964, 1967
  • Sam Snead: 1938, 1949, 1950, 1955
  • Rory McIlroy: 2012, 2014, 2019, 2022
• 3 wins
  • Ben Hogan: 1940, 1941, 1948
  • Greg Norman: 1989, 1990, 1994
  • Tom Watson: 1977, 1978, 1979
• 2 wins
  • Fred Couples: 1991, 1992
  • Bruce Crampton: 1973, 1975
  • Dustin Johnson: 2016, 2018
  • Tom Kite: 1981, 1982
  • Lloyd Mangrum: 1951, 1953
  • Nick Price: 1993, 1997
  • Jordan Spieth: 2015, 2017

Seven men have won the Byron Nelson Award more than once (1980–2020).

• 9 wins
  • Tiger Woods: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
• 5 wins
  • Greg Norman: 1988, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995
• 4 wins
  • Rory McIlroy: 2012, 2014, 2019, 2022
• 2 wins
  • Fred Couples: 1991, 1992
  • Dustin Johnson: 2016, 2018
  • Tom Kite: 1981, 1982
  • Jordan Spieth: 2015, 2017