He’s only 22, and it was only a couple of years ago that Aaron Wise was showing himself to be a standout while playing in Canada on the Mackenzie Tour/PGA Tour Canada. And now, it would appear, Wise is likely to become the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year when it is announced following the Tour Championship. Xander Schauffele won the award last year.
Wise is the only rookie to make it to East Lake in Atlanta for the Tour Championship, and that’s on top of a victory, a runner-up finish, and four Top 10 finishes in all. Wise recorded his first PGA Tour win in his 26th start at the AT&T Byron Nelson. In the past the Rookie of the Year came from those who qualified for the Tour Championship, meaning Wise is the odds-on candidate.
The win propelled Wise into the spotlight, convincing him that his decision to leave college in Oregon, was the right one.
“It gave me a ton of self-belief,” he said at the time of the win. “It was always there, but to do it on a stage, to know I’ve done it really helped me today. It was awesome.”
Others in the mix:
Austin Cook
Cook, 27, recorded a win and three Top 10 finishes to earn $2.4-million this season. Not a bad rookie debut. Cook, who spent a few years in golf’s minor leagues before cracking the PGA Tour, won the RSM Classic in his fourth start on the PGA Tour as a full member. Incidentally, that was the breakthrough for then Canadian rookie Mackenzie Hughes in 2016.
Satoshi Kodaira
The only other rookie to win, Japan’s Kodaira was victorious at the RBC Heritage. However, it was the only Top 10 finish for Kodaira, who missed 10 cuts in 18 events.
Notable mention: Joaquin Niemann
He won’t win the award, but he’s notable for getting his PGA Tour status in only eight starts this year. It is rare for a player to bypass Web.com Tour qualifying, and Niemann joins a select few—Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth in recent years—to pull it off. Still, with four Top 10 finishes in just 12 starts, Niemann has left a big impression this year.