Which award was Tiger Woods named in 1996 after his first PGA Tour season?

After his first PGA Tour season, Tiger Woods was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 1996.

Woods turned professional in August 1996 after an extraordinary amateur career that included three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles and the NCAA individual championship. Although he played only part of the season as a professional, he quickly established himself by winning two PGA Tour events and qualifying for the Tour Championship.

The award recognized the leading first-year PGA Tour player. Woods finished the season with 11 starts, 10 cuts made, two victories, five top-10 finishes and more than $790,000 in official earnings. He also received broader recognition as Sports Illustrated’s 1996 Sportsman of the Year.

The other options belong to different parts of golf’s awards landscape. The FedEx Cup did not yet exist in 1996, while the Byron Nelson Award and Vardon Trophy are scoring honors rather than rookie recognition. Woods later won both scoring awards repeatedly, which can make them easy to confuse with his first-season honor.