Top Rookie Seasons on the PGA Tour
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October 16, 2015
![Robert Gamez](https://golf.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GettyImages-87880049.jpg)
Augusta National
1 of 15
Robert Gamez
Robert Gamez won the inaugural ROY award with six top-25s and two wins, one of them being his first professional tournament, the Northern Telecom Tucson Open.
![John Daly](https://golf.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GettyImages-83838829.jpg)
Bernstein Associates
2 of 15
John Daly
"Longjohn" won the 1991 PGA Championship at Crooked Stick, and had four other top-10 finishes his rookie year to take home the award.
![Ernie Els](https://golf.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ernie.jpg)
KATHY WILLENS
3 of 15
Ernie Els
A win at the U.S. Open plus a runner-up and four other top-10s were more than enough to secure Els the 1994 ROY award.
![Tiger Woods](https://golf.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GettyImages-51585140_0.jpg)
JEFF HAYNES
4 of 15
Tiger Woods
Woods, who would go on to earn nine PGA Tour Player of the Year awards, busted onto the scene with two wins in 11 events during his 1996 rookie year.
![Sean O'Hair](https://golf.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GettyImages-86335120.jpg)
Sam Greenwood
5 of 15
Sean O'Hair
O'Hair made 24 cuts out of 29 events that he played during his 2005 rookie year, including one win, one runner-up finish and over $2 million in prize money.
![Brandt Snedeker](https://golf.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GettyImages-86331032_0.jpg)
Steve Grayson
6 of 15
Brandt Snedeker
Snedeker's victory at the 2007 Wyndham Championship and six top-10s locked in his ROY win.
![Dustin Johnson](https://golf.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GettyImages-79681916.jpg)
Jed Jacobsohn
7 of 15
Dustin Johnson
Although Dustin Johnson had one of the busier rookie seasons in 2008, including one win, three top-10s and 30 events played, he lost out on the honors to Argentina's Andrés Romero.
![Marc Leishman](https://golf.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GettyImages-91493396.jpg)
Michael Cohen
8 of 15
Marc Leishman
2009 ROY Leishman had a T2 finish at the BMW Championship and eight top-25s his first year on the PGA Tour.
![Rickie Fowler](https://golf.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GettyImages-102471942.jpg)
Andy Lyons
9 of 15
Rickie Fowler
Brightly-colored Fowler emerged as the best new kid on Tour in 2010, where he recorded seven top-10s and an invite on a captain's pick to the 2010 U.S. Ryder Cup team.
![Rory McIlroy](https://golf.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GettyImages-104641792.jpg)
David Cannon
10 of 15
Rory McIlroy
McIlroy, who had his first Tour win in 2010 along with two other top-3s and five top 10s, lost out on the ROY award to Rickie Fowler. Many thought the eventual two-time Player of the Year was snubbed.
![Keegan Bradley](https://golf.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GettyImages-121152397.jpg)
Kevin C. Cox
11 of 15
Keegan Bradley
Two victories, including Bradley's three-hole playoff win over Jason Dufner at the 2011 PGA Championship, earned him the 2011 Rookie of the Year honor.
![Jordan Spieth](https://golf.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GettyImages-173960038.jpg)
Michael Cohen
12 of 15
Jordan Spieth
The 2013 Rookie of the Year had one of the best rookie seasons on record, finishing eighth in the FedEx Cup standings with one win and three runner-up finishes.
![David Lingmerth](https://golf.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GettyImages-170435890.jpg)
Ross Kinnaird
13 of 15
David Lingmerth
The Swede's successful first season saw him card two runner-up finishes and three top-10s. His only downfall was debuting on Tour the same year as Jordan Spieth.
![Tony Finau](https://golf.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GettyImages-485740210.jpg)
Ross Kinnaird
14 of 15
Tony Finau
As part of a strong 2015 rookie class showing, Finau recorded five top-10s and 16 top-25s, including a T14 at the U.S. Open (his first major appearance).
![Daniel Berger](https://golf.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GettyImages-480926218.jpg)
Stuart Franklin
15 of 15
Daniel Berger
Though winless his debut year, Berger had two runner-ups, six top-10s and 13 top-25s his first year on the PGA Tour, earning him the ROY prize.