Rocket Classic Winner, Aldrich Potgieter, Earns 2025 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year
South Africa’s Aldrich Potgieter, the 2025 Rocket Classic champion, was one of five rookies to win on the PGA TOUR this season and the only rookie to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs. The Mossel Bay, South Africa native is the third South African winner of the Arnold Palmer Award, joining Ernie Els (1994) and Trevor Immelman (2006).
“What Aldrich has achieved at such a young age is truly remarkable. He has captivated fans across the globe including his home country of South Africa and the TOUR is thrilled to see what his future holds,” said PGA TOUR CEO Brian Rolapp.
At the age of 20 years, 9 months, 16 days, Potgieter became the ninth-youngest PGA TOUR winner since the start of the 1983 season and youngest TOUR winner from South Africa with his win at the Rocket Classic. Potgieter survived a three-man playoff against Chris Kirk and Max Greyserman, birdieing the fifth extra hole at Detroit Golf Club to claim his maiden TOUR title and move to a career-high No. 49 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
In addition to his win in Detroit, Potgieter recorded top-10s at the VidantaWorld Mexico Open (P2) and the Charles Schwab Challenge (T6) and led the PGA TOUR in Driving Distance (325) for the season. Potgieter went viral for a 374-yard drive he hit in Mexico and a driver off the deck the same week.
Of the 36 rookies on the PGA TOUR for the 2025 season, Potgieter was the only rookie to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs and went on to finish No. 56 in the FedExCup Fall standings, earning spots in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational in 2026 via the Aon Next 10.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler claimed the Jack Nicklaus Award as the PGA TOUR Player of the Year. Scheffler, a 19-time PGA TOUR winner who won six times in 2025, including two majors – the PGA Championship and The Open Championship – is just the second player to win the award four or more consecutive times (Tiger Woods/1999-2003).
