Aldrich Potgieter was one of five rookies to win on the PGA Tour this season and the only rookie to qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Aldrich Potgieter on Monday was named the third South African winner of the Arnold Palmer Award, joining Ernie Els (1994) and Trevor Immelman (2006) as the PGA Tour's Rookie of the Year.
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 in Detroit.
Potgieter was one of five rookies to win on the Tour this season and the only rookie to qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
“What Aldrich has achieved at such a young age is truly remarkable,” said PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp in a press release. “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.”
Rookie of the Year awards are determined by a member vote, with Tour members who played in at least 15 official FedEx Cup events during the 2025 season eligible to vote. For the first time, members voted via PGA Tour Central, the Tours’s new player app and website, with the voting period running from December 4-12.
Potgieter, a Mossel Bay, South Africa native, received the Arnold Palmer Award over four other nominees: Michael Brennan, Steven Fisk, William Mouw and Karl Vilips.
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 lost in a playoff at the VidantaWorld Mexico Open and finished T-6 at the Charles Schwab Challenge. He led the Tour in driving distance (325) for the season.
Potgieter, one of 36 rookies on the Tour for the 2025 season, went on to finish No. 56 in the FedEx Cup Fall standings, earning spots in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational in 2026 via the Aon Next 10.
Potgieter earned membership through the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List and became the second-youngest graduate in Korn Ferry Tour history, earning his Tour card at 20 years and 23 days old.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Aldrich Potgieter named Arnold Palmer Award winner as Rookie of Year
Category: General Sports
