55-year-old Ricardo Gonzalez named Rookie of the Year by PGA Tour Champions

On Thursday, January 16, Ricardo Gonzalez was named PGA Tour Champions Rookie of the Year for his incredible debut season. He was given the Hale Irwin Award for his outstanding rookie year.

Gonzalez started playing full-time on the Senior Tour in 2024 and registered a win at the Trophy Hassan II, only the second start of the year. He eventually finished with six top-10s, including two runner-up finishes and a win.

Miller Brady, the president of PGA TOUR Champions, showered praise on Gonzalez in his official statement.

"Ricardo Gonzalez had a fantastic season, ending the year in the top 10 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings," Brady said, as per PGA Tour. "From his victory in Morocco to his six top-10 finishes on the season, Ricardo made an instant impact and earned this distinction."

The 55-year-old Argentinian golfer said he was elated to receive the Rookie of the Year award.

"Thank you to all the players and to the Champions Tour – the greatest tour in the world," he said. "I want to share this trophy with my son, Santiago. Thank you very much.”

Ricardo Gonzalez has become the first recipient of the Rookie of the Year award after it was renamed the Hale Irwin Award. Irwin is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and one of the greatest players on the Senior Tour. He has won 45 titles, including seven senior Major championships, the joint fourth-highest of all-time.

Steven Alker was named the PGA Tour Champions Player of the Year. He won the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in 2024, registered five other runner-up finishes, and had a total of 16 top-10 finishes in 22 appearances.

How did Ricardo Gonzalez perform in his first-ever season on PGA Tour Champions?

Here's a look at Ricardo Gonzalez's performance in rookie season:

Chubb Classic - T27
Trophy Hassan II - 1
Cologuard Classic - T43
Hoag Classic Newport Beach - 8
The Galleri Classic - T2
Mitsubishi Electric Classic - T52
Insperity Invitational - T61
Regions Tradition - T22
KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship - T34
Principal Charity Classic - T18
American Family Insurance Championship - T22
DICK'S Open - T21
U.S. Senior Open Championship - CUT
Kaulig Companies Championship - T40
The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex - T15
Boeing Classic - T13
Rogers Charity Classic - T40
Ascension Charity Classic - T31
Sanford International - T13
PURE Insurance Championship - T20
Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS - T18
SAS Championship - T7
Dominion Energy Charity Classic - 2
Simmons Bank Championship - T7
Charles Schwab Cup Championship - 25

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Edited by Shobhit Kukreti