Stewart Cink has been awarded the Jack Nicklaus Award as the 2025 PGA Tour Champions Player of the Year, capping a dominant season with three victories. Tommy Gainey earned the Hale Irwin Award as Rookie of the Year after securing his first win on the tour. The honors were announced during the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai in Hawaii.
The PGA Tour Champions revealed its top honors for the 2025 season on Wednesday, recognizing Stewart Cink's breakout performance and Tommy Gainey's promising debut. The awards were presented the previous night at the Annual Awards Dinner, held amid the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai in Ka’upulehu-Kona, Hawaii.
Cink, a 52-year-old eight-time PGA Tour winner who claimed the 2009 Open Championship, dominated the senior circuit in his second full season. He secured three victories: the Insperity Invitational in May, where he birdied the first playoff hole to beat Retief Goosen; The Ally Challenge in August, defending his title against Ernie Els in another playoff; and the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in November, where he shot 20-under to win by two strokes over Steven Alker. These triumphs, along with 15 top-10 finishes in 21 starts, a scoring average of 68.77 (second overall), and earnings of $3,247,147, also earned him the Arnold Palmer Award as the leading money winner and the Charles Schwab Cup title.
"I am thrilled to be named PGA Tour Champions Player of the Year and to receive the prestigious Jack Nicklaus Award," Cink said. "It is humbling to think of some of the game’s all-time greats who have earned this honor before me, and to know it came by a vote of my peers makes it even more special."
Cink prevailed over nominees Steven Alker, Ángel Cabrera, and Miguel Ángel Jiménez in a vote by tour members who played at least 11 events.
Gainey, turning 50 in August 2025, made his mark with one win at the Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS in October, defeating Cameron Percy by two shots after qualifying through open events. In nine starts, he notched three top-10s and finished 24th in the Schwab Cup standings with $794,653 in earnings. He beat out Freddie Jacobson, Søren Kjeldsen, and Tag Ridings for the rookie honor.
"It is an honor to be named Rookie of the Year and receive the Hale Irwin Award," Gainey said. "I have been looking forward to playing the Champions Tour with some of these legends for a number of years now, and to earn my first win at Jim Furyk’s event is something I’ll never forget."
PGA Tour Champions President Miller Brady praised both: "Stewart has long been one of the top players in our sport, and it was fantastic to watch him win the Charles Schwab Cup to cap off a breakout season. Tommy showed true grit in advancing through a number of open qualifiers on his way to the winner’s circle."
Additionally, Steven Alker claimed the Byron Nelson Award for the lowest scoring average of 68.42, his third time receiving it. The 2026 season begins this week at the same Hawaii event, setting the stage for new achievements.
