Golf Digest Awards Most Improved Golfer - Brief Article

Golf Digest, Jan, 1999

1953 Doug Ford    1976 Ben Crenshaw
1954 Bob Toski    1977 Bruce Lietzke
1955 Mike Souchak    1978 Gil Morgan
1956 Dow Finsterwald   1979 Larry Nelson
1957 Paul Harney    1980 Curtis Strange
1958 Ernie Vossler    1981 Tom Kite
1959 Don Whitt    1982 Calvin Peete
1960 Don January    1983 Hal Sutton
1961 Gary Player    1984 Mark O'Meara
1962 Bobby Nichols    1985 Jim Thorpe
1963 Tony Lema    1986 Dan Pohl
1964 Ken Venturi    1987 Paul Azinger
1965 Randy Glover    1988 Chip Beck
1966 Gay Brewer    1989 Tim Simpson
1967 Dave Stockton    1990 Steve Elkington
1968 Bob Lunn    1991 Andrew Magee
1969 Dave Hill    1992 Davis Love III
1970 Dick Lotz    1993 Lee Janzen
1971 Jerry Heard    1994 Loren Roberts
1972 Jim Jamieson    1995 Billy Mayfair
1973 Tom Weiskopf    1996 Steve Stricker
1974 Tom Watson    1997 David Duval
1975  Pat Fitzsimons    1998 Glen Day

ROLEX ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
1957 Ken Venturi    1978 Pat McGowan
1958 Bob Goalby    1979 John Fought
1959 Joe Campbell    1980 Gary Hallberg
1960 Mason Rudolph    1981 Mark O'Meara
1961 Jackie Cupit    1982 Hal Sutton
1962 Jack Nicklaus    1983 Nick Price
1963 Raymond Floyd    1984 Corey Pavin
1964 R. H. Sikes    1985 Phil Blackmar
1965 Homero Blancas    1986 Brian Claar
1966 John Schlee    1987 Keith Clearwater
1967 Lee Trevino    1988 Jim Benepe
1968 Bob Murphy    1989 Bob Estes
1969 Grier Jones    1990 Robert Gamez
1970 Ted Hayes Jr.    1991 John Daly
1971 Hubert Green    1992 Mark Carnevale
1972 Lanny Wadkins    1993 Vijay Singh
1973 Tom Kite    1994 Ernie Els
1974 Ben Crenshaw    1995 Woody Austin
1975 Roger Maltbie    1996 Tiger Woods
1976 Jerry Pate    1997 Stewart Cink
1977 Graham Marsh   1998 Steve Flesch

BYRON NELSON AWARD
(For most victories on tour, including British Open)
    1955 Cary Middlecoff (6)   1977 Tom Watson (5)
    1956 Ted Kroll (3)    1978 Tom Watson (5)
    1957 Arnold Palmer (4)    1979 Tom Watson (5)
    1958 Ken Venturi (4)    1980 Tom Watson (7)
    1959 Gene Littler (5)    1981 Tom Watson (3)
    1960 Arnold Palmer (8)    1982 Craig Stadler (4)
    1961 Arnold Palmer (6)    1983 Lanny Wadkins (2)
    1962 Arnold Palmer (8)    1984 Tom Watson (3)
    1963 Arnold Palmer (7)    1985 Curtis Strange (3)
    1964 Jack Nicklaus (4)    1986 Bob Tway (4)
    1965 Jack Nicklaus (5)    1987 Curtis Strange (3)
    1966 Billy Casper (4)    1988 Curtis Strange (4)
    1967 Jack Nicklaus (5)    1989 M. Calcavecchia (3)
    1968 Billy Casper (6)    1990 Wayne Levi (4)
    1969 Dave Hill (3)    1991 Corey  Pavin (2)
    1970 Billy Casper (4)    1992 Fred Couples (3)
    1971 Lee Trevino (6)    1993 Nick Price (4)
    1972 Jack Nicklaus (7)    1994 Nick Price (6)
    1973 Jack Nicklaus (7)    1995 Greg Norman (3)
    1974 Johnny Miller (8)    1996 Phil Mickelson (4)
    1975 Jack Nicklaus (5)    1997 Tiger Woods (4)
    1976 Ben Crenshaw (3)    1998 David Duval (4)

CURRENT U.S. RYDER CUP STANDINGS

The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., will be the site for the 33rd
Ryder Cup, Sept. 26-28. U.S. players earn points for top-10 finishes in
PGA Tour events through the 1999 PGA Champion-ship. The top-10 point-
getters make the 12-man team; captain Ben Crenshaw will pick two wild-
card players. Here are the top 12 at year's end:

  1. Mark O'Meara
  2. David Duval
  3. Jim Furyk
  4. Tiger Woods
  5. Steve Stricker
  6. Davis Love III
  7. Fred Couples
  8. Phil Mickelson
  9. Lee Janzen
10. Payne Stewart
11. Hal Sutton
12. Billy Mayfair