Rookie of the Year race undecided on PGA Tour

• By Rex Hoggard
• Nov 6, 2012 3:11 PM ET

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Since it is the season to cast a ballot, GTC made the rounds on Tuesday at the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic to get a handle on which way the vote will go for PGA Tour Player and Rookie of the Year.

“Oh, Rory (McIlroy),” Patrick Sheehan quickly volunteered when the subject of Player of the Year was brought up.

The PGA champion won four times in 2012 and led the money list by nearly $2 million over No. 2 Tiger Woods. Although the Ulsterman finished second in the FedEx Cup race to Brandt Snedeker, most players surveyed said he was an easy POY choice.

The Rookie of the Year race, however, is not as clear cut.

“I don’t know,” said Stewart Cink when asked to choose between John Huh (pictured) and Jonas Blixt, the leading two candidates for Rookie of the Year. “I won Rookie of the Year (1997) so I should know . . .”

Huh won the opposite-field Mayakoba Golf Classic, had 12 top-25s and was the only rookie to advance to the Tour Championship. Blixt won the Frys.com Open, a Fall Series event, had eight top-25s and is 35^th in earnings.

Ted Potter Jr. won The Greenbrier Classic, which received twice as many world ranking points (48) as the Mayakoba and Frys.com events, but missed as many cuts as he made (12); while Bud Cauley may have had the most consistent season of the newcomers despite not winning. He is 42^nd in earnings with six top-10 finishes and just seven missed cuts.

The ballots for Player and Rookie of the Year will be sent to players after this week’s event.