PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Six-time PGA Player of the Year Tiger Woods, who earned his ninth major championship last weekend with a victory in the Masters, has climbed to the top of the 2005 PGA Player of the Year standings.

Woods, who won PGA Player of the Year titles in 1997 and 1999-2003, has accumulated 84 points, based on victories in the Buick Invitational, Ford Championship at Doral and the Masters. He is second in money earnings and adjusted scoring average. Woods earned 30 points for his Masters victory.

Phil Mickelson is second in the standings with 70 points, based on three season victories – the FBR Open, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and the BellSouth Classic. He leads the money list and the Vardon Trophy standings with a 69.14 adjusted scoring average, based on 32 rounds.

Vijay Singh, the 2004 PGA Player of the Year and Vardon Trophy winner, is third with 40 total points, followed by The Players Championship winner Fred Funk with 32, Luke Donald with 28 and David Toms with 24.

Donald is second in the Vardon Trophy race with a 69.17 adjusted scoring average, followed by Woods with 69.30 and Singh with 69.43.

Since 1948, The PGA of America has honored the game's best players with The PGA Player of the Year Award. The award is currently presented to the top touring professional based on a point system for tournament wins, official money standings and scoring averages. Points are tabulated from Jan. 1 through The TOUR Championship, which concludes Nov. 6.

Since 1937, the Vardon Trophy, named in honor of famed British golfer Harry Vardon, is awarded annually to the touring professional with the lowest adjusted scoring average. It is based on a minimum of 60 rounds, with no incomplete rounds, in events co-sponsored or designated by the PGA Tour.

The PGA of America, founded in 1916, is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the game of golf while continuing to enhance the standards of the profession. The Association is comprised of more than 28,000 men and women PGA Professionals who are dedicated to growing participation in the game of golf.