The 24-year-old Australian, who enjoyed a breakthrough triumph at the Puerto Rico  Open in and added another top-five finish with his joint-fourth place at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, is up for the newcomers' honour alongside a quarter who also made a striking impression in 2025.

South African Aldrich Potgieter, the big-hitting 21-year-old winner of the Rocket Classic and the only rookie to qualify for the FedExCup play-offs, may be favourite for the award.

He's been nominated alongside Perth's Vilips and a US trio of first-time winners, Michael Brennan, Steven Fisk and William Mouw.

Vilips' biggest week came in early March in just the fourth PGA Tour start of his career, when he prevailed in Puerto Rico by three strokes at the Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande, shooting an exceptional closing eight-under 64. 

In August, Vilips, who first announced his ability when striking gold for Australia at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, enjoyed his first career hole-in-one at August's Wyndham Championship and will be among the contenders at this week's Australian Open at the Royal Melbourne. 

Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler, who grabbed two more majors among six titles in 2025, and Rory McIlroy, who secured a career grand slam by winning the Masters, will duel again for the Jack Nicklaus Award given to the PGA Tour Player of the Year.

Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, who won the Tour Championship in August to capture the FedExCup and its $US10 million ($A15 million) prize, and Ben Griffin, a three-time winner in 2025, are the other two nominees.

World No.1 Scheffler recorded a PGA Tour-best 17 top-10s in 2025 and didn't miss a single cut while bringing his career major tally to four with the PGA and British Open titles that left him a US Open triumph away from becoming only the seventh golfer to complete the career grand slam.

Northern Ireland's McIlroy picked up three titles in 2025, the biggest at Augusta in April when he won a two-man sudden-death playoff to snap an 11-year major drought on a course where he had endured plenty of heartbreak.

Both awards are determined by a vote of PGA Tour members, with those who have played at least 15 official FedExCup events during the 2025 season eligible to vote. The ballot closes on December 12 with the winners to be announced soon after.