Award caps fantastic year for former US Open champion
FedEx Cup winner Jim Furyk has been voted the 2010 PGA Tour Player of the Year by his fellow tour members for the first time.
The 40-year-old former US Open champion won three times in 2010 - claiming the Transitions Championship, the Verizon Heritage and the season-ending Tour Championship. No other player won three times.
The only PGA Tour member to win a major championship in 2010 was Phil Mickelson at the Masters in April. The other three majors were won by European Tour members Graeme McDowell (US Open), Louis Oostuizen (Open Championship) and Martin Kaymer (USPGA).
"The year just keeps getting better is all I can say," Furyk said. "I'm not sure I want 2010 to end at this point."
Furyk had gone more than two years without a victory when he broke his drought with his win at the Transitions Championship in March.
He then won again a month later at Hilton Head and finally ended the year with a par save from a greenside bunker on the final hole at East Lake to not only win the Tour Championship, but also the FedEx Cup.
Meaningful
He had previously won the PGA of America's Player of the Year award which was based purely on points, but said his latest award carried more weight with him because it was based on the votes of fellow players.
"This one is very meaningful ... having all my peers and colleagues - basically the guys I play against week in and week out - vote for me as player of the year is what's special," Furyk said.
PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem added: "Jim is a tremendous player, a consummate professional and with three wins and the FedExCup title, his season was certainly worthy of the award."
Rickie Fowler, who made the US Ryder Cup team in his first year on the PGA Tour, was named Rookie of the Year.
