Jim Furyk, who won three titles and the FedEx Cup playoff title, was named the PGA Tour Player of the Year for 2010 on Saturday.
Tour commissioner Tim Finchem announced the honor, which is decided by a vote of tour players, during the Tiger Woods-hosted Chevron World Challenge unofficial tournament.
It's a first Player of the Year award for the 40-year-old American, who won the Transitions Championship, the Heritage and the season-ending Tour Championship.
"The year just keeps kind of getting better is all I can say," Furyk said. "I'm not sure I want 2010 to end at this point."
Furyk said he found the award especially meaningful since it was decided on a vote by his peers.
"Having all my peers and colleagues, basically the guys I play against week in and week out, to have them vote for me as Player of the Year is what's special."
Furyk's three victories were more than any other player and he had seven top-10 finishes in 21 starts.
It's the second straight year that the award went to a player who didn't win a major title. Tiger Woods won it in 2009 without capturing a major, and Woods did the same in 2003.
When Furyk won the Transitions Championship in Florida in March, he ended a stretch of more than two years without a US tour win.
He recalled that his primary emotion in the wake of that victory was relief.
"It was definitely getting a monkey off my back," Furyk said.
To build on that with two more victories -- including the triumph in the elite season finale that gave him the $10 million playoff bonus prize -- certainly made it the best season of his 17-year career, Furyk said.
"I would say that absolutely this was the best year, and it's because I won and took advantage of those opportunities," he said. "Absolutely by far my best year to date."
South African Ernie Els and Americans Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar and Masters champion Phil Mickelson were also in contention for the award.
Finalists were nominated by the player advisory council with players who made at least 15 starts eligible to vote on a winner.
Asked about the balloting earlier in the week, Furyk said all the candidates were worthy, and he didn't think the struggles of perennial contender Woods -- who made a belated start to the season in the midst of a scandal that ended his marriage -- should detract from the honor.
"There wouldn't be an asterisk in my mind," he said.
American Rickie Fowler was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.
Fowler, 21, became the youngest Rookie of the Year since Woods won the award in 1996 at the age of 20, and he did so without notching a victory in 28 starts.
He had two runner-up finishes while fellow nominee Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland claimed his first US Tour title in brilliant style, smashing the course record at Quail Hollow in the final round to triumph two days before his 21st birthday in May.
McIlroy also finished tied for third at the British Open, where he equaled the low round in major history with a 63 in the first round at St. Andrews.
Other nominees were Derek Lamely and Alex Prugh.
