Patrick Cantlay was voted PGA Tour player of the year on the strength of his four victories, including a 1-shot advantage at East Lake that made him the FedEx Cup champion.
Tuesday's announcement was another big step for Cantlay, a 29-year-old Californian who went from being the No. 1 amateur in the world to being unable to play for some three years because of a career-threatening back injury.
Now he has the Jack Nicklaus Award after a big finish to his best season. Cantlay won four times this season, capped off by the FedEx Cup.