Voted by his peers as Rookie of the Year. Enjoyed a banner season, becoming just the second Champions Tour player at the time to go over $2 million in yearly earnings ($86,422/start). Broke Bob Murphy's all-time record of 24 consecutive sub-par rounds when he strung together 26 straight during the campaign.

Held off Irwin to win the season-ending Energizer SENIOR TOUR Championship.

Made his first-ever successful title defense the week before at the Ralphs Senior Classic. One-stroke victory over George Archer at Wilshire CC gave him his fourth TOUR win in the Los Angeles area.

First claimed back-to-back tournaments earlier in the year at the Ameritech Senior Open and BellSouth Senior Classic at Opryland. Was the first of three wire-to-wire winners when he nipped Irwin by one stroke at Kemper Lakes despite finishing bogey, bogey, double-bogey.

Claimed a two-stroke win over John Bland at the BellSouth Senior Classic the week after.

Won his first senior major in early April at The Tradition, finishing six strokes in front of Isao Aoki with a 22-under 266 score, the 72-hole tournament record at the time.

Season's other victory came in the rain at the First of America Classic, where he birdied the 53rd hole to take a one-stroke lead over Bob Duval, then clinched the title with a scrambling par at No. 18.