Turned Professional: 1971

Joined PGA Tour: 1974

PGA Tour Playoff Record: 3-2

Joined Senior PGA Tour: 1997

Senior PGA Tour Playoff Record: 1-3

PGA Tour Victories: 10 - 1979 Jackie Gleason-Inverrary Classic, Western Open, 1980 Atlanta Classic, 1981 Greater Greensboro Open, PGA Championship, 1983 U.S. Open, 1984 Walt Disney World Classic, 1987 PGA Championship, Walt Disney/Oldsmobile Classic, 1988 Georgia Pacific-Atlanta Classic

Champions Tour Victories: 18 - 1998 American Express Invitational, Pittsburgh Senior Classic, Boone Valley Classic, 1999 GTE Classic, Bruno's Memorial Classic, 2000 Las Vegas Senior Classic, Boone Valley Classic, FleetBoston Classic, Foremost Insurance Championship, Bank One Senior Championship, Vantage Championship, 2001 MasterCard Championship, Royal Caribbean Classic, FleetBoston Classic, Farmers Charity Classic, SBC Championship, 2003 Constellation Energy Classic, FedEx Kinko's Classic

Japanese Tour Wins: 4 - 1980 Tokai Classic, 1983 Dunlop International, 1989 Suntory Open, 1991 Dunlop Phoinix

Player Notes: Lettered in baseball and basketball in high school and attended Southern Tech for a year before he was drafted and spent two years in the military. After his discharge in 1968, he tried school again and also worked as an illustrator at Lockheed. One day during his lunch break in 1969, he drove by a driving range and liked hitting balls so much that he went to work in a pro shop in Kennesaw, Ga. He turned pro six months after that and tried the mini-tour briefly and in 1973, just 3_ years after taking up the game finished 2nd in the Florida State Open, finishing one stroke back of the winner, despite a bogey-bogey finish. . . That was his only 72-hole tournament ever, and later that year he gained his touring card. . . Since then he has won 10 tournaments on the PGA Tour. . . He has also won on the Japan PGA Tour the 1980 Tokai Classic, 1983 Dunlop International, and 1989 Suntory Open. . . He was also a member of the 1979, '81 and '87 Ryder Cup Team. . . Today when he isn't playing on the Champions Tour, Nelson devotes most of his time designing and building golf courses.

1990 PGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 15; in money - 10; top-10 finishes - 2; scoring average 70.86 (ranked 59th); money - $124,260 (ranked 124th); best finish, T-4th Buick Southern Open.

1991 PGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 16; in money - 8; top-10 finishes - 3; scoring average 71.47; money - $160,543 (ranked 96th); best finish, T-3rd U.S. Open.

1992 PGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 15; in money - 9; top-10 finishes - 1; scoring average 71.43; money - $94,930 (ranked 135th); best finish, T-7th, Doral Ryder Open.

1993 PGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 18; in money - 9; top-10 finishes - 0; scoring average 71.87 (ranked T-146th); money - $54,870 (ranked 177th); best finish, T-13th Western Open.

1994 PGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 17; in money - 8; top-10 finishes - 1; scoring average 72.40; money - $66,831 (ranked 175th); best finish, T-10th, Doral-Ryder Open.

1995 PGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 21; in money - 6; top-10 finishes - 1; scoring average 72.38 (ranked 182nd); money - $40,689 (ranked 214th); best finish, T-8th, Buick Challenge.

1996 PGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 21; in money - 16; top-10 finishes - 3; scoring average 70.49 (ranked 28th); money - $305,083 (ranked 70th); best finish, T-8th, Doral-Ryder Open and MCI Classic.

1997 PGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 18; in money - 8; top-10 finishes - 1; scoring average 72.10 (ranked 168th); money - $196,981 (ranked 117th); best finish, T-2nd at Doral-Ryder Open.

1997 Champions Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 6; top-10 finishes - 4; scoring average 68.44; money - $312,457 (ranked 128th); best finish, at Comfort Classic.

1998 Champions Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 23; top-10 finishes - 11; scoring average 69.87 (ranked 3rd); money - $1,442,476 (ranked 3rd); winner, American Express Invitational, Pittsburgh Senior Classic, Boone Valley Classic.

1999 Champions Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 28; top-10 finishes - 13; scoring average 70.25 (ranked T8th); money - $1,513,524 (ranked 4th); winner, GTE Classic and Bruno's Memorial Classic.

2000 Champions Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 30; top-10 finishes - 23; scoring average 68.87 (ranked 2nd); money - $2,708,005 (ranked 1st); winner, Las Vegas Senior Classic, Boone Valley Classic, Fla.eetBoston Classic, Foremost Insurance Championship, Bank One Senior Championship, Vantage Championship.

2001 Champions Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 28; top-10 finishes - 17; scoring average 69.91 (ranked 6th); money - $2,109,936 (ranked 4th); winner, MasterCard Championship, Royal Caribbean Classic, Fla.eetBoston Classic, Farmers Charity Classic, SBC Championship.

2002 Champions Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 25; top-10 finishes - 11; scoring average 70.09 (ranked 9th); money - $1,143,224 (ranked 18th); best finish, 2nd TD Waterhouse Championship. Was the first time he hasn't recorded a Champions Tour victory since joining the tour in 1997.

2003 Champions Tour Summary: Tournaments entered -24; top 10 finishes -11; stroke average 69.82 (ranked 7th); money - $1,365,973 (ranked 8th); Best finish, Win Constellation Energy Classic.