Retained his position inside the Senior Tour top 20 despite missing the whole of the second half of the season due to his ongoing battle with leukaemia. Had six top ten finishes prior to his last appearance of the year in The Senior Open Championship, including a share of fourth place in Jersey and a share of fifth place in Mauritius and Wales. Could count 2009 as unlucky after twice losing in a play-off – first at the Irish Seniors Open in association with Fáilte Ireland and AIB Bank to Ian Woosnman and then the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open to John Bland. Nevertheless achieved his best finish in the Order of Merit – 18th – bettering the previous year’s 23rd place. Made an emotional return to the Senior Tour in 2007 following a remarkable recovery from acute myeloid leukemia. Won the Open de España Senior in 2005, his rookie year, but did not feature at all in 2006 as he took time off to focus his energies on fighting the cancer. Underwent a successful bone marrow transplant in June 2006 and was well enough to start playing golf again that winter. In December achieved something that never looked possible some months earlier – he won another golf tournament. With rounds of 71 and 65 he captured the Carolinas PGA Crowfield Senior Open at Goose Creek, North Carolina by seven strokes, the same margin by which he won the European Senior Tour Qualifying School in 2004.