Byron Nelson's year to remember, even with no majors?

Question

Why was 1945 adjudged to be one of Byron Nelson's great years in golf, even without a major win?

Answer 1

In 1945 Nelson enjoyed a record-breaking year, winning 18 tournaments including 11 in a row.  He also finished second another seven times, set a record for the scoring average that was only recently broken (68.33, broken by Tiger Woods in 2000), a record 18 hole score (62), and a record 72-hole score (259, which beat the previous record set by Ben Hogan earlier that year).