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Oldest winners on the PGA Tour

Here's a staggering stat for you...

There have been 901 events played on the PGA Tour this century. With Phil Mickelson's win in March in the WGC-Mexico Championship at age 47, it was just the 18th time in those 901 events that a player age 47 or older has won.

Here's a chart from Shotlink, courtesy of a tweet by the PGA Tour's Mike McAllister, featuring the players on that list:

Believe it or not, only the top three names on that chart -- Love, Funk and Stadler -- are on the list of "oldest winners in PGA Tour history."

RELATED: Here's a look at the 15 greatest golfers of all time

Here's a look at the seven oldest winners in PGA Tour history:

1. Sam Snead 

Sam Snead, also the man who owns the record for most career PGA Tour wins with 82, is the oldest winner in Tour history. Snead was 52 years, 10 months and 8 days old when he won the 1965 Greater Greensboro Open. That victory -- the final one of Snead's illustrious Tour career -- came four years after he claimed the Tournament of Champions four years earlier.

That Greensboro victory was the eighth in that particular Tour event, which ties a PGA Tour record. 

2. Art Wall 

Art Wall, the 1959 Masters champion, is the second-oldest winner in PGA Tour history. In 1975, Wall won the Greater Milwaukee Open at 51 years, 7 months and 10 days -- his 14th and final Tour win. It was his first Tour win in nine years.

3. Davis Love III

Davis Love III, 1997 PGA Champion and captain of the 2012 and 2016 Ryder Cup USA teams, was 51 years, 4 months old when he won the 2015 Wyndham Championship, becoming the third-oldest winner in PGA Tour history.

That win -- the 21st of his career -- made Love the oldest PGA Tour winner in the PGA Tour Champions era (since 1980). And he joined Snead and Raymond Floyd as the only players to win PGA Tour events in four different decades.

4. Jim Barnes

Four-time major champion Jim Barnes, winner of the first PGA Championship ever played in 1916, was 51 years, 3 months and 7 days old when he won the 1937 Long Island Open. He's the fourth-oldest winner in PGA Tour history.

That final victory was the 21st of Barnes's career. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1989.

5. John Barnum 

John Barnum is the PGA Tour's fifth-oldest winner in history. He was 51 years, 1 month and 5 days when he captured the 1962 Cajun Classic by a single shot over Gay Brewer.

Interestingly, that win by Barnum was also the first of his Tour career. He remains the only player to win his first PGA Tour event past the age of 50.

6. Fred Funk 

The sixth-oldest winner in PGA Tour history, Fred Funk was 50 years, 8 months and 12 days old when he won the 2007 Mayakoba Golf Classic.

Funk totaled eighth victories in his PGA Tour career, most notably the 2005 Players Championship, when he became that tournament's oldest winner.

7. Craig Stadler 

The seventh-oldest winner in PGA Tour history is Craig Stadler. The Walrus was 50 years, 1 month and 18 days old when he captured the 2003 B.C. Open in Endicott, N.Y. The 1982 Masters champion fired a final-round 63 to clip Alex Cjeka and Steve Lowery by a single shot. 

That victory was the 13th of Stadler's PGA Tour career.

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68-year-old pro breaks PGA Tour record that stood for over 4 decades

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Jay Haas and his son Bill Haas on Thursday at the Zurich Classic.

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All of the warm, fuzzy, feel-good feelings were gone now. Son had left dad a 4-footer. 

You likely haven’t heard from a Haas in a while. Sixty-eight-year-old Jay hasn’t won on the PGA Tour since the Clinton administration. Bill not since early 2015. But then son asked dad if he wanted to play in this week’s team event on the PGA Tour, the Zurich Classic , and both were again getting Golf Channel airtime and the pre-tournament press conference treatment. 

The father-son angle? That was cute. But a 68-year-old father? If you thought that was at least a little crazy, well, you weren’t the only one. 

“I think my first thought — again, like I said, I said, are you sure?” Jay Haas said in that pre-tourney presser. “I don’t want you to waste a week just to play with me. We can play any time.”

Why a team with the longest odds to win this week is also the best story

By now, you can maybe tell where this is going. We would turn the other direction if Team Haas went 75 and 75. During Thursday’s first round at TPC Louisiana, where best ball was in play, the Haases shot a respectable 65. Thirty-five teams were worse. Dad even birdied four times. 

They didn’t stop Friday. In alternate-shot play, they birdied 1. Then 2. A bogey at 3 was offset by another birdie, at 7. And everyone was typing, “Who’s the oldest player to ever make a cut on the PGA Tour?”

That would be the legendary Sam Snead , who, at the age of 67 years, two months and 23 days, reached the weekend in August of 1979 at the Manufacturers Hanover Westchester Classic. Jay Haas had him beat. On Friday, he was 68 years, four months and 20 days young. And after another birdie on 11, he could see Saturday. 

You probably know where this is headed, too. Golf isn’t easy. Father and son three-putted the 14th. Dad made a 3-footer for par on 15. Son made a 6-footer for par on 16. Then Bill dumped his tee shot into the water on 17. On 18, the scoreboard read this way: Bill Haas-Jay Haas eight-under, projected cut line eight-under. They couldn’t drop another stroke. 

On the verge of history. Team Haas finishes Round 2 on the projected cutline. pic.twitter.com/oVH6pB44W8 — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 22, 2022

On the par-5 finisher, dad drove it in a bunker. Son hit out. Dad hit his iron on, but his ball was left and 47 feet away. Son putted it 43. 

Over 799 Tour starts, Jay, how many putts like that have you stood over?

“Way too many, I know that,” he said. “That was probably as nervous as I’ve ever been over a putt of that length certainly. It sounds silly just to have a chance to make the cut. However, there’s a lot of circumstances here that it kind of made it doubly important in my mind.

“Again, we were right there. We had a big — not a big cushion but a cushion, and it didn’t feel like we had it made by any means, but to somehow shake that putt in on the last hole was something I’ll never forget. But just the whole week, playing with Bill, getting texts from all my kids, it’s just been a real charge.”

The new record-holder, yes, had rolled in the 4-footer. 

Jay Haas rolls in another birdie. Team Haas is 2 shots inside the projected cutline. At 68 years old, Jay Haas would become the oldest player in PGA TOUR history to make a cut. pic.twitter.com/hPPgwDLjdO — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 22, 2022

“Yeah, just wanted to put him on it,” Bill joked afterward. “No, I told myself walking up, I said, let’s just get this thing down close and let’s tap it in and hopefully that’ll be good enough. … 

“But fun to hang on, fun for him to make that last putt. I’d feel sick to my stomach if I would have left it short there and we missed, especially hitting it in the water on 17 — you just feel like you want to take all the blame if something doesn’t go right. I know if he’d have missed it, I wouldn’t have cared, and if I’d have missed it, I would have felt horrible. I’m just glad he made it and we don’t have those feelings.”

The week isn’t over, either. As for the record, you won’t hear Jay talk much about it. Slammin Sammy, he said, didn’t set his mark in a team event. In fact, according to golf stats guru Justin Ray , Snead made the cut three times at age 67, including at the PGA Championship. 

But ask Bill, and he agrees with what his dad said earlier. Father and son could play anytime.

But he wasn’t wasting a week. All of the warm, fuzzy, feel-good moments are back now.

49 years apart. Jay Haas made his first cut on TOUR at the 1973 @WyndhamChamp . pic.twitter.com/v1eBHjXRsZ — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 23, 2022

“I want to make the cut so bad,” the younger Haas said. “Again, I don’t think we showed up just to try — we wouldn’t have been so nervous if we just didn’t care. But he can shoot a good score. The ball doesn’t know who’s hitting it, and he played amazing yesterday. I was getting stretched this morning, and Charley Hoffman was raving about how good he played yesterday, and I just kind of said, well, I see it all the time at home. This isn’t anything new.

“It is long; that’s the big challenge I think for myself but definitely for my dad is it’s a very long course, and he’s hitting woods. We joked that he hit six par-5s in two yesterday, because he’s hitting a lot of woods and hybrids in and he’s hitting them inside our 7-irons and 6-irons.

“Again, if you hit a good shot, which he did all day yesterday and today, it doesn’t matter how old you are.”

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The PGA Tour has witnessed the birth of all sorts of legends. Some scripted history for their contributions to the game, some came and stunned us, but never quite asserted their place. However, some belonged to the rare category that took their mega achievements to another level.

After the age of 50, the elite golfers qualify for the PGA Tour of champions. However, they still own the option to participate on the younger tour if they wish to. But amidst stiffer competition, not many succeed in making the final cut.

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So, let’s take a look at the oldest golfer who went to the length and showed crazy longevity on PGA Tours.

Sam Snead tops the unique list of PGA Tour legends

Sam Snead was undoubtedly one of the greatest golfers in the world. He ruled the golfing world for almost three decades and won PGA tours on 82 ocassions, tied for the highest with Tiger Woods. He won his first title in 1936, and his last in 1965. However, the Slammin’ Sammy continued to remain an active golfer until the end of the century, hitting the honorary starting tee shot at the Masters from 1984 to 2002.

At the Manufacturers Hanover Westchester Classic in 1979, Snead was a little over 67 years. He finished 74 and became the oldest golfer to make the cut and his record remains till date. Meanwhile, Jack Renner went on to win the tournament. In addition, Snead was also the oldest winner on the PGA Tour in 1965, but was soon overtaken.

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Who are the top-10 on the list?

The list is an interesting one. Barring Sam Snead, all the other golfers featured on the list are for their 2022 participation. Moreover, the late legend has a whopping 16 years over the second on the listing. Next name on the coveted list is Phil Mickelson, who was 51-years-old when he T-36 in the 2022 Fortinet Championship.

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Golf – The 2020 Ryder Cup – Whistling Straits, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, U.S. – September 26, 2021 Team USA vice captain Phil Mickelson after winning The Ryder Cup REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Here is the entire breakdown of the top-10 on the list-

Snead’s record will not be an easy one to beat. However, if someone is to break it, who do you think it will be?

Read More-  ‘Ridiculous’ – Mark O’Meara Draws Parallels Between Tiger Woods and Bernhard Langer

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Who Is the Oldest Player on the Champions Tour?

Hale Irwin is currently the oldest player on the PGA Tour Champions.  He may be older than his competition, but he can still play at a high level with some of the best golfers to ever do it.

He made his debut on the PGA Tour back in 1968 and is still competing today. While on the PGA Tour, Irwin was known to excel in tournaments when the conditions were toughest. This was obvious during the 1974 U.S. Open when he was able to secure the win under some of the hardest course conditions ever to be played in the U.S. Open era. He was able to win the tournament with a score of seven-over par in the tournament that was later named the “Massacre at Winged Foot.” 

From 1971 until 1994, Irwin secured victory at 20 PGA Tour events.  Along with being known for his strong performances in difficult conditions, he is also the definition of consistency. He holds the fourth-best mark in PGA Tour history, making the cut in 86 consecutive tournaments. This means that he was in the running to win in every tournament he participated in from 1975 to 1978. After his retirement from the PGA Tour in 1994, he continued his playing career on the PGA Tour Champions and has won a record 45 tournaments.

Irwin has been a well-renowned golfer throughout his career and was even named the captain of the United States team in the inaugural President’s Cup of 1994. He is known to be one of the most consistent golfers of his time and still competes at a high level today at the age of 76 years old.

Who has won the most money in PGA Tour Champions history?

Bernhard Langer is the top money winner in PGA Tour Champions history, with a total of $35,446,920 in winnings.  Hale Irwin sits at number two in these rankings, with $27,158,515 earned throughout his career in the PGA Tour Champions. Irwin’s placing second in prize money but tied for first in total wins can be attributed in part to the increase in prize money in recent years, compared to lesser pots handed out during the start of his PGA Tour Champions career.

What is the minimum age to compete in the PGA Tour Champions?

The minimum age to participate in the PGA Tour Champions is 50 years old.  You can also participate if you are 49 but will turn 50 by June 1st of that tournament’s year. The PGA Tour Champions is geared toward golfers who were once successful on the PGA tour but have since passed their athletic prime. A handful of amateur golfers have also been known to participate and perform surprisingly well, given the competition. 

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Rory McIlroy is now the OLDEST player in the TOP 10 of the World Rankings...

In an incredible turn of events on the PGA Tour at the Valspar Championship, Rory McIlroy is now the oldest player in the top 10 of the world rankings.

After the outcome of the Valspar Championship was decided, Rory McIlroy became the oldest player inside the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings.

Sam Burns won at Innisbrook Resort for the second consecutive year to move to number 10 in the rankings and he pushed out Dustin Johnson to number 11.

The former World No.1 has plummeted in the standings, having been at the top of the pile in June last year, and at 37 years old, he was the oldest player in the top 10.

The two-time major champion, who is teeing it up this week at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play looking for his second win at the event, has dropped outside of the world's top 10 for the first time since 2015.

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Stat of the day Just think about this - @McIlroyRory is now the oldest player among the Top 10 players in the world! As a result of DJ dropping to #11 in #OWGR , the average age of the Top 10 players in the world has reached a new, incredible, all time low: 27.71 ‼️ — Nosferatu (@VC606) March 21, 2022

Now, at 32 years of age, McIlroy is somehow the oldest player which is a mind-boggling thing to process. The Northern Irishman's career has flashed by, but it is by no means over.

He is a 20-time winner on the PGA Tour and you feel that he has bags of potential to add to his major tally which currently stands at four. However, he has not won a major title since 2014.

At 24 years old, Viktor Hovland is the youngest player in the top 10. He is ranked third, five places higher than McIlroy, after recent victories at Mayakoba, the Hero World Challenge and the Dubai Desert Classic.

Jon Rahm has now been World No.1 for 43 weeks and 36 weeks in a row. He is one week behind Nick Price in weeks accumulated at the top of the pile.

Since coming third at The Open Championship in 2021, the Spaniard hasn't moved from the top spot and he has survived Collin Morikawa's numerous attempts to dethrone him on the PGA Tour.

Next Page: Golf Betting Tips: Jon Rahm to stamp mark on WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play?

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All hail Bernhard Langer, who sets record for oldest PGA Tour Champions winner at 64

Bernhard Langer celebrates after making the winning putt on the 18th green during the first playoff hole during the final round of the PGA TOUR Champions Dominion Energy Charity Classic.

If Phil Mickelson is the Tom Brady of golf, then Bernhard Langer must be George Blanda.

Langer beat Doug Barron on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff Sunday to win the Dominion Energy Charity Classic in Richmond, Va., and became the oldest winner in senior golf history at the age of 64 years and change.

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About 15 minutes after his two-putt birdie on the par-5 18th hole forced a playoff with Barron at 14-under 202, Langer sank a five-foot birdie putt on the same hole at the Country Club of Virginia to win for the 42nd time on the PGA Tour Champions, three shy of Hale Irwin’s all-time record for victories. Barron lipped out from six feet for birdie to open the door for Langer, 12 years older, to win for the first time in 20 months.

“I’ve been knocking on the door. I’ve lost a bunch of playoffs. I tried to forget about that and block it out of my mind because I’ve had a lot of close calls,” said Langer, who, by the way, beat defending champion Phil Mickelson by 14 strokes. “It’s an awesome feeling. I hadn’t won since Tucson last year, but that’s how much sweeter it is.”

Langer, who had four runner-up finishes since his last win, extended to 15 his streak of consecutive calendar years with at least one victory. The German native shot a closing three-under 69, while Barron, 52, seeking his third senior title, had a 68 that included birdies on two of his last four holes.

Doug Barron tees off on the first hole during the final round of the PGA Tour Champions Dominion Energy Charity Classic.

“I don't aspire to play when I'm at the same age as him. He's just an anomaly,” Barron said of Blanda … er, Langer. “He's incredibly, incredibly gifted, and he's one of my heroes and good friends. If I'm going to get beat, I don't mind getting beat by him. He's one of those guys that you just never can pull against.”

Langer extended his lead in the Charles Schwab Cup, the season-long points race that draws back from the beginning of 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of a number of tournaments. He has won the Schwab Cup five times; no one else has won it more than twice.

“The Schwab Cup is the next goal as it has been for a year and a half or two years now,” Langer said. “We're a little bit closer, but it's not over yet.”

Steve Flesch, who began the day with a two-stroke lead over Langer and Steven Alker, ended up solo third after a 73. Mickelson played his final six holes in six over par, including a quadruple-bogey 9 at his final hole, but still shot 71. He finished T-47.

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Who Is The Oldest Player To Make The Cut At The Masters?

A Masters champion from the 1990s recently broke the record despite a late interruption at the sharp end of his second round...

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In 2023, Fred Couples broke Bernhard Langer's record as the oldest player ever to make the cut at The Masters .

Langer, who will not tee it up in 2024 as a result of an injury sustained while playing pickleball , was 63 years and 78 days when he previously broke the record in 2020.

Meanwhile, the 1992 Masters champion was 63 years and 187 days old when he officially rubberstamped his pass through to the weekend, with the final putt of Couples' second round actually dropping on Saturday morning.

Storms - which brought down trees - caused play to be suspended on Friday afternoon, and the man with arguably the smoothest swing in golf was in the 18th fairway knowing that a five would likely be enough before the hooter sounded.

He returned early the next day to make a five and hand in a second-round score of 74 to follow up his opening 71. One over through 36 holes was enough. More than enough, actually, with three-over helping the likes of Tiger Woods and co. through on the number.

Reacting to his history-making achievement moments later, the 15-time PGA Tour winner said: “I am excited to make the cut. That’s why I come here … that’s my objective, and I did it.

“It’s not like, ‘Ha, ha, ha, I can screw around and play 36 holes for fun.’ I’m going to try and compete. I can't compete with Viktor Hovland or Jon Rahm or anybody, but I can compete with myself, and that's really why I come. That's what I like to do, is make the cut here at an older age.”

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The oldest man to make the cut is not the only record that the Seattle-born golfer is the proud owner of, however. At least for the time being, Couples, Woods, and Gary Player hold the title of most consecutive cuts made at The Masters with 23.

Couples achieved that particular feat between 1983 and 2007, while Woods' streak is current and the 15-time Major winner could hold that particular record on his own with a successful run this year.

In terms of total cuts made, only the great Jack Nicklaus sits ahead of Couples with 31 (Nicklaus has 37).

One of Couples' most impressive achievements arrived in 2010 as a spritely 50-year-old, however. With the help of an opening-round 66, 'Boom Boom' ended the tournament in sixth that year as a result of a nine-under total. That score marks the lowest 72-hole score at Augusta National by a PGA Tour Champions-eligible pro.

And teeing it up in 2024 in what will be his 39th Masters appearance, there is every chance Couples could put his name to a handful more records, too.

Jonny Leighfield is our Staff News Writer who joined Golf Monthly just in time for the 2023 Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. He graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Sport Journalism in 2017 and spent almost five years as the sole sports reporter at his local newspaper. An improving golfer who still classes himself as ‘one of the worst players on the Golf Monthly team’, Jonny enjoys playing as much as he can and is hoping to reach his Handicap goal of 18 at some stage. He attended both the 150th and 151st Opens and is keen to make it an annual pilgrimage.

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Amy Yang wins Women's PGA; oldest major winner since '18

Amy Yang wins the KMPG Women's PGA Championship by 3 strokes for her first major title at 34. (0:17)

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SAMAMMISH, Wash. -- Standing in the 18th fairway, Amy Yang leaned over to caddie Jan Meierling and acknowledged the anxiety and nerves she carried for the previous 17 holes.

"This has been the longest 18 holes I've ever played in my career," Yang told Meierling.

After years of near misses in the majors, Yang finally enjoyed the celebration she'd long sought: standing on the 18th green, doused in Champagne by her peers as a major champion.

"At one point I thought, 'Will I ever win a major championship before I retire?'" Yang said. "And I finally did it and it's just amazing."

Steady over four days at demanding, tree-lined Sahalee, Yang built a huge lead and survived a couple of late mistakes to win her long-awaited major title on Sunday, a 3-shot victory in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship.

Yang closed with an even-par 72 to finish at 7-under 281. She was nearly flawless for the first 15 holes and reached 10 under for the tournament for a 7-shot lead before running into a little bit of trouble. But none of her pursuers was able to mount a significant charge.

At age 34, Yang is the oldest major winner on the LPGA Tour since Angela Stanford won the 2018 Evian Championship at age 40. Anna Nordqvist had recently turned 34 when she won the Women's British Open in 2021.

This was Yang's 75th major start, the most before a player's first major title since Stanford, who was playing her 76th. As she spoke to reporters, a group of children waited outside the interview tent, chanting "Amy" and seeking an autograph from the newest major champ.

"It's been incredible all this week. Everyone was rooting for me. I want to go sign some autographs for them," Yang said.

Yang's sixth LPGA victory was her first since last year's CME Group Tour Championship, which was also the most recent victory by a South Korean player. She earned a spot in the Paris Olympics, where she will represent South Korea for the third time.

"The first half of the year she was kind of like in between. Motivation is kind of a roller-coaster ride for her because she's done a lot of things, but there's definitely some goals she wants to accomplish, this being one of them," Meierling said. "These weeks get her reinvigorated."

Lilia Vu and Jin Young Ko each shot 71 to tie for second at 4 under. Vu shot three rounds under par but couldn't overcome a 75 in the first round.

"If [you] hit like Amy, you can win, too," Ko said.

Twice earlier in her career, Yang held the 54-hole lead in a major only to fall short. At the 2014 U.S. Women's Open at Pinehurst, Yang was tied with Michelle Wie going into the final round but shot 74 as Wie won. A year later in the same tournament at Lancaster Country Club, Yang had a 3-shot advantage, but In Gee Chun shot 66 to win by 1.

Nine times, Yang finished second, third or fourth in a major without a title. Until now.

"Golf is really just like a fight against myself. I think I proved myself that I can compete and I can do this," she said.

Yang was remarkably steady until her final few holes. She made five bogeys over her first 69 holes before she three-putted the 16th. Then she pushed her tee shot on the par-3 17th well right, and it bounced into a lake, leading to double bogey.

Yang steadied herself with a perfect tee shot on the par-5 18th, leading to a two-putt par and the Champagne celebration.

Yang held a 2-shot advantage when she stepped to the first tee on a cooler Sunday after three straight days of above-average temperatures. The front nine saw breezes whistle through the towering trees to the point play had to be paused so pollen buds could be blown off the greens.

Yang was unfazed. By the time she made the turn, she led by 5. Yang birdied the first hole, chipped in for birdie from 23 yards off the green on the fifth and dropped a 7-foot birdie putt on the eighth -- the toughest hole on the course -- to move to 9 under.

When she hit into the trees on No. 10 and made bogey, Yang responded with a birdie at the 11th and made her final birdie at the 13th.

Playing in the final group with Yang, Lauren Hartlage had a chance to tie the lead at 8 under, but her 5-foot birdie try on the par-5 sixth hole caught the left edge, spun around the cup and stayed out. Hartlage made double bogeys at Nos. 7 and 8 and made the turn 6 shots behind. She tied for fifth at 3 under, her best career finish.

There was only one round in the 60s on the final day -- Japan's Mao Saigo shot 67 to finish at 2 under, tied for seventh.

The PGA Tour's Oldest Rookies

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Most rookies on the PGA Tour — golfers in their first seasons with tour memberships — are relatively young. Golfers in their 20s, golfers who've recently finished college or spent a year or several years honing their skills on the Web.com Tour before advancing to the big tour.

But not all rookies. Some golfers have toiled in the (relatively speaking) minor leagues of golf for years and and years before breaking onto the PGA Tour . In fact, the oldest rookies in PGA Tour history are two golfers who didn't earn the tour cards and begin their first seasons as PGA Tour members until they were nearly 50 years old!

The Oldest Rookies Ever on the PGA Tour: Two 47-Year-Olds

Two golfers, one just a month older than the other, were PGA Tour rookies at the age of 47. These the oldest and next-oldest first-year players in tour history:

• Allen Doyle : Was 47 years, 5 months, 6 days old when he started his rookie year in 1996
• Jim Rutledge : Was 47 years, 4 months, 6 days old when he started his rookie season in 2007

How They Fared in Their Rookie Seasons

In 1996, Doyle played in 28 PGA Tour events and made the cut in 16 of them. His best finish was a tied for 10th at the GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic . He earned $136,789 for the year, which fell outside the Top 125 on the money list. That meant Doyle lost his tour card for the following year (but he got it back by winning Q-School in December of 1996).

In 2007, Rutledge played in 23 PGA Tour events, making the cut in just five. His best finish was a tie for 31st. He earned $62,242, 226th on the money list.

Their Paths to the PGA Tour

Doyle and Rutledge took very different paths to the PGA Tour. Rutledge was a career pro who played the Asian Tour, Canadian Tour and in Europe for years, and made, by his count, 13 attempts at PGA Tour Q-School before breaking through for his 2007 tour card.

Doyle was a driving range owner and career amateur who didn't turn pro until his mid-40s, in 1995. That was a year after winning four significant amateur championships in 1994, and he also was part of three American Walker Cup teams. Doyle was arguably the best amateur golfer in the world the year before he turned pro.

After turning pro, Doyle played the Web.com Tour (then called the Nike Tour ) in 1995. He won three times, including the Nike Tour Championship, which garnered his PGA Tour membership for 1996.

Acting Their Age: On to the Champions Tour

When Doyle and Rutledge turned 50 years old, respectively, they began playing on the Champions Tour, the top professional golf tour for golfers ages 50 and over.

Rutledge first played on the senior circuit in 2009. He has never won on that tour, but was a steady performer and posted multiple Top 10 finishes.

Doyle, on the other hand, had several years in which he was one of the best senior golfers on the planet. He joined the senior tour in 1998, which was the same year he became the first golfer to post Top 10 finishes on the PGA Tour, Champions Tour and Web.com Tour in the same year.

Doyle eventually won 11 times on the Champions Tour, including back-to-back U.S. Senior Open victories in 2005-06, plus two other senior majors wins. He was named Champions Tour Player of the Year in 2001.

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10 Oldest Golf Tournaments in the World

Golf is one of the most popular sports in the world and tournaments are held annually across several different countries. While most of these golf tournaments were established in the later part of the 20th century, the oldest date back to the late 19th century and the first few years of the 20th century. Of course, the oldest golf tournaments originated in the United Kingdom, which is considered the birthplace of modern golf. All of the golf tournaments on this list are still held today and they are some of the most important championships in the sport.

10. Canadian Open

Year Established: 1904 Location: Canada, exact location varies Course(s): Varies, but currently St. George’s Golf and Country Club Organized By: Golf Canada Format: Stroke Play

Until the mid-1990s, the Glen Abbey Golf Course had hosted the Canadian Open. Glen Abbey was designed in 1976 by Jack Nicklaus for the Royal Canadian Golf Association, to serve as the permanent home for the championship. However, the RCGA (now Golf Canada) decided to move the championship around the country.

Did you know?

The Canadian Open is the only national championship that is manged by the PGA Tour.

9. South African Open Championship

Year Established: 1903 Location: Varies, but currently Sun City, South Africa Course(s): Varies, but currently Gary Player Country Club Organized By: Varies Format: Stroke Play

The South African Open Championship is the third oldest open golf tournament, behind The British Open and the U.S. Open. The tournament was officially established in 1903, but it was first played in 1893. However, these early tournaments were only exhibition matches between small groups of professionals.

The South African Open is one of the principal tournaments on the Southern-Africa-based Sunshine Tour. Since 1997, the South Africa Open has been co-sanctioned by the European Tour. For several years, the South Africa Open was held in Johannesburg, but in 2020, the tournament was moved to Sun City at the Gary Player Country Club.

Although non-whites had played in the South African Open before, most notably when Papwa Sewgolum finished second in 1963, it was not until 1972 that black golfers were allowed to compete.

8. U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship

Year Established: November 1895 Location: United States of America, exact location varies Course(s): Varies, but currently Westchester Country Club Organized By: USGA Format: Match Play

The first U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship took place at the last minute, just one month after the USGA held U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Open. Together, the three tournaments are the oldest golf tournaments in the U.S. Although the tournament meant a great deal to its participants, the first U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship only warranted a small blurb in the social column of a New York newspaper. Since then, the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship has become one of the most prestigious tournaments in women’s amateur golf.

Initially, the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship featured a stroke play format, but since 1896, the tournament’s format has been match play.

7. U.S. Amateur Championship

Year Established: October 1895 Location: United States of America, exact location varies Course(s): Varies, but currently Oakmont Country Club Organized By: USGA Format: Stroke Play and Match Play

The U.S. Amateur Championship is the oldest USGA championship along with the U.S. Open. The tournament was established after the United States Golf Association was formed in December 1894 to serve as a national governing body to authorize an official national championship in the United States. This move was prompted by Charles B. Macdonald of the Chicago Golf Club, was the runner-up in both of the “National Amateur Championship”  tournaments held in 1894 by the Newport Country Club and Saint Andrew’s Golf Club. Both clubs proclaimed their winners as the national champion, which didn’t sit right with Macdonald.

Today, the U.S. Amateur Championship is open to any player, regardless of age or gender, with a handicap index of 2.4 or less. The tournament is held each August over a seven-day period.

Since the latter half of the 19 th century, the U.S. Amateur Championship has been dominated by younger players on their way to becoming professional. To give other older players a chance, the USGA established the U.S. Mid-Amateur for anyone at least 25 years old.

6. U.S. Open

Year Established: October 4, 1895 Location: United States of America, exact location varies Course(s): Varies, but currently The Country Club Organized By: USGA Format: Stroke Play

The U.S. Open is held in different states and golf courses each year. The competition consists of 72 holes of stroke play (4 rounds on an 18-hole course), with the winner being the player with the lowest total number of strokes.

As of 2020, the U.S. Open awards a $12.5 million purse, the largest of the four major men’s golf tournaments.

5. Canadian Amateur Championship

Year Established: 1895 Location: Canada, exact location varies Course(s): Varies, currently Ambassador Golf Club Organized By: Golf Canada Format: Stroke Play and Match Play

The Canadian Amateur Championship was established the same year as the U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur, and the U.S. Women’s Amateur. This makes all four championships, the oldest golf tournaments in North America. However, the Canadian Amateur Championship was held a few months before the other tournaments.

The Canadian Amateur is held annually by Golf Canada and the tournament has switched between stroke play and match play over the years. For the first few decades, the Canadian Amateur was only held in Ontario or Quebec, but it now rotates around Canada’s six major golf regions: Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia.

The original Canadian Amateur trophy was the Aberdeen Cup, which was donated by George Lyon, after he won three straight titles from 1905 to 1907. However, the original cup was lost and it was replaced with the Earl Grey Cup.

4. Australian Amateur

Year Established: 1894 Location: Australia, exact location varies Course(s): Varies, but currently Kooyonga Golf Club Organized By: Golf Australia Format: Stroke Play

The Australian Amateur is the second oldest men’s amateur golf tournament in the world. It was started in 1894 when the Melbourne Golf Club founded the “Victorian Golf Cup,” open to all amateurs in Australasia. Since the first tournament, the Australian Amateur has been held every year, except during World War I and World War II.

The Australian Golf Union, the precursor to Golf Australia, was formed in 1898. The following year they organization took over running the Australian Amateur. The winner of the Australian Amateur receives the Challenge Cup, donated by Lord Forster, the Governor-General of Australia.

Traditionally, the Australian Amateur has been a match play event, but beginning in 2021, it has changed to a stroke play format.

3. The Women’s Amateur Championship

Year Established: 1893 Location: The United Kingdom, exact location varies Course(s): Varies, but currently Hunstanton Organized By: The R&A Format: Stroke Play and Match Play

The Women’s Amateur Championship , aka the British Ladies Amateur, is the oldest women’s golf tournament. It was established in 1893 by the Ladies’ Golf Union, which is now part of The R&A. The first Women’s Amateur Championship was held at the Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lytham St Annes in Lancashire, England and was won by Lady Margaret Scott.

Until women’s professional golf was established in 1976, the Women’s Amateur Championship was the most important golf tournament for women. Today, the Women’s Amateur Championship, along with the U.S. Women’s Amateur, is the highest honor in women’s amateur golf.

The winner of the first Women’s Amateur Championship, Lady Margaret Scott, went on to win the tournament the next two years; her three straight tournament wins still remains the record, but has been matched by Cecil Leitch and Enid Wilson.

2. The Amateur Championship

Year Established: 1885 Location: The United Kingdom, exact location varies Course(s): Varies, but currently Royal Lytham & St Annes Organized By: The R&A Format: Stroke Play and Match Play

The Amateur Championship aka the British Amateur is one of the leading amateur golf tournaments in the world. It dates back to 1885 when the inaugural Amateur Championship was held by the Royal Liverpool Golf Club. Originally, the Amateur Championship was played in April, but it now takes place in June.

Before World War II, the Amateur Championship it was regarded as one of golf’s major championships. However, modern golf is dominated by professionals, who have numerous tournaments they can participate in, so the Amateur Championship is now exclusively for amateur golfers. 

Prior to 1930, the Amateur Championship was almost always won by British players, with the exception Walter Travis, who won in 1904, and Jesse Sweetser, who won in 1926; both players were American. Since then, winners of the Amateur Championship come from all over the world.

1. The Open Championship

Year Established: October 17, 1860 Location: The United Kingdom, exact location varies Course(s): Varies, but currently Royal St George’s Golf Club Organized By: The R&A Format: Stroke Play

The Open is typically held in July and is the final major tournament of the year. The winner of The Open Championship receives numerous prizes, that include trophies, prize money, and several exemptions from world golf tours and tournaments.

Until 2016, the prize money from The Open Championship was paid in in pounds sterling (£), but the prize money was changed to US dollars ($) in recognition of the fact that it is the most widely adopted currency for prize money in golf.

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Travelers Championship

TPC River Highlands

Cromwell, Connecticut • USA

Jun 20 - 23, 2024

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2024 travelers championship prize money payouts for each pga tour player, share this article.

Not even protestors on the 18th green can stop Scottie Scheffler.

He won for the sixth time this season Sunday , taking home the title at the 2024 Travelers Championship after beating Tom Kim on the first playoff hole with a par. It’s his fifth win in a signature event this season and another $3.6 million prize he’s taking home.

For Tom Kim, while he won’t take home a trophy, he does collect $2.16 million for his best finish since winning at the Shriners Children’s Open in the fall.

Here’s a closer look at how much each player made at the 2024 Travelers Championship from a purse of $20 million.

Prize money payouts

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Watch: protesters dragged off after storming 18th green at 2024 travelers championship as final group finishes, social media reacts to protestors storming the green at the 2024 travelers championship, three fans involved in lightning strike during weather delay near 2024 travelers championship, meet the 60 players who qualified for the 2024 summer olympic men's golf competition in paris, golfweek's best 2024: top public-access golf courses in every state, ranked, scottie scheffler wins 2024 travelers championship, becomes first player since tiger woods to win six times in a season.

The PGA Tour's Signature Events Had Worthy Winners in 2024, But Still Need Some Work

I t is nearly impossible for the PGA Tour and its signature events to deliver the type of outcome intended for these tournaments that are meant to enrich the players while bringing together as many of the best in the game as possible for the enjoyment of the fans.

Scottie Scheffler did his best to do his part.

Scheffler’s playoff victory over Tom Kim on Sunday at the Travelers Championship gave him four victories out of the eight signature events, which saw their first year in this format come to an end, with revisions surely to come.

These big-money, small-field events that were borne out of the need to compensate the best in the game at a higher level—and in five of the eight cases offered guaranteed money—have largely met their goal.

Not every tournament will be compelling, not every event will have a big-name winner.

But in seven of the eight signature events—albeit it four of them won by Scheffler—a previous major champion was the winner.

Chris Kirk, who captured the Sentry in January, was the only non-major winner to prevail. Wyndham Clark, who won the 2023 U.S. Open, captured the shortened AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama won the Genesis Invitational.

After that it was all Scheffler (Arnold Palmer Invitational, RBC Heritage, Memorial and Travelers) except for four-time major champion Rory McIlroy, who won the Wells Fargo the week prior to the PGA Championship. Scheffler did not play that week. McIlroy skipped this week.

And therein lies one of the potential issues with the signature events—the schedule. In an effort to avoid isolating regular events between the biggest tournaments, the PGA Tour sought to make sure there was at least a run of two such smaller events preceding a signature event—one as a vehicle for qualification but also so a tournament such as the RBC Canadian wouldn’t be stuck between a signature event (the Memorial) and a major (the U.S. Open.)

And yet, that brought on its own problems. It means, for example, that players not in the signature events or the U.S. Open had no place to play the last three weeks.

It also put someone like Scheffler, who tied for 45th at the U.S. Open, in the position of having to decry winning at the Memorial because the event might have compromised his abilities at the major championship.

That issue has already been dealt with as the Memorial is moving to two weeks prior to the U.S. Open next year.

And the Tour has already said that going forward, signature events will have a minimum of 72 players.

Which leads to another discussion point. Why not more?

Why limit these events to so few players when you could easily justify a more robust field?

It’s been suggested that all of the signature events should have 100 players with a 36-hole cut. If the compensation issue is a problem, figure out a way to pay everyone who misses the cut.

That big of a field seems a non-starter so the Tour should at least assure 78 players, something easily accomplished via the current FedEx Cup points list, current-year Tour winners and even the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

The Tour gives up its “everyman” mantra with these signature events and has upset many of the rank-and-file who are now competing in regular events that pay less than half of the $20 million purses and also significantly less FedEx Cup points (750 to the winner versus 500). At least let a few more of them into the big-time events and see if the schedule can’t be a bit more reasonable so as not to burden the best players.

“It’s been a lot,” said Collin Morikawa, who finished second to Scheffler at the Memorial and also has been a frequent contender recently. “I feel like this year has just felt a little bit more of a sprint, let's call it. But I think that's just because of the season, not having a fall portion or at least not having a fall portion that's counted towards this season.

“I think that's an adjustment, but I have nothing wrong with it. Every other sport they're playing every day, every few days. Granted, our weeks are a lot longer and, we get pretty drained as well, but a lot of these tournaments I would have played no matter what, wherever they were on the schedule, and you kind of work them in. So it kind of worked out in my favor where I wanted to play the week before a major, a lot of 'em lined up like that. So just kind of continue that.”

Bryson's victory tour

Bryson DeChambeau crammed a lot into the week following his U.S. Open victory, including visits to the Today show in New York along with various other appearances where he took the U.S. Open trophy.

On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon , he took the trophy into the audience.

And then he brought it to Lower Broadway in Nashville in advance of the LIV Golf Nashville tournament, which started Friday and concluded Sunday.

By Saturday, DeChambeau was admittedly running out of energy, even if his golf had not fallen off.

“My brain is not fully functioning so I’m not able to speak coherently all the time,” he said. “But the fans have been fantastic. They’ve been brilliant. Very gracious to have them out there supporting me like that.”

Tyrrell Hatton proved too much on Sunday, winning his first LIV Golf event by six shots. DeChambeau tied for third, seven strokes back in what was a solid effort given the enormity of his victory a week ago and all that transpired.

It was his best finish in nine LIV events this year and only his second top five.

But he was tied for sixth at the Masters and second at the PGA Championship prior to his U.S. Open win.

“I’m impressed,” said Jon Rahm, when asked about the inevitable post-major hangover. “Especially taking into account that he went and did the whole New York news shows. I didn't do that. I played the week after (his 2023 Masters win) in Hilton Head and it was quite difficult and tiring.

“But we saw Scottie (Scheffler) win the week after (the Masters at the RBC Heritage) this year, and Bryson seems to be a guy who naturally has a lot of energy. I would never question him being able to perform.

“I think it becomes more a mental thing, right? Can you focus on still playing good golf even though you’ve accomplished something incredible? I think he’s in good enough shape physically that he can handle it, it’s just being able to do it mentally.

“I think one of the things that is never really talked about enough about players ... obviously like Tiger (Woods) or Jack (Nicklaus), is the fact that they were able to win multiple majors in a season consistently, and I don’t think most people understand how demanding that is mentally, just to get that done, the media obligations you have afterwards amongst all those things.

“It’s definitely impressive to see what some other players have been able to do.”

The last player to win two majors in the same year was Brooks Koepka (U.S. Open, PGA) in 2018. Jordan Spieth (Masters, U.S. Open) did it in 2015, and Rory McIlroy (British Open, PGA) did it in 2014. Prior to that, Padraig Harrington (British and PGA) was the last in 2008.

Woods won multiple majors in a year in 2000 (U.S. Open, British, PGA); 2002 (Masters, U.S. Open); 2005 (Masters, British) and 2006 (British, PGA).

Nicklaus won two majors in a year in 1963 (Masters, PGA), 1966 (Masters, British), 1972 (Masters, U.S. Open), 1975 (Masters, PGA) and 1980 (U.S. Open, PGA).

Arnold Palmer: American hero

Scottie Scheffler is on an amazing roll, having won his sixth tournament of the year on the PGA Tour and matching a feat not accomplished since Arnold Palmer in 1962: six victories prior to July 1. Tiger Woods never did that, nor did Jack Nicklaus.

But Scheffler has a little ways to go in order to match an interesting feat that Palmer accomplished at the Masters: he was in eight consecutive green jacket ceremonies from 1958 through 1965.

Think about it: Arnie won the Masters in 1958, 1960, 1962 and 1964. That made him part of giving the jacket to the winner the following year: to Art Wall in 1959, Gary Player in 1961, Jack Nicklaus in 1963 and Nicklaus again in 1965.

Martin Davis highlights this and many other aspects of Palmer’s life and career in his large book called Arnold Palmer: American Hero . Stripped across two pages are photos of Palmer from each of those Masters ceremonies.

This is the seventh such book Davis has done in a large 11-by-14-inch format that is filled with essays and photos, some never seen before. The book weighs eight pounds and follows other books he’s done in similar fashion on Ben Hogan (two), Byron Nelson, Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus and the Ryder Cup.

“We always wanted to do this and I thought it just was the wrong time,” said Davis of a book on Palmer, who died in 2016. “This just seemed like the right time while people still remember him fondly.

“What we do with these books are what I would call love stories. There’s no heavy criticism. They’ve all been formatted the same way, with essays on different aspects of their lives.”

Among them were stories written by players such as Gary Player, Nancy Lopez and Peter Jacobsen, Palmer’s good friend and former LPGA commissioner Charlie Mecham and by his longtime assistant and former newspaper writer “Doc” Giffin, who worked for Palmer for more than 50 years.

In all, there are more than 20 essays in 272 pages with more than 300 photos, which include an analysis of his swing and his putting.

“One of the joys of the book is all the photos. Where do you find them?” Davis said. “A lot of them you’ve seen before, like throwing his hat in the air at the ’60 (U.S.) Open (at Cherry Hills) when he won. There’s a lot of them that have never been published and we probably looked at more than 2,500 photos. And we try to set ourselves apart with very high production values.”

Davis said he worked on the book for more than four years and the end product is chock full of anything and everything related to Palmer’s golf and life.

Among the neat aspects is a section on Palmer’s letter-writing habit that he got into, sending a note of congratulations after players won various events. There’s the telegram he sent Jack Nicklaus after the Golden Bear won the 1986 Masters at age 46 that offered congratulations and also said: “Do you think there’s hope for a 56-year-old?”

One that is particularly poignant was written in September 2016 and addressed to Paul Broadhurst, who Palmer was congratulating on Broadhurst's senior victory at Pebble Beach and sent to his home in the United Kingdom. It was dated just six days prior to Palmer’s death.

A few more things

Scottie Scheffler became the first player since Arnold Palmer in 1962 to win six times on the PGA Tour prior to July 1. The win at the Travelers Championship gives him victories at the Masters, the Players and four signature events. He’s now won 12 times in his PGA Tour career, all since the start of 2022. He is also the first player with six wins in a season since Tiger Woods in 2009.

Scheffler will take a few weeks off prior to the British Open. He is not planning to play the Scottish Open the week prior as he did last year. After that it’s the Olympics and then the FedEx Cup playoffs. He has earned more than $27.6 million in prize money this year, surpassing the $21 million record he set in 2021.

LIV Golf has a few weeks off before its next event in Spain at Valderamma. That is the week prior to the British Open. Its U.K. event follows the British.

Dustin Johnson turned 40 on Saturday but there wasn’t much to celebrate regarding his golf. His 72–70–75 weekend in Nashville saw him post his worst LIV Golf finish in 29 individual events with a tie for 51st. His previous worst was 37th last year in the season-opening event in Mexico when he was coming off an injury. Johnson, a two-time major champion, has missed the cut in three of his last four majors and his best this year is a tie for 43rd at the PGA.

Tom Hoge and Christiaan Bezuidenhout earned spots in the British Open via the top 20 in the FedEx Cup standings after the Travelers at 18th and 20th, respectively. The exemption is for anyone in the top 20 not already exempt, up to five players.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as The PGA Tour's Signature Events Had Worthy Winners in 2024, But Still Need Some Work .