Oldest Winners on the European Tour

The European Tour (also known, for its title sponsor, as the DP World Tour) has existed since 1972. Since that inaugural year, there are only two golfers in the tour's history who are credited with winning an official tournament past the age of 50. Those two golfers are Phil Mickelson and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Oldest winner of a European Tour-sanctioned tournament: Phil Mickelson is the holder of this record for winning the 2021 PGA Championship (where he also became the oldest major championship winner ever). Mickelson was 50 years and 341 days old when he won that major championship. Since the European Tour co-sanctions each of the four professional majors, and credits their winners with official wins on the European Tour, Mickelson is also credited as the European Tour's oldest winner to date.

We're going to guess, though, that most people, when they wonder, "Who is the oldest winner on the European Tour," probably aren't thinking about the majors. They are thinking about all the other tournaments on the tour's schedule. Which leads us to ...

Oldest winner of a "standard" European Tour tournament: "Standard" is here used to mean not a major championship and not a U.S.-based PGA Tour event that the European Tour is co-sanctioning. That record-holder is Miguel Angel Jimenez, who became the Euro Tour's first winner over the age of 50 at the 2014 Spanish Open. Jimenez was 50 years, 133 days old when he won that tournament.

The List: Oldest Euro Tour/DP World Tour Winners

Mickelson is the golfer the tour recognizes as its recordholder for oldest winner. In the following list, though, we'll stick with golfers who won "standard" European Tour tournaments. Jimenez holds the top three spots:

• 50 years, 133 days — Miguel Angel Jimenez, 2014 Spanish Open
• 49 years, 337 days — Miguel Angel Jimenez, 2014 Hong Kong Open (played in December of 2013 but part of the 2014 schedule)
• 48 years, 318 days — Miguel Angel Jimenez, 2012 Hong Kong Open
• 48 years, 101 days — Richard Bland, 2021 British Masters
• 48 years, 34 days — Des Smyth, 2001 Madeira Island Open
• 48 years, 14 days — Neil Coles, 1982 Sanyo Open
• 47 years, 362 days — Eduardo Romero, 2002 Scottish Open
• 47 years, 187 days — Christy O'Connor, 1972 Carrolls International
• 47 years, 95 days — Mark McNulty, 2001 South African Open
• 47 years, 54 days — Mark O'Meara, 2004 Dubai Desert Classic

Let's make note of Richard Bland on the list above, who comes in at No. 4 behind Jimenez, Jimenez and Jimenez. His victory was Bland's first on the European Tour in his 478th career start, also making him the oldest first-time winner in the tour's history.

The golfer who, so far, held this record the longest is Neil Coles, the first golfer aged 48 or older to win on the European Tour. His record set in 1982 stood until 2001.

Related articles:

• Oldest winners on the PGA Tour
• Golfers with the most wins on European Tour
• European Tour's 18-hole scoring record

Sources:
DP World Tour. "The oldest winners in Tour history," https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/news/articles/detail/the-oldest-winners-on-tour/.
EuropeanTour.com. Stats, Records & Achievements, "Oldest tournament winners," https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/stats/records-and-achievements/.