PGA European Tour
Encyclopedia
The PGA European Tour is an organization which operates the three leading men's professional golf
tour
s in Europe
: the elite European Tour, the European Seniors Tour
and the developmental Challenge Tour
. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club
in Virginia Water
, Surrey
, England
. The European Tour is the primary golf tour in Europe and is second to the United States
-based PGA Tour
in worldwide prestige. The European Tour was established by the British-based Professional Golfers' Association, and responsibility was transferred to an independent PGA European Tour organisation in 1984. Most events on the PGA European Tour's three tours are held in Europe, but in recent years an increasing number have been held in other parts of the world outside of North America
.
The PGA European Tour is a golfer-controlled organisation whose primary purpose is to maximise the income of tournament golfers
. It is a company limited by guarantee
and is run by a professional staff but controlled by its playing members via a board of directors composed of 12 elected past and present tour players and a tournament committee of 14 current players. As of 2007, the chairman of the board is Neil Coles
and the chairman of the tournament committee is Thomas Bjørn
.
The European-based events on the European Tour are nearly all played in Western Europe and the most lucrative of them take place in the United Kingdom
, Ireland
, Germany
, France
and Spain
.
The PGA European Tour also conducts the Ryder Cup Matches
in cooperation with the PGA of America
.
. The first professionals were clubmakers and greenkeepers who also taught golf to the wealthy men who could afford to play the game (early handmade equipment was expensive) and played "challenge matches" against one another for small purses. The first multi-competitor stroke play
tournament was The Open Championship
, which was introduced in 1860. That year it was for professionals only, and it attracted a field of eight. The following year, amateurs were permitted to enter. In contrast to many other sports which originated in the United Kingdom, the amateur-professional divide never created major problems in golf, at least at the elite competitive level.
Over the few decades following the creation of The Open Championship, the number of golf tournaments with prize money increased slowly but steadily. Most were in the United Kingdom, but there were also several "national opens" in various countries of Continental Europe
. However, for many decades it remained difficult if not impossible for golfers to earn a living from prize money alone. From 1901 the British professionals were represented by The Professional Golfers' Association, and it was this body that ultimately created the European Tour.
By the post-World War II
period prize money was becoming more significant, encouraged by the introduction of television
coverage. However, each event was still organised separately by a golf club or association, or a commercial promoter. In the U.S. a formal PGA Tour
had existed since the 1930s, and in 1972 The Professional Golfers' Association introduced the PGA European Tour. In its early years the season ran for six months from April to October, and was based entirely in Europe, mainly in Great Britain and Ireland. For example, the 1972 season
consisted of 20 tournaments, of which 12 were in the United Kingdom and one was in Ireland. Of the seven events in Continental Europe, six were "national opens", namely the Dutch
, German
, Italian
, French
, Spanish
and Swiss
Opens, with the seventh being the Madrid Open.
Over the next three decades the tour gradually lengthened and globalised. The first event held outside of Europe was the 1982 Tunisian Open
. That year, there were 27 tournaments and the season stretched into November for the first time. In 1984, the PGA European Tour became independent of The Professional Golfers' Association.
The European Tour has always been sensitive to the risk that its best players will leave to play on the PGA Tour for many reasons. The PGA Tour usually offers higher purses and European players want to increase their chances of glory in the three majors
played in the U.S. by playing on more U.S.-style courses to acclimate themselves. In an attempt to counter this phenomenon, the European Tour introduced the "Volvo Bonus Pool" in 1988. This was extra prize money which was distributed at the end of the season to the most successful players of the year—but only golfers who had played in a high number of the European Tour's events could receive a share. This system continued until 1998, after which renewed emphasis was placed on maximising prize money in individual tournaments.
In 1989, the tour visited Asia
for the first time for the Dubai Desert Classic
. By 1990, there were 38 events on the schedule, including 37 in Europe, and the start of the season had moved up to February. A first visit to East Asia
for the Tour occurred at the 1992 Johnnie Walker Classic
in Bangkok. This has since proven to be one of the most notable initiatives in the history of the tour, as East Asia is becoming almost its second home. Shortly afterwards the tour also made its debut in the former Soviet Bloc at the 1994 Czech Open
, but much less has come of this development as participation in golf in the former Soviet region remains low and sponsors there are unable to compete financially with their Western European rivals for the limited number of slots available on the main tour each summer. However, the second-tier Challenge Tour
has visited Central and Eastern Europe somewhat more frequently. In 1995, the European Tour began a policy of co-sanctioning tournaments with other PGA Tours
, by endorsing the South African PGA Championship
on the Southern African Tour (now the Sunshine Tour
). This policy was extended to the PGA Tour of Australasia
in 1996, and most extensively to the Asian Tour
.
There is no overall governing body in the worldwide sport of golf. While the golf authorities in the various parts of the world cooperate harmoniously overall, there is still some rivalry. The European Tour is very self-conscious about its position relative to the PGA Tour, but the two have also steadily formed a partnership. In 1998, the European Tour added the three U.S. majors — the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship
and the U.S. Open
— to its official schedule. The leading Europeans had all been competing in them for many years, but now their prize money counted towards the European Tour Order of Merit, which sometimes made a great deal of difference to the end-of-season rankings. The following year three of the current four individual World Golf Championships
, also usually played in America, and also offering far more prize money than most European events, were established and added to the European Tour schedule.
Since the minimum number of events that a player must play to retain membership of the European Tour has long been eleven, this meant that international players could become members of the tour by playing just four events on it apart from the majors and the World Golf Championships, which all elite players enter in any case. Players such as Ernie Els
and Retief Goosen
have taken advantage of this to play the PGA and European Tours concurrently and even Tiger Woods
, who has sometimes played nine of the necessary eleven events, once suggested that he might enter the extra four required so that he could win the European Order of Merit, although he has yet to do so. For the 2009 season, the number of minimum events required for members was increased to twelve; this coincided with the elevation of the HSBC Champions, previously a European Tour event co-sanctioned by three other tours, to World Golf Championships status.
At the start of 2006 five of the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Rankings
were full members of the European Tour, namely Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Sergio García
, Adam Scott and Colin Montgomerie
. Two years later, at the start of 2008, the number of full European Tour members in the top 10 remained at five, namely Els, Justin Rose
, Scott, Pádraig Harrington
, and Vijay Singh
. At the start of 2009, that number increased to seven—García, Harrington, Singh, Robert Karlsson
, Henrik Stenson
, Els, and Lee Westwood
. At the start of 2010, that number went back to five, with Westwood, Harrington, and Stenson joined by Paul Casey
and Rory McIlroy
. Apart from McIlroy, who was only 20 years old at the end of 2009, and longtime European Tour veterans Montgomerie and Karlsson, all of the named golfers are also members of the PGA Tour, and moved to it as their main or joint main tour after playing in Europe first. Singh had largely abandoned the European Tour for the PGA Tour in the late 1990s, but rejoined the European Tour in 2006. 2010 saw much success for European Tour members, including major
wins for Graeme McDowell
, Louis Oosthuizen
and Martin Kaymer
, and a victory in the 2010 Ryder Cup
. Lee Westwood ended the year as world number one. As of 24 January 2011, the no. 1 and 2 positions in the golf rankings are occupied by Europeans (Westwood and Kaymer), for the first time in 18 years. Westwood, Kaymer, no. 4. McDowell and no 7. McIlroy all see the European Tour as their primary tour.
The European Tour is traditionally the first overseas move for outstanding players from non-European countries in the Commonwealth
, long a major source for elite golfers, such as Greg Norman
and Nick Price
. These players tended to move to the PGA Tour as a second step. However, lately the European Tour is losing this role as more Commonwealth golfers choose to move directly to the U.S. There is also a current trend for young UK golfers to play primarily on the PGA Tour. In some cases, such as that of Luke Donald
, this is a natural consequence after completing a golf scholarship
at a U.S. university. Such scholarships are not available (or even legal) in Europe.
When Continental Europe produced its first global golf stars in the 1970s, such as Seve Ballesteros, and especially when Europe began to notch wins over the United States in the Ryder Cup
in the mid 1980s, there was widespread optimism about the future standing of the European Tour relative to the PGA Tour. This has ebbed away as several major European countries, such as Germany and Italy, have not produced high-ranked golfers on a regular basis as was formerly anticipated. Nonetheless, the number of European countries which have produced winners on the European Tour has increased steadily, with notable golfing depth developing in the Scandinavia
n countries. The latter point is illustrated by developments in 2008 and 2009. Not only did the 2008 end-of-year world top 10 feature two Swedes (Karlsson and Stenson), but five other Swedes won events on either the PGA Tour
or European Tour
in 2008; Karlsson and Stenson were joined by the Dane
Søren Hansen
on Team Europe at the 2008 Ryder Cup
; and the season-ending Volvo Masters
was won in 2008 by Hansen's countryman Søren Kjeldsen
. In 2009, Karlsson dropped out of the top 10 and Stenson remained. Nine Scandinavians won events on either the European
or PGA Tour
in 2009; four of them—Dane Jeppe Huldahl
and Swedes Oskar Henningsson
, Christian Nilsson
, and Alexander Norén
—were first-time European Tour winners.
The total 2005 prize fund on the PGA Tour is approximately $250 million. On the European Tour, it is over £80 million or around $150 million, around 60 percent of what the American tour offers. However, both of these totals include around $50 million in prize money for seven co-sanctioned events, namely the majors and the World Golf Championships. Excluding these, the European Tour offers approximately 50 percent as much prize money as the PGA Tour. It can be argued that since PGA Tour members have had far more wins and top 10 finishes in the seven co-sanctioned events in recent years, the 50 percent figure is a better reflection of the actual financial resources of the European Tour relative to its rival.
Leaving aside the majors and World Golf Championship events, which are the most lucrative on the schedule, there is still much more variation in prize funds on the European Tour than on the PGA Tour. Two key tiers can be identified: those not far away from a million Euro, and those in the three to four million Euro range. Most of the former group are for co-sponsored events outside Europe and most of the latter are for events staged in Europe. At the January 2010 exchange rate of roughly USD 1.40 per euro, the richer group of European tournaments offers purses approaching and sometimes surpassing those of typical "regular" events on the PGA Tour, with their 2010 prize funds of $5–6 million.
The prize funds of many European Tour events have increased rapidly since the late 1990s. Nonetheless, in 2005, an increasing amount of media attention was given to the perceived failure of the European Tour to attract as many leading players to its events as in the recent past. It is unclear how this contradiction between the Tour's apparently weakening on-course position and its seemingly strong sponsorship position will play out in the future. The role of Asia may be crucial; in November 2005 a new European Tour-sanctioned event in China
called the HSBC Champions tournament was played for the first time. With a purse of $
5 million, it was by far the richest tournament ever played in Asia. It now has a purse of $7 million, and became a World Golf Championships event starting in 2009.
There are generally only minor variations in the overall pattern from one year to the next. Occasionally tournaments change venue, and quite often change name, particularly when they get a new sponsor, but the principal events have fixed and traditional places in the schedule, and this determines the rhythm of the season.
7.5 million (originally $10 million) to be distributed among the top 15 players at the end of the season, of which the winner takes $1.5 million (originally $2 million). The new name reflects the addition of a new season ending tournament, the Dubai World Championship
, held at the end of November in Dubai. The tournament also has a $7.5 million prize fund (originally $10 million), and will be contested by the leading 60 players in the race following the seasons penultimate event, the Hong Kong Open. The winner of the Race To Dubai also receives a ten-year European Tour exemption, while the winner of the Dubai World Championship tournament receives a five-year European Tour exemption. The reduction in prize money, announced in September 2009, was due to the global economic downturn.
, although around half of the events have prize funds which are fixed in other currencies, mainly pounds sterling
or U.S. dollars. In these instances, the amounts are converted into euro at the exchange rate for the week that the tournament is played. The winner of the Order of Merit receives the Harry Vardon Trophy, not to be confused with the Vardon Trophy
awarded by the PGA of America
.
Before 1975 the Order of Merit was based on a points system, so it was not necessarily headed by the golfer who won the most money.
The European Tour officially began in 1972, but there is a money list for 1971 on the Tour's official site and unofficial or semi-official money lists existed before that. For full Order of Merit details for each season from 1971 onwards, see here http://www.europeantour.com/default.sps?pagegid=%7B7E944807%2D48EC%2D411A%2DB82A%2DD56203FDC915%7D.
As of 14 August 2011.
There is a list of the top 100 on the European Tour's website here http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/stats/career/index.html.
Sir Henry Cotton. The winner is now selected by a panel comprising the PGA European Tour, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St.Andrews and the Association of Golf Writers. It is usually given to the rookie who places highest on the Order of Merit, but this is not always the case. The award predates the founding of the formal tour in 1972. There have been five years when no award was made.
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
tour
Professional golf tours
Professional golf tours are the means by which otherwise unconnected professional golf tournaments are organised into a regular schedule. There are separate tours for men and women, with each tour being based in a specific geographical region, although some of their tournaments may be held in other...
s in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
: the elite European Tour, the European Seniors Tour
European Seniors Tour
The European Seniors Tour is a professional tour for male golfers aged 50 and over run by the PGA European Tour.The Tour was founded in 1992. In 2008 it had a total prize fund of €7,729,284, so it is much further behind the U.S.-based Champions Tour in relative prize money than the main European...
and the developmental Challenge Tour
Challenge Tour
The Challenge Tour is the second tier men's professional golf tour in Europe. It is operated by the PGA European Tour and as with on the main European Tour and the European Seniors Tour, some of the events are played outside of Europe...
. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club
Wentworth Club
Wentworth Club is a privately owned golf club and health resort in Virginia Water, Surrey on the south western fringes of London, not far from Windsor Castle. The club was founded in 1926.-History:...
in Virginia Water
Virginia Water
Virginia Water is an affluent village, a lake and, originally, a stream, the village being in the Runnymede Borough Council in Surrey and the bodies of water stretching over the borders of Runnymede, Old Windsor and Sunninghill and Ascot, England....
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The European Tour is the primary golf tour in Europe and is second to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-based PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
in worldwide prestige. The European Tour was established by the British-based Professional Golfers' Association, and responsibility was transferred to an independent PGA European Tour organisation in 1984. Most events on the PGA European Tour's three tours are held in Europe, but in recent years an increasing number have been held in other parts of the world outside of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
The PGA European Tour is a golfer-controlled organisation whose primary purpose is to maximise the income of tournament golfers
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
. It is a company limited by guarantee
Company limited by guarantee
In British and Irish company law, a private company limited by guarantee is an alternative type of corporation used primarily for non-profit organisations that require legal personality. A guarantee company does not usually have a share capital or shareholders, but instead has members who act as...
and is run by a professional staff but controlled by its playing members via a board of directors composed of 12 elected past and present tour players and a tournament committee of 14 current players. As of 2007, the chairman of the board is Neil Coles
Neil Coles
Neil Chapman Coles, MBE is an English professional golfer. As of 2005, Coles is only the second man to win a professional golf tournament in six different decades, starting in the 1950s and extending into the 21st century.Coles was born in England...
and the chairman of the tournament committee is Thomas Bjørn
Thomas Bjørn
Thomas Bjørn is a professional golfer from Denmark who plays on the European Tour. He is the most successful Danish golfer to have played the game having won thirteen tournaments worldwide on the European Tour. In 1999 he also became the first Dane to qualify for a European Ryder Cup team...
.
The European-based events on the European Tour are nearly all played in Western Europe and the most lucrative of them take place in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
The PGA European Tour also conducts the Ryder Cup Matches
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
in cooperation with the PGA of America
Professional Golfers' Association of America
Founded in 1916, the Professional Golfers' Association of America is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and is made up of more than 28,000 men and women golf professional members...
.
History
Professional golf began in Europe, specifically in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The first professionals were clubmakers and greenkeepers who also taught golf to the wealthy men who could afford to play the game (early handmade equipment was expensive) and played "challenge matches" against one another for small purses. The first multi-competitor stroke play
Stroke play
Stroke play, also known as medal play, is a scoring system in the sport of golf. It involves counting the total number of strokes taken on each hole during a given round, or series of rounds...
tournament was The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
, which was introduced in 1860. That year it was for professionals only, and it attracted a field of eight. The following year, amateurs were permitted to enter. In contrast to many other sports which originated in the United Kingdom, the amateur-professional divide never created major problems in golf, at least at the elite competitive level.
Over the few decades following the creation of The Open Championship, the number of golf tournaments with prize money increased slowly but steadily. Most were in the United Kingdom, but there were also several "national opens" in various countries of Continental Europe
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
. However, for many decades it remained difficult if not impossible for golfers to earn a living from prize money alone. From 1901 the British professionals were represented by The Professional Golfers' Association, and it was this body that ultimately created the European Tour.
By the post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
period prize money was becoming more significant, encouraged by the introduction of television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
coverage. However, each event was still organised separately by a golf club or association, or a commercial promoter. In the U.S. a formal PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
had existed since the 1930s, and in 1972 The Professional Golfers' Association introduced the PGA European Tour. In its early years the season ran for six months from April to October, and was based entirely in Europe, mainly in Great Britain and Ireland. For example, the 1972 season
1972 European Tour
The 1972 European Tour was the first official season of golf tournaments known as the PGA European Tour and organised by the Professional Golfers' Association.The Order of Merit was won by England's Peter Oosterhuis.-Schedule:...
consisted of 20 tournaments, of which 12 were in the United Kingdom and one was in Ireland. Of the seven events in Continental Europe, six were "national opens", namely the Dutch
KLM Open
The KLM Open is an annual golf tournament played in The Netherlands, and has been part of the European Tour's schedule since the Tour was inaugurated in 1972. Founded in 1912, the tournament was originally known as the Dutch Open, before a variety of sponsors resulted in numerous name changes over...
, German
German Open (golf)
The German Open was a men's golf tournament. It was first staged in 1911 when the winner was Harry Vardon. The following year the champion was another of the Great Triumvirate of late 19th and early 20th century British golfers, John Henry Taylor. The tournament was then cancelled for over a decade...
, Italian
Italian Open (golf)
The BMW Italian Open, as it is currently known for sponsorship reasons, is the Italian national open golf championship for men. It was founded in 1925 and has been part of the European Tour's schedule since the tour's first season in 1972....
, French
Open de France
The Open de France is a European Tour golf tournament. Inaugurated in 1906 it is the oldest national open in Continental Europe and has been part of the European Tour's schedule since the tour's inception in 1972....
, Spanish
Open de España
The Open de España is the national open golf championship of Spain. It was founded in 1912 and has been part of the European Tour's schedule since the inception of the Tour in 1972. Except for a five year period in the early 1980s, the tournament has been played in April or May. In 2005 it was one...
and Swiss
Omega European Masters
The Omega European Masters is the Swiss stop on professional men's golf's European Tour, and in 2009 will become the first event in Europe to be co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour....
Opens, with the seventh being the Madrid Open.
Over the next three decades the tour gradually lengthened and globalised. The first event held outside of Europe was the 1982 Tunisian Open
Tunisian Open
The Tunisian Open was a men's professional golf tournament which was part of the European Tour's official schedule from 1982 to 1985. It was the European Tour's first venture outside Europe...
. That year, there were 27 tournaments and the season stretched into November for the first time. In 1984, the PGA European Tour became independent of The Professional Golfers' Association.
The European Tour has always been sensitive to the risk that its best players will leave to play on the PGA Tour for many reasons. The PGA Tour usually offers higher purses and European players want to increase their chances of glory in the three majors
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
played in the U.S. by playing on more U.S.-style courses to acclimate themselves. In an attempt to counter this phenomenon, the European Tour introduced the "Volvo Bonus Pool" in 1988. This was extra prize money which was distributed at the end of the season to the most successful players of the year—but only golfers who had played in a high number of the European Tour's events could receive a share. This system continued until 1998, after which renewed emphasis was placed on maximising prize money in individual tournaments.
In 1989, the tour visited Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
for the first time for the Dubai Desert Classic
Dubai Desert Classic
The Dubai Desert Classic is an annual professional golf tournament which takes place in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It has been part of the European Tour schedule since its inauguration in 1989, and was the first European Tour event to be staged in the Middle East...
. By 1990, there were 38 events on the schedule, including 37 in Europe, and the start of the season had moved up to February. A first visit to East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
for the Tour occurred at the 1992 Johnnie Walker Classic
Johnnie Walker Classic
The Johnnie Walker Classic was a European Tour golf tournament which is played in the Asia Pacific region. Johnnie Walker is a brand name and the owners have a long history of tournament sponsorship. They also sponsor the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles which is a European Tour event...
in Bangkok. This has since proven to be one of the most notable initiatives in the history of the tour, as East Asia is becoming almost its second home. Shortly afterwards the tour also made its debut in the former Soviet Bloc at the 1994 Czech Open
Chemapol Trophy Czech Open
The Czech Open is a golf tournament on the European Tour which is held annually in the Czech Republic.The tournament first appeared on the European Tour schedule between 1994 to 1997 as the Chemapol Trophy Czech Open, and was the first European Tour event staged east of the former Iron Curtain...
, but much less has come of this development as participation in golf in the former Soviet region remains low and sponsors there are unable to compete financially with their Western European rivals for the limited number of slots available on the main tour each summer. However, the second-tier Challenge Tour
Challenge Tour
The Challenge Tour is the second tier men's professional golf tour in Europe. It is operated by the PGA European Tour and as with on the main European Tour and the European Seniors Tour, some of the events are played outside of Europe...
has visited Central and Eastern Europe somewhat more frequently. In 1995, the European Tour began a policy of co-sanctioning tournaments with other PGA Tours
Professional golf tours
Professional golf tours are the means by which otherwise unconnected professional golf tournaments are organised into a regular schedule. There are separate tours for men and women, with each tour being based in a specific geographical region, although some of their tournaments may be held in other...
, by endorsing the South African PGA Championship
South African PGA Championship
The Telkom PGA Championship, as it is currently known for sponsorship reasons, is one of the most prestigious golf tournaments on the Sunshine Tour...
on the Southern African Tour (now the Sunshine Tour
Sunshine Tour
The Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern Africa. For much of its history it was known either as the South African Tour or the FNB Tour, but it rebranded itself in an attempt to broaden its appeal...
). This policy was extended to the PGA Tour of Australasia
PGA Tour of Australasia
The PGA Tour of Australasia is a professional golf tour for men. Official events on the tour count for World Golf Ranking points. The tour was formed in 1973 as the PGA Tour of Australia and adopted its current name in 1991....
in 1996, and most extensively to the Asian Tour
Asian Tour
The Asian Tour is the principal men's professional golf tour in Asia except for Japan, which has its own Japan Golf Tour, which is also a full member of the International Federation of PGA Tours. The Asian Tour is administered from offices in Singapore...
.
There is no overall governing body in the worldwide sport of golf. While the golf authorities in the various parts of the world cooperate harmoniously overall, there is still some rivalry. The European Tour is very self-conscious about its position relative to the PGA Tour, but the two have also steadily formed a partnership. In 1998, the European Tour added the three U.S. majors — the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
and the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
— to its official schedule. The leading Europeans had all been competing in them for many years, but now their prize money counted towards the European Tour Order of Merit, which sometimes made a great deal of difference to the end-of-season rankings. The following year three of the current four individual World Golf Championships
World Golf Championships
The World Golf Championships are a group of four annual events for male professional golfers created by the International Federation of PGA Tours, with a fifth to be added in 2012...
, also usually played in America, and also offering far more prize money than most European events, were established and added to the European Tour schedule.
Since the minimum number of events that a player must play to retain membership of the European Tour has long been eleven, this meant that international players could become members of the tour by playing just four events on it apart from the majors and the World Golf Championships, which all elite players enter in any case. Players such as Ernie Els
Ernie Els
Theodore Ernest "Ernie" Els is a South African professional golfer, who has been one of the top professional players in the world since the mid-1990s. A former World No. 1, he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature along with his fluid, seemingly effortless golf swing...
and Retief Goosen
Retief Goosen
Retief Goosen is a South African professional golfer who has been in the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for over 250 weeks between 2001 and 2007. His main achievements have been two U.S...
have taken advantage of this to play the PGA and European Tours concurrently and even Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
, who has sometimes played nine of the necessary eleven events, once suggested that he might enter the extra four required so that he could win the European Order of Merit, although he has yet to do so. For the 2009 season, the number of minimum events required for members was increased to twelve; this coincided with the elevation of the HSBC Champions, previously a European Tour event co-sanctioned by three other tours, to World Golf Championships status.
Status and prize money
It is beyond dispute that the European Tour is the second most important tour in men's golf, behind the PGA Tour and well ahead of all the others. What is harder to define is its standing relative to the PGA Tour and whether that has risen or fallen in recent years.At the start of 2006 five of the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Rankings
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
were full members of the European Tour, namely Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Sergio García
Sergio García
Sergio García Fernández is a Spanish professional golfer who plays on both the United States PGA Tour and the European Tour. He has spent much of his career in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings...
, Adam Scott and Colin Montgomerie
Colin Montgomerie
Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31...
. Two years later, at the start of 2008, the number of full European Tour members in the top 10 remained at five, namely Els, Justin Rose
Justin Rose
Justin Peter Rose is a South African-born English professional golfer who plays most of his golf on the PGA Tour while keeping his membership on the European Tour...
, Scott, Pádraig Harrington
Padraig Harrington
Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:...
, and Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh, CF , nicknamed "The Big Fijian", is a Fijian professional golfer who was Number 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005. He has won three major championships and was the leading PGA Tour money winner in 2003, 2004 and 2008...
. At the start of 2009, that number increased to seven—García, Harrington, Singh, Robert Karlsson
Robert Karlsson
Robert Karlsson is a Swedish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour and as of 2011 on the PGA Tour.-Career:...
, Henrik Stenson
Henrik Stenson
Henrik Stenson is a Swedish professional golfer who plays both on the US and European tours. He has spent over 100 weeks ranked in the World top ten and his career high ranking of fourth is the best by any Swedish golfer.-Career:...
, Els, and Lee Westwood
Lee Westwood
Lee John Westwood OBE is an English professional golfer. Noted for his consistency, Westwood is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on every major continent, including victories on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He was named player of the year for the 1998, 2000, and 2009 seasons...
. At the start of 2010, that number went back to five, with Westwood, Harrington, and Stenson joined by Paul Casey
Paul Casey
Paul Alexander Casey is an English golfer who is a member of the world's top two professional golf tours, the U.S.-based PGA Tour and the European Tour. In 2009 he achieved his highest position, third, in the Official World Golf Rankings....
and Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy is a Northern Irish professional golfer from Holywood in County Down. He has represented Europe, Great Britain & Ireland, and Ireland as both an amateur and a professional. He had a successful amateur career, topping the World Amateur Golf Ranking for one week as a 17-year-old in 2007...
. Apart from McIlroy, who was only 20 years old at the end of 2009, and longtime European Tour veterans Montgomerie and Karlsson, all of the named golfers are also members of the PGA Tour, and moved to it as their main or joint main tour after playing in Europe first. Singh had largely abandoned the European Tour for the PGA Tour in the late 1990s, but rejoined the European Tour in 2006. 2010 saw much success for European Tour members, including major
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
wins for Graeme McDowell
Graeme McDowell
Graeme McDowell MBE is a Northern Irish professional golfer.McDowell has won seven events on the European Tour, including the 2010 U.S. Open which was also his first win on the PGA Tour...
, Louis Oosthuizen
Louis Oosthuizen
Lodewicus Theodorus "Louis" Oosthuizen is a South African professional golfer, who won the 2010 Open Championship.-Early life and career:...
and Martin Kaymer
Martin Kaymer
Martin Kaymer is a German professional golfer. He became the No. 1 ranked golfer in the Official World Golf Rankings on 27 February 2011 after his runner-up finish in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship....
, and a victory in the 2010 Ryder Cup
2010 Ryder Cup
The 38th Ryder Cup matches were held 2010 at the Celtic Manor Resort in the city of Newport, Wales. It was the first time the competition was staged in Wales. With the USA as the defending Cup holder the event was played on the newly-constructed Twenty 10 course, specifically designed for the...
. Lee Westwood ended the year as world number one. As of 24 January 2011, the no. 1 and 2 positions in the golf rankings are occupied by Europeans (Westwood and Kaymer), for the first time in 18 years. Westwood, Kaymer, no. 4. McDowell and no 7. McIlroy all see the European Tour as their primary tour.
The European Tour is traditionally the first overseas move for outstanding players from non-European countries in the Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
, long a major source for elite golfers, such as Greg Norman
Greg Norman
Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s...
and Nick Price
Nick Price
Nicholas Raymond Leige Price is a South African-Zimbabwean Professional golfer and an inductee in the World Golf Hall of Fame. In the mid-1990s, Price reached number one in the Official World Golf Rankings.-Background:...
. These players tended to move to the PGA Tour as a second step. However, lately the European Tour is losing this role as more Commonwealth golfers choose to move directly to the U.S. There is also a current trend for young UK golfers to play primarily on the PGA Tour. In some cases, such as that of Luke Donald
Luke Donald
Luke Campbell Donald is an English professional golfer who is the current World Number One. He plays mainly on the U.S. based PGA Tour but is also a member of the European Tour. In 2006 he reached the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time in his career. In January 2007, he...
, this is a natural consequence after completing a golf scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
at a U.S. university. Such scholarships are not available (or even legal) in Europe.
When Continental Europe produced its first global golf stars in the 1970s, such as Seve Ballesteros, and especially when Europe began to notch wins over the United States in the Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
in the mid 1980s, there was widespread optimism about the future standing of the European Tour relative to the PGA Tour. This has ebbed away as several major European countries, such as Germany and Italy, have not produced high-ranked golfers on a regular basis as was formerly anticipated. Nonetheless, the number of European countries which have produced winners on the European Tour has increased steadily, with notable golfing depth developing in the Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n countries. The latter point is illustrated by developments in 2008 and 2009. Not only did the 2008 end-of-year world top 10 feature two Swedes (Karlsson and Stenson), but five other Swedes won events on either the PGA Tour
2008 PGA Tour
The 2008 PGA Tour season ran from January 3 to November 9. The season consisted of 49 official money events. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the European Tour. There were also five unofficial events played in November and...
or European Tour
2008 European Tour
The 2008 European Tour was the 37th golf season since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2008 season consisted of 50 official money events, a drop of two from the previous year. This included seven major championships and World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the PGA...
in 2008; Karlsson and Stenson were joined by the Dane
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Søren Hansen
Søren Hansen
Søren Hansen is a Danish professional golfer.Hansen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He won the 1997 Danish Amateur Stroke Play Championship and turned professional later that year....
on Team Europe at the 2008 Ryder Cup
2008 Ryder Cup
The 37th Ryder Cup Matches were held September 19–21, 2008, at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Team USA won 16½ - 11½ to end the streak of three successive victories for Team Europe. This was Team USA's largest margin of victory since 1981, and the first time since 1979 the...
; and the season-ending Volvo Masters
Volvo Masters
The Volvo Masters was the concluding official money event of the European Tour season until 2009, when it was replaced by the Dubai World Championship...
was won in 2008 by Hansen's countryman Søren Kjeldsen
Søren Kjeldsen
Søren Kjeldsen is a Danish golfer. He turned professional in 1995.Kjeldsen's success on the second tier Challenge Tour in 1997, which included victory in the Volvo Finnish Open, earned him membership of the main European Tour for 1998. He has performed steadily at this level and won his first...
. In 2009, Karlsson dropped out of the top 10 and Stenson remained. Nine Scandinavians won events on either the European
2009 European Tour
The 2009 European Tour was the 38th series of golf tournaments since the European Tour officially began in 1972. There were major changes for the 2009 season as the tour entered a partnership agreement with Dubai based Leisurecorp...
or PGA Tour
2009 PGA Tour
The 2009 PGA Tour season ran from January 8 to November 15. The season consisted of 46 official money events, one of which was canceled. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the European Tour....
in 2009; four of them—Dane Jeppe Huldahl
Jeppe Huldahl
Jeppe Huldahl is a professional golfer from Denmark who currently plays on the European Tour.Huldahl was born in Holstebro, and currently lives in Copenhagen. He turned professional in 2003 and finished 4th at European Tour's final qualifying school at the end of the year to obtain his tour card...
and Swedes Oskar Henningsson
Oskar Henningsson
Oskar Karl Henningsson is a Swedish professional golfer.Henningsson was born in Eksjö and later moved to Gränna. He turned professional in 2004....
, Christian Nilsson
Christian Nilsson
-Professional career:Nilsson was born in Karlstad, Sweden. He turned professional in 1999 with a plus 3 handicap. Nilsson played on the Challenge Tour full time since 2004, playing few events before then. His first event on the European Tour was the 2005 Open Championship where he missed the cut....
, and Alexander Norén
Alexander Norén
Alexander Norén is a Swedish professional golfer who currently plays on the European Tour.Norén was born in Stockholm. He attended Oklahoma State University in the United States before turning professional in 2005....
—were first-time European Tour winners.
The total 2005 prize fund on the PGA Tour is approximately $250 million. On the European Tour, it is over £80 million or around $150 million, around 60 percent of what the American tour offers. However, both of these totals include around $50 million in prize money for seven co-sanctioned events, namely the majors and the World Golf Championships. Excluding these, the European Tour offers approximately 50 percent as much prize money as the PGA Tour. It can be argued that since PGA Tour members have had far more wins and top 10 finishes in the seven co-sanctioned events in recent years, the 50 percent figure is a better reflection of the actual financial resources of the European Tour relative to its rival.
Leaving aside the majors and World Golf Championship events, which are the most lucrative on the schedule, there is still much more variation in prize funds on the European Tour than on the PGA Tour. Two key tiers can be identified: those not far away from a million Euro, and those in the three to four million Euro range. Most of the former group are for co-sponsored events outside Europe and most of the latter are for events staged in Europe. At the January 2010 exchange rate of roughly USD 1.40 per euro, the richer group of European tournaments offers purses approaching and sometimes surpassing those of typical "regular" events on the PGA Tour, with their 2010 prize funds of $5–6 million.
The prize funds of many European Tour events have increased rapidly since the late 1990s. Nonetheless, in 2005, an increasing amount of media attention was given to the perceived failure of the European Tour to attract as many leading players to its events as in the recent past. It is unclear how this contradiction between the Tour's apparently weakening on-course position and its seemingly strong sponsorship position will play out in the future. The role of Asia may be crucial; in November 2005 a new European Tour-sanctioned event in China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
called the HSBC Champions tournament was played for the first time. With a purse of $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
5 million, it was by far the richest tournament ever played in Asia. It now has a purse of $7 million, and became a World Golf Championships event starting in 2009.
Outline of the season
Since 2000 the season has actually started late in the previous calendar year, but the seasons are still named by calendar year, rather than for example 2005–06, which would reflect the actual span of play. All of the events up until late March take place outside of Europe, with most of these being co-sanctioned with other tours. From then on, the tour plays mainly in Europe, and the events in its home continent generally have higher prize money than those held elsewhere, excluding the major championships, which were added to the tour schedule in 1998; three individual World Golf Championships events, added the following year, most of which take place in the United States; and the HSBC Champions, elevated to World Golf Championships status in 2009.There are generally only minor variations in the overall pattern from one year to the next. Occasionally tournaments change venue, and quite often change name, particularly when they get a new sponsor, but the principal events have fixed and traditional places in the schedule, and this determines the rhythm of the season.
Race to Dubai
In 2009, the Order of Merit was replaced by The Race To Dubai, with a bonus pool of $United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
7.5 million (originally $10 million) to be distributed among the top 15 players at the end of the season, of which the winner takes $1.5 million (originally $2 million). The new name reflects the addition of a new season ending tournament, the Dubai World Championship
Dubai World Championship
The Dubai World Championship is a golf tournament on the European Tour that was held for the first time from 19–22 November 2009 on the Earth course at the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, United Arab Emirates....
, held at the end of November in Dubai. The tournament also has a $7.5 million prize fund (originally $10 million), and will be contested by the leading 60 players in the race following the seasons penultimate event, the Hong Kong Open. The winner of the Race To Dubai also receives a ten-year European Tour exemption, while the winner of the Dubai World Championship tournament receives a five-year European Tour exemption. The reduction in prize money, announced in September 2009, was due to the global economic downturn.
Order of Merit winners
The European Tour's money list was known as the "Order of Merit" until 2009, when it was replaced by the Race to Dubai. It is calculated in euroEuro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
, although around half of the events have prize funds which are fixed in other currencies, mainly pounds sterling
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
or U.S. dollars. In these instances, the amounts are converted into euro at the exchange rate for the week that the tournament is played. The winner of the Order of Merit receives the Harry Vardon Trophy, not to be confused with the Vardon Trophy
Vardon Trophy
The Vardon Trophy is awarded annually by the PGA of America to the PGA Tour's leader in scoring average. When the award was first given in 1937, it was awarded on the basis of a points system. No award was given from 1942–1946 due to World War II. In 1947, the PGA began awarding it for low...
awarded by the PGA of America
Professional Golfers' Association of America
Founded in 1916, the Professional Golfers' Association of America is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and is made up of more than 28,000 men and women golf professional members...
.
| Year | Race to Dubai leader | Country | Earnings (€) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Martin Kaymer Martin Kaymer Martin Kaymer is a German professional golfer. He became the No. 1 ranked golfer in the Official World Golf Rankings on 27 February 2011 after his runner-up finish in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.... |
4,461,011 | |
| 2009 | Lee Westwood Lee Westwood Lee John Westwood OBE is an English professional golfer. Noted for his consistency, Westwood is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on every major continent, including victories on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He was named player of the year for the 1998, 2000, and 2009 seasons... |
4,237,762 | |
| Year | Order of Merit leader | Country | Earnings (€) |
| 2008 | Robert Karlsson Robert Karlsson Robert Karlsson is a Swedish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour and as of 2011 on the PGA Tour.-Career:... |
2,732,748 | |
| 2007 | Justin Rose Justin Rose Justin Peter Rose is a South African-born English professional golfer who plays most of his golf on the PGA Tour while keeping his membership on the European Tour... |
2,944,945 | |
| 2006 | Pádraig Harrington Padraig Harrington Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:... |
2,489,337 | |
| 2005 | Colin Montgomerie Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... |
2,794,223 | |
| 2004 | Ernie Els Ernie Els Theodore Ernest "Ernie" Els is a South African professional golfer, who has been one of the top professional players in the world since the mid-1990s. A former World No. 1, he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature along with his fluid, seemingly effortless golf swing... |
4,061,905 | |
| 2003 | Ernie Els Ernie Els Theodore Ernest "Ernie" Els is a South African professional golfer, who has been one of the top professional players in the world since the mid-1990s. A former World No. 1, he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature along with his fluid, seemingly effortless golf swing... |
2,975,374 | |
| 2002 | Retief Goosen Retief Goosen Retief Goosen is a South African professional golfer who has been in the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for over 250 weeks between 2001 and 2007. His main achievements have been two U.S... |
2,360,128 | |
| 2001 | Retief Goosen Retief Goosen Retief Goosen is a South African professional golfer who has been in the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for over 250 weeks between 2001 and 2007. His main achievements have been two U.S... |
2,862,806 | |
| 2000 | Lee Westwood Lee Westwood Lee John Westwood OBE is an English professional golfer. Noted for his consistency, Westwood is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on every major continent, including victories on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He was named player of the year for the 1998, 2000, and 2009 seasons... |
3,125,147 | |
| 1999 | Colin Montgomerie Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... |
1,822,880 | |
| Year | Order of Merit leader | Country | Earnings (£) |
| 1998 | Colin Montgomerie Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... |
993,077 | |
| 1997 | Colin Montgomerie Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... |
798,948 | |
| 1996 | Colin Montgomerie Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... |
875,146 | |
| 1995 | Colin Montgomerie Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... |
835,051 | |
| 1994 | Colin Montgomerie Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... |
762,720 | |
| 1993 | Colin Montgomerie Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... |
613,683 | |
| 1992 | Nick Faldo Nick Faldo Sir Nicholas Alexander "Nick" Faldo, MBE is an English professional golfer on the European Tour who now mainly works as an on air golf analyst. Over his career, he has won six majors: three Open Championships and three Masters. He was ranked the World No... |
708,522 | |
| 1991 | Seve Ballesteros | 545,354 | |
| 1990 | Ian Woosnam Ian Woosnam Ian Harold Woosnam OBE is a Welsh professional golfer.Nicknamed 'Woosie', 'Woosers', or the 'Wee Welshman', Woosnam was one of the "Big Five" generation of European golfers, all born within 12 months of one another, all of whom have won majors, and made Europe competitive in the Ryder Cup... |
574,166 | |
| 1989 | Ronan Rafferty Ronan Rafferty Ronan P. Rafferty is an Northern Irish professional golfer, who formerly played on the European Tour.Rafferty was born in Newry, Northern Ireland. He won the Boys Amateur Championship aged fifteen and played in the Walker Cup aged seventeen... |
400,311 | |
| 1988 | Seve Ballesteros | 451,560 | |
| 1987 | Ian Woosnam Ian Woosnam Ian Harold Woosnam OBE is a Welsh professional golfer.Nicknamed 'Woosie', 'Woosers', or the 'Wee Welshman', Woosnam was one of the "Big Five" generation of European golfers, all born within 12 months of one another, all of whom have won majors, and made Europe competitive in the Ryder Cup... |
253,717 | |
| 1986 | Seve Ballesteros | 242,209 | |
| 1985 | Sandy Lyle Sandy Lyle Alexander Walter Barr "Sandy" Lyle, MBE is a Scottish professional golfer. Lyle has won two major championships during his career. Along with Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam, he became one of Britain's top golfers during the 1980s... |
162,553 | |
| 1984 | Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion, and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 90s, being the first official number one ranked player in 1986... |
139,344 | |
| Year | Official Money List leader | Country | Earnings (£) |
| 1983 | Nick Faldo Nick Faldo Sir Nicholas Alexander "Nick" Faldo, MBE is an English professional golfer on the European Tour who now mainly works as an on air golf analyst. Over his career, he has won six majors: three Open Championships and three Masters. He was ranked the World No... |
119,416 | |
| 1982 | Greg Norman Greg Norman Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s... |
66,406 | |
| 1981 | Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion, and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 90s, being the first official number one ranked player in 1986... |
81,036 | |
| 1980 | Sandy Lyle Sandy Lyle Alexander Walter Barr "Sandy" Lyle, MBE is a Scottish professional golfer. Lyle has won two major championships during his career. Along with Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam, he became one of Britain's top golfers during the 1980s... |
66,060 | |
| Year | Order of Merit leader | Country | Earnings (£) |
| 1979 | Sandy Lyle Sandy Lyle Alexander Walter Barr "Sandy" Lyle, MBE is a Scottish professional golfer. Lyle has won two major championships during his career. Along with Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam, he became one of Britain's top golfers during the 1980s... |
49,233 | |
| 1978 | Seve Ballesteros | 54,348 | |
| 1977 | Seve Ballesteros | 46,436 | |
| 1976 | Seve Ballesteros | 39,504 | |
| 1975 | Dale Hayes Dale Hayes Dale Hayes is a South African professional golfer.-Career outline:Hayes won the 15–17 Boys category at the Junior World Golf Championships in 1969. He turned professional the following year and quickly became a successful pro. He won more than a dozen events in South Africa, and was runner up on... |
 South Africa |
20,508 |
Before 1975 the Order of Merit was based on a points system, so it was not necessarily headed by the golfer who won the most money.
| Year | Order of Merit leader | Country | Earnings (£) | Leading money winner | Country | Earnings (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Peter Oosterhuis Peter Oosterhuis Peter A. Oosterhuis is an English professional golfer and golf analyst.-Early years, amateur golf:Oosterhuis was born in London... |
32,127 | Peter Oosterhuis Peter Oosterhuis Peter A. Oosterhuis is an English professional golfer and golf analyst.-Early years, amateur golf:Oosterhuis was born in London... |
32,127 | ||
| 1973 | Peter Oosterhuis Peter Oosterhuis Peter A. Oosterhuis is an English professional golfer and golf analyst.-Early years, amateur golf:Oosterhuis was born in London... |
17,455 | Tony Jacklin Tony Jacklin Anthony Jacklin CBE is an English golfer, who was the most successful British player of his generation. He was also the most successful European Ryder Cup captain ever.-Early life and education:... |
24,840 | ||
| 1972 | Peter Oosterhuis Peter Oosterhuis Peter A. Oosterhuis is an English professional golfer and golf analyst.-Early years, amateur golf:Oosterhuis was born in London... |
18,525 | Bob Charles Bob Charles (golfer) Sir Robert James Charles, ONZ, KNZM, CBE is a New Zealand professional golfer whose achievements over five decades rank him among the most successful left-handed golfers of all time, being the first lefty to win a golf major, winning more than 70 titles, and beating his age twice during a... |
18,538 | ||
| 1971 | Peter Oosterhuis Peter Oosterhuis Peter A. Oosterhuis is an English professional golfer and golf analyst.-Early years, amateur golf:Oosterhuis was born in London... |
9,270 | Gary Player Gary Player Gary Player DMS; OIG is a South African professional golfer. With his nine major championship victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Player has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six... |
South Africa |
11,281 |
Multiple Order of Merit winners
| Rank | Player | Country | Wins | Last Win | First Win |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colin Montgomerie Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... |
8 | 2005 | 1993 | |
| 2 | Seve Ballesteros | 6 | 1991 | 1976 | |
| 3 | Peter Oosterhuis Peter Oosterhuis Peter A. Oosterhuis is an English professional golfer and golf analyst.-Early years, amateur golf:Oosterhuis was born in London... |
4 | 1974 | 1971 | |
| 4 | Sandy Lyle Sandy Lyle Alexander Walter Barr "Sandy" Lyle, MBE is a Scottish professional golfer. Lyle has won two major championships during his career. Along with Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam, he became one of Britain's top golfers during the 1980s... |
3 | 1985 | 1979 | |
| T5 | Lee Westwood Lee Westwood Lee John Westwood OBE is an English professional golfer. Noted for his consistency, Westwood is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on every major continent, including victories on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He was named player of the year for the 1998, 2000, and 2009 seasons... |
2 | 2009 | 2000 | |
| Ernie Els Ernie Els Theodore Ernest "Ernie" Els is a South African professional golfer, who has been one of the top professional players in the world since the mid-1990s. A former World No. 1, he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature along with his fluid, seemingly effortless golf swing... |
2 | 2004 | 2003 | ||
| Retief Goosen Retief Goosen Retief Goosen is a South African professional golfer who has been in the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for over 250 weeks between 2001 and 2007. His main achievements have been two U.S... |
2 | 2002 | 2001 | ||
| Nick Faldo Nick Faldo Sir Nicholas Alexander "Nick" Faldo, MBE is an English professional golfer on the European Tour who now mainly works as an on air golf analyst. Over his career, he has won six majors: three Open Championships and three Masters. He was ranked the World No... |
2 | 1992 | 1983 | ||
| Ian Woosnam Ian Woosnam Ian Harold Woosnam OBE is a Welsh professional golfer.Nicknamed 'Woosie', 'Woosers', or the 'Wee Welshman', Woosnam was one of the "Big Five" generation of European golfers, all born within 12 months of one another, all of whom have won majors, and made Europe competitive in the Ryder Cup... |
2 | 1990 | 1987 | ||
| Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion, and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 90s, being the first official number one ranked player in 1986... |
2 | 1984 | 1981 |
The European Tour officially began in 1972, but there is a money list for 1971 on the Tour's official site and unofficial or semi-official money lists existed before that. For full Order of Merit details for each season from 1971 onwards, see here http://www.europeantour.com/default.sps?pagegid=%7B7E944807%2D48EC%2D411A%2DB82A%2DD56203FDC915%7D.
Leading career money winners
The table below shows the top 10 career money leaders on the European Tour after the 2010 season. Due to increases in prize money over the years, it is dominated by current players. The figures are not the players' complete career earnings as most of them have earned millions more on other tours (especially the PGA Tour) or from non-tour events. In addition, elite golfers often earn several times as much from endorsements and golf-related business interests as they do from prize money.| Rank | Player | Country | Prize money (€ Euro The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,... ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ernie Els Ernie Els Theodore Ernest "Ernie" Els is a South African professional golfer, who has been one of the top professional players in the world since the mid-1990s. A former World No. 1, he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature along with his fluid, seemingly effortless golf swing... |
26,088,556 | |
| 2 | Lee Westwood Lee Westwood Lee John Westwood OBE is an English professional golfer. Noted for his consistency, Westwood is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on every major continent, including victories on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He was named player of the year for the 1998, 2000, and 2009 seasons... |
25,684,508 | |
| 3 | Colin Montgomerie Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... |
24,266,815 | |
| 4 | Pádraig Harrington Padraig Harrington Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:... |
22,275,290 | |
| 5 | Retief Goosen Retief Goosen Retief Goosen is a South African professional golfer who has been in the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for over 250 weeks between 2001 and 2007. His main achievements have been two U.S... |
21,023,996 | |
| 6 | Darren Clarke Darren Clarke Darren Christopher Clarke is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who currently plays on the European Tour and has previously played on the PGA Tour. He has won 22 tournaments worldwide on a number of golf's main tours including the European Tour, the PGA Tour, the Sunshine Tour and the... |
19,455,564 | |
| 7 | Miguel Ángel Jiménez Miguel Angel Jiménez Miguel Ángel Jiménez Rodríguez is a Spanish professional golfer. He has won 18 times on the European Tour.-Early years:... |
18,264,891 | |
| 8 | Sergio García Sergio García Sergio García Fernández is a Spanish professional golfer who plays on both the United States PGA Tour and the European Tour. He has spent much of his career in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings... |
15,238,568 | |
| 9 | Ian Poulter Ian Poulter Ian James Poulter is an English professional golfer who is a member of the world's top two professional golf tours, the U.S.-based PGA Tour and the European Tour. He has previously been as high as number five in the world rankings... |
15,218,024 | |
| 10 | Thomas Bjørn Thomas Bjørn Thomas Bjørn is a professional golfer from Denmark who plays on the European Tour. He is the most successful Danish golfer to have played the game having won thirteen tournaments worldwide on the European Tour. In 1999 he also became the first Dane to qualify for a European Ryder Cup team... |
14,341,819 |
As of 14 August 2011.
There is a list of the top 100 on the European Tour's website here http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/stats/career/index.html.
Players and rookies of the year
The European Tour's Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award is named after the English three-time Open ChampionThe Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
Sir Henry Cotton. The winner is now selected by a panel comprising the PGA European Tour, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St.Andrews and the Association of Golf Writers. It is usually given to the rookie who places highest on the Order of Merit, but this is not always the case. The award predates the founding of the formal tour in 1972. There have been five years when no award was made.
| Year | Player of the year | Country | Rookie of the year | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Martin Kaymer Martin Kaymer Martin Kaymer is a German professional golfer. He became the No. 1 ranked golfer in the Official World Golf Rankings on 27 February 2011 after his runner-up finish in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.... & Graeme McDowell Graeme McDowell Graeme McDowell MBE is a Northern Irish professional golfer.McDowell has won seven events on the European Tour, including the 2010 U.S. Open which was also his first win on the PGA Tour... (shared) |
Matteo Manassero Matteo Manassero Matteo Manassero is an Italian professional golfer. He is the youngest golfer to win a European Tour event.Manassero was born in Negrar, in the Province of Verona. In 2009, at the age of 16, he became the youngest ever winner of the British Amateur Championship, defeating England's Sam Hutsby in... |
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| 2009 | Lee Westwood Lee Westwood Lee John Westwood OBE is an English professional golfer. Noted for his consistency, Westwood is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on every major continent, including victories on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He was named player of the year for the 1998, 2000, and 2009 seasons... |
Chris Wood Chris Wood (golfer) Christopher James Wood is an English professional golfer who currently plays on the European Tour. He was the low amateur in the 2008 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale and tied for third in the following year's tournament held at Turnberry.-Amateur career:Wood was born in Bristol, England... |
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| 2008 | Pádraig Harrington Padraig Harrington Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:... |
Pablo Larrazábal Pablo Larrazabal Pablo Larrazábal is a Spanish professional golfer currently playing on the European Tour.Larrazábal was born in Barcelona, Spain. He attended high school in the United States and returned to Spain in 2002 with the intention of turning professional but his father made him work on the family fish... |
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| 2007 | Pádraig Harrington Padraig Harrington Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:... |
Martin Kaymer Martin Kaymer Martin Kaymer is a German professional golfer. He became the No. 1 ranked golfer in the Official World Golf Rankings on 27 February 2011 after his runner-up finish in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.... |
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| 2006 | Paul Casey Paul Casey Paul Alexander Casey is an English golfer who is a member of the world's top two professional golf tours, the U.S.-based PGA Tour and the European Tour. In 2009 he achieved his highest position, third, in the Official World Golf Rankings.... |
Marc Warren Marc Warren (golfer) Marc Warren is a Scottish professional golfer.Warren was born in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire. As an amateur he was a member of East Kilbride Golf Club, and he was awarded honorary life membership of the club in February 2002... |
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| 2005 | Michael Campbell Michael Campbell Michael Shane Campbell, CNZM is a New Zealand golfer who is best known for having won the 2005 U.S. Open and the richest prize in golf, the £1,000,000 HSBC World Match Play Championship, in the same year. He is a member of the European Tour.Ethnically, he is predominantly Māori, from the Ngati... |
Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño is a Spanish professional golfer.Fernández-Castaño was born in Madrid. He turned professional in 2004 and came eighth at that year's European Tour Qualifying School.... |
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| 2004 | Vijay Singh Vijay Singh Vijay Singh, CF , nicknamed "The Big Fijian", is a Fijian professional golfer who was Number 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005. He has won three major championships and was the leading PGA Tour money winner in 2003, 2004 and 2008... |
Scott Drummond Scott Drummond Scott Drummond is a British golfer.Drummond was born in Shrewsbury in England. He played amateur golf for England but decided to represent Scotland, the country of his father, when he turned professional in 1996.... |
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| 2003 | Ernie Els Ernie Els Theodore Ernest "Ernie" Els is a South African professional golfer, who has been one of the top professional players in the world since the mid-1990s. A former World No. 1, he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature along with his fluid, seemingly effortless golf swing... |
Peter Lawrie Peter Lawrie Peter Lawrie is an Irish professional golfer.Lawrie was born in Dublin and educated at University College Dublin where he took up a golf scholarship. He won the 1996 Irish Amateur Closed Championship and turned professional in 1997... |
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| 2002 | Ernie Els | Nick Dougherty Nick Dougherty Nicholas Dougherty is an English professional golfer.Dougherty was born in Bootle, Merseyside, and attended Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School near Blackburn, Lancashire. He is a protégé of former professional golfer, Nick Faldo, and had an exceptional amateur career... |
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| 2001 | Retief Goosen Retief Goosen Retief Goosen is a South African professional golfer who has been in the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for over 250 weeks between 2001 and 2007. His main achievements have been two U.S... |
Paul Casey | ||
| 2000 | Lee Westwood Lee Westwood Lee John Westwood OBE is an English professional golfer. Noted for his consistency, Westwood is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on every major continent, including victories on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He was named player of the year for the 1998, 2000, and 2009 seasons... |
Ian Poulter Ian Poulter Ian James Poulter is an English professional golfer who is a member of the world's top two professional golf tours, the U.S.-based PGA Tour and the European Tour. He has previously been as high as number five in the world rankings... |
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| 1999 | Colin Montgomerie Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... |
Sergio García Sergio García Sergio García Fernández is a Spanish professional golfer who plays on both the United States PGA Tour and the European Tour. He has spent much of his career in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings... |
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| 1998 | Lee Westwood | Olivier Edmond Olivier Edmond Olivier Edmond is a French professional golfer.Edmond was born in Paris. As an amateur, Edmond represented France in the Eisenhower Trophy. He won the 1990 French Amateur Championship and the Brabazon Trophy . He turned professional later that year... |
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| 1997 | Colin Montgomerie | Scott Henderson Scott Henderson (golfer) Scott Henderson is a Scottish professional golfer.Henderson was born in Aberdeen. He worked as an engineer in the oil industry before turning professional in 1992.... |
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| 1996 | Colin Montgomerie | Thomas Bjørn Thomas Bjørn Thomas Bjørn is a professional golfer from Denmark who plays on the European Tour. He is the most successful Danish golfer to have played the game having won thirteen tournaments worldwide on the European Tour. In 1999 he also became the first Dane to qualify for a European Ryder Cup team... |
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| 1995 | Colin Montgomerie | Jarmo Sandelin Jarmo Sandelin Jarmo Sakari Sandelin is a Swedish professional golfer.Sandelin was born in Imatra, Finland but grew up in Sweden, and is now a Swedish citizen... |
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| 1994 | Ernie Els | Jonathan Lomas Jonathan Lomas Jonathan Lomas is an English professional golfer.Lomas was born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. He turned professional in 1988. He won three times on the second tier Challenge Tour in 1992 and 1993 and was named as the European Tour's Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year in 1994.Lomas' best season on... |
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| 1993 | Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion, and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 90s, being the first official number one ranked player in 1986... |
Gary Orr Gary Orr Gary Hamish Orr is a Scottish professional golfer.Orr was born in Helensburgh, Scotland. He turned professional in 1988 and became a member of the European Tour in 1993. His two wins on the Tour both came in 2000, at the Algarve Portuguese Open and the Victor Chandler British Masters... |
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| 1992 | Nick Faldo Nick Faldo Sir Nicholas Alexander "Nick" Faldo, MBE is an English professional golfer on the European Tour who now mainly works as an on air golf analyst. Over his career, he has won six majors: three Open Championships and three Masters. He was ranked the World No... |
Jim Payne Jim Payne (golfer) Jim Payne is an English professional golfer.Payne was born in Louth, Lincolnshire. He had a promising career as a tournament golfer which petered out by his early thirties, partly due to injury problems which had required him to undergo a spinal fusion operation at the age of 24. As an amateur he... |
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| 1991 | Seve Ballesteros | Per-Ulrik Johansson Per-Ulrik Johansson Per-Ulrik Johansson is a Swedish golfer. Like many European golfers he took a golf scholarship in the United States as sports scholarships do not exist in Europe... |
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| 1990 | Nick Faldo | Russell Claydon Russell Claydon Russell Claydon is an English professional golfer.Claydon was born in Cambridge, England. He won the English Amateur in 1988 and turned professional in 1989. He played on the European Tour from 1989 to 2004. He was in the top one hundred on the Order of Merit every year from 1990 to 1999, with a... |
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| 1989 | Nick Faldo | Paul Broadhurst Paul Broadhurst Paul Andrew Broadhurst is an English golfer, originally from Atherstone in Warwickshire.Broadhurst was the leading amateur at the 1988 Open Championship. He joined the European Tour in 1989, picked up his first win at the Credit Lyonnais Cannes Open that year, and was the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie... |
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| 1988 | Seve Ballesteros | Colin Montgomerie | ||
| 1987 | Ian Woosnam Ian Woosnam Ian Harold Woosnam OBE is a Welsh professional golfer.Nicknamed 'Woosie', 'Woosers', or the 'Wee Welshman', Woosnam was one of the "Big Five" generation of European golfers, all born within 12 months of one another, all of whom have won majors, and made Europe competitive in the Ryder Cup... |
Peter Baker Peter Baker (golfer) Peter A. Baker is an English professional golfer.Baker was born in Shifnal, Shropshire, and currently lives near Wolverhampton. He learned golf at his father's nine hole Himley Hall course and was taught by Sandy Lyle's father Alex.... |
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| 1986 | Seve Ballesteros | José María Olazábal José María Olazábal José María Olazábal Manterola is a Spanish professional golfer who has enjoyed success on both the European Tour and the PGA Tour, and has won two major championships.-Career outline:... |
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| 1985 | Bernhard Langer | Paul Thomas | ||
| 1984 | Philip Parkin Philip Parkin Andrew Philip Parkin is a Welsh professional golfer who has also worked as a golf commentator and analyst.Parkin was born in Doncaster, England and raised in Newtown, Powys. He attended Texas A&M University in the United States, where he was the first person to receive a full scholarship for the... |
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| 1983 | Grant Turner | |||
| 1982 | Gordon Brand Jnr | |||
| 1981 | Jeremy Bennett | |||
| 1980 | Paul Hoad | |||
| 1979 | Mike Miller Mike Miller (golfer) Michael John Miller is a Scottish professional golfer.Miller was born in Lenzie, East Dunbartonshire, near Glasgow. He turned professional in 1978 at a relatively late age, and was the European Tour's Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year in 1979. That year he lost a playoff to Mark James at the... |
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| 1978 | Sandy Lyle Sandy Lyle Alexander Walter Barr "Sandy" Lyle, MBE is a Scottish professional golfer. Lyle has won two major championships during his career. Along with Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam, he became one of Britain's top golfers during the 1980s... |
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| 1977 | Nick Faldo | |||
| 1976 | Mark James | |||
| 1975 | No award | |||
| 1974 | Carl Mason Carl Mason Stuart Carl Mason is an English professional golfer.Mason was born in Buxton, Derbyshire. He won several amateur tournaments, before turning professional and becoming something of a journeyman on the European Tour. After twenty years of trying he finally won on tour for the first time in 1994. His... |
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| 1973 | Pip Elson Pip Elson Philip "Pip" Elson is an English professional golfer.Elson was born in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. He won the British Boys' Championship before turning professional in 1973. He was that year's European Tour Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year... |
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| 1972 | Sam Torrance Sam Torrance Sam Torrance OBE is a Scottish professional golfer and sports commentator. He was one of the leading players on the European Tour from the mid 1970s to the late 1990s, with 21 Tour wins. Torrance was a member of European Ryder Cup teams on eight occasions, from 1981 to 1995 consecutively; he was... |
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| 1971 | David Llewellyn David Llewellyn (golfer) David John Llewellyn is a Welsh professional golfer.Llewellyn played on the European Tour in the 1970s after being named the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year in 1971. He achieved a personal best ranking of 39th on the Order or Merit in 1974, but did not win any tournaments in this period... |
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| 1970 | Stuart Brown | |||
| 1969 | Peter Oosterhuis Peter Oosterhuis Peter A. Oosterhuis is an English professional golfer and golf analyst.-Early years, amateur golf:Oosterhuis was born in London... |
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| 1968 | Bernard Gallacher Bernard Gallacher Bernard Gallacher, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer.Gallacher was born in Bathgate, Scotland. He took up golf at the age of eleven. In 1965 he won the Lothians Golf Assocation Boys Championship. He won the 1967 Scottish Amateur Open Stroke Play Championship and turned professional the same... |
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| 1967 | No award | |||
| 1966 | Robin Liddle | |||
| 1965 | No award | |||
| 1964 | No award | |||
| 1963 | Tony Jacklin Tony Jacklin Anthony Jacklin CBE is an English golfer, who was the most successful British player of his generation. He was also the most successful European Ryder Cup captain ever.-Early life and education:... |
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| 1962 | No award | |||
| 1961 | Alex Caygill Alex Caygill Gordon Alexander Caygill is an English professional golfer.Caygill was born in Appleby. He turned professional in 1962 with great expectations having twice won the British Youths Championship. He quickly had success, winning the 1963 Rediffusion Tournament, but he did not win again on the circuit... |
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| 1960 | Tommy Goodwin | |||
Multiple Player of the Year winners
| Rank | Player | Country | Wins | Last Win | First Win |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colin Montgomerie Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... |
4 | 1999 | 1995 | |
| T2 | Lee Westwood Lee Westwood Lee John Westwood OBE is an English professional golfer. Noted for his consistency, Westwood is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on every major continent, including victories on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He was named player of the year for the 1998, 2000, and 2009 seasons... |
3 | 2009 | 1998 | |
| Ernie Els Ernie Els Theodore Ernest "Ernie" Els is a South African professional golfer, who has been one of the top professional players in the world since the mid-1990s. A former World No. 1, he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature along with his fluid, seemingly effortless golf swing... |
3 | 2003 | 1994 | ||
| Nick Faldo Nick Faldo Sir Nicholas Alexander "Nick" Faldo, MBE is an English professional golfer on the European Tour who now mainly works as an on air golf analyst. Over his career, he has won six majors: three Open Championships and three Masters. He was ranked the World No... |
3 | 1992 | 1989 | ||
| Seve Ballesteros | 3 | 1991 | 1986 | ||
| T6 | Pádraig Harrington Padraig Harrington Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:... |
2 | 2008 | 2007 | |
| Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion, and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 90s, being the first official number one ranked player in 1986... |
2 | 1993 | 1985 |
See also
- Alps TourAlps TourThe Alps Tour is a developmental professional golf tour for men which is sanctioned by the national golf associations of France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Morocco. It is a third level tour, the highest level of men's golf in Europe being the European Tour, and the second level being the...
, EPD TourEPD TourThe EPD Tour is a developmental professional golf tour based in Germany. It is a third level tour, the highest level of men's golf in Europe being the European Tour, and the second level being the Challenge Tour...
, PGA EuroPro TourPGA EuroPro TourThe PGA EuroPro Tour is a men's developmental professional golf tour. It was created in 2002 by the merger of two older development tours, the EuroPro Tour and the PGA Mastercard Tour. It is based mainly in the United Kingdom, with a few events in other countries...
and Nordic LeagueNordic League (golf)The Nordic League is one of the four PGA European Tour-recognised third-tier men's professional golf tours that are collectively known as the Satellite Tour...
: the four third-tier tours in Europe. They are recognised by the PGA European Tour, but it does not operate them. - Challenge TourChallenge TourThe Challenge Tour is the second tier men's professional golf tour in Europe. It is operated by the PGA European Tour and as with on the main European Tour and the European Seniors Tour, some of the events are played outside of Europe...
: the second-tier tour operated by the PGA European Tour. - European Seniors TourEuropean Seniors TourThe European Seniors Tour is a professional tour for male golfers aged 50 and over run by the PGA European Tour.The Tour was founded in 1992. In 2008 it had a total prize fund of €7,729,284, so it is much further behind the U.S.-based Champions Tour in relative prize money than the main European...
: the over-50s tour operated by the PGA European Tour. - Golfers with most European Tour winsGolfers with most European Tour winsThis is a list of golfers who have won eight or more events on the European Tour since it was established in 1972. There are some complications in preparing such a list, and different publications have produced different numbers...
- Ladies European TourLadies European TourThe Ladies European Tour is a professional golf tour for women which was founded in 1979. It is based in England. Like many UK-based sports organisations it is a company limited by guarantee, a legal structure which enables it to focus on maximising returns to its members through prize money,...
: the top European women's professional tour.