Fred Couples Becomes the Oldest Golfer to Make Cut at the Masters and 15 Other Golfers Who Can Still Play, Despite Their Age

Fred Couples Becomes the Oldest Golfer to Make Cut at the Masters and 15 Other Golfers Who Can Still Play, Despite Their Age

Fred Couples helped make the 2023 Masters Tournament a special one when he became the oldest golfer to ever make the cut at the major. At 63 years and 6 months old, Couples officially beat out Bernhard Langer – who previously broke the record at the 2020 Masters at 63 years and 2 months old. 

Couples finished the first round of the 2023 Masters – which started on April 6 and ended on April 9 at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia – with a 71 (-1) and followed that up with a 74 (+2) in the second round. His 145 (+1) through two rounds was good enough to make the cut, which was at 147 (+3). 

He didn’t play as well in the third and final rounds, but a lot of that can be attributed to the conditions he was forced to play in. He shot a 76 (+4) in both rounds to finish the tournament at 297 (+9), which was good enough for tied-50 on the leaderboard – the third-worst score among those that made the cut. 

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Fred Couples Isn’t the Only Aging Golfer Who Can Still Play!

Fred Couples Becomes the Oldest Golfer to Make Cut at the Masters and 15 Other Golfers Who Can Still Play, Despite Their Age
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At 63 years old, Fred Couples has had himself a long, illustrious, decorated, and impressive career as a professional golfer. He first turned pro in 1980 after spending some time at the University of Houston and has since played on the PGA Tour and now the PGA Tour Champions. He has accomplished a lot. 

He has 64 professional wins under his belt, including 15 wins on the PGA Tour and another 14 on the PGA Tour Champions. Some of his most prized wins have come at the Players Championship (twice in 1984 and 1996) and the 1992 Masters Tournament – the only major win of his career (so far, at least). 

The former two-time PGA Tour Player of the Year (1991, 1992) and current World Golf Hall of Fame inductee (2013) has proven that he can still play with the best of them, but he isn’t the only golfer above the age of 50 that can still play. In fact, here are 20 other aging golfers who still have a good swing. 

20. Darren Clarke

Darren Clarke is a 54-year-old golfer from Northern Ireland who made his professional debut in 1990 out of Wake Forest University. He has 27 pro wins under his belt, including three wins on the PGA Tour and 14 wins on the European Tour. He won one major title in his career at the 2011 The Open Championship.

Since joining the PGA Tour Champions, Clarke has played in 86 events and made 84 cuts. He has 17 top-ten finishes, two third place finishes, two runner-up finishes, and four wins on the Champions tour. Three of his wins came in 2020 and he most recently won the 2022 Senior Open Championship. 

19. Sandy Lyle

Sandy Lyle is a 65-year-old golfer from Scotland who made his professional debut in 1977. He has 30 pro wins under his belt, including six wins on the PGA Tour and 18 wins on the European Tour. He’s a two-time major champion, having won the 1985 The Open Championship and 1988 Masters Tournament. 

Lyle joined the PGA Tour Champions and European Senior Tour upon turning 50 years old. While he hasn’t won on the Champions tour, he has made 174/189 cuts since 2008. He has eight top-ten finishes, one third place finish, and one runner-up finish. He played in his final Masters just one week ago. 

18. Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson is a 52-year-old golfer from the United States who made his professional debut in 1992 out of Arizona State University. He has 57 pro wins under his belt, including 45 on the PGA Tour – tied-8th all-time. He’s a six-time major champion, including three green jackets and two PGA Championships. 

Mickelson became the oldest golfer to ever win a major when he won the 2021 PGA Championship at 50 years, 11 months old. After a brief hiatus from golf, he announced he was joining the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour and most recently finished in the top-five at the 2023 Masters – the oldest golfer to do so. 

17. Miguel Ángel Jiménez

Miguel Ángel Jiménez is a 59-year-old golfer from Spain who made his professional debut in 1982. He has 41 pro wins under his belt, including 21 wins on the European Tour (tied-10th all-time) and 7 wins on the Asian Tour (tied-9th all-time). He never won a major title, but was a runner-up at the 2000 U.S. Open.

Jiménez joined the PGA Tour Champions in 2014 and has played in 142 events since – he has made 141/142 cuts in his Champions career. He has 82 top-ten finishes, 9 third place finishes, 13 runner-up finishes, and 13 wins on the Champions tour – including the Senior Open Championship in 2018. 

16. Retief Goosen

Retief Goosen is a 54-year-old golfer from South Africa who made his professional debut in 1990. He has 38 pro wins under his belt, including 7 wins on the PGA Tour, 14 wins on the European Tour, and 5 wins on the Asian Tour. He’s a two-time major champion, having won the U.S. Open in 2001 and 2004. 

Goosen joined the PGA Tour Champions in 2019 after turning 50 years old. He has appeared in 82 events on the tour and has made every single cut since. He has 35 top-ten finishes, 6 third place finishes, 5 runner-up finishes, and 2 wins on the tour – including the Senior Players Championship in 2019.

15. Pádraig Harrington

Pádraig Harrington is a 51-year-old golfer from Ireland who made his professional debut in 1995. He has 36 pro wins under his belt, including six wins on the PGA Tour and 15 wins on the European Tour. He’s a three-time major champion, having won The Open Championship twice and PGA Championship once.

Harrington joined the PGA Tour Champions in 2022 upon turning 50 years old. He was the Rookie of the Year that season and has now made 24/24 cuts since joining the tour. He has 16 top-ten finishes, 2 third place finishes, 5 runner-up finishes, and 4 wins – including the Senior Open Championship in 2022. 

14. Vijay Singh

Vijay Singh is a 60-year-old golfer from Fiji who made his professional debut in 1982. He has 65 pro wins under his belt, including 34 wins on the PGA Tour and 13 wins on the European Tour. He’s a three-time major champion, having won the Masters Tournament in 2000 and PGA Championship in 1998 and 2004. 

Singh joined the PGA Tour Champions in 2013 upon turning 50 years old and has played in 115 events on the tour – making the cut 114 times. He has 30 top-ten finishes, 5 third place finishes, 4 runner-up finishes, and 4 wins on the tour – including the Senior Players Championship in 2018 via a playoff. 

13. Rocco Mediate

Rocco Mediate is a 60-year-old golfer from the United States who made his professional debut in 1985 out of Florida Southern College. He has 13 pro wins under his belt, six of which coming on the PGA Tour. He never won a major title, but was runner-up at the 2008 U.S. Open – losing to Tiger Woods in a playoff. 

Mediate joined the PGA Tour Champions in 2013 upon turning 50 years old and has played in 209 events on the tour – making the cut in 203 of those 209 events. He has 37 top-ten finishes, 2 third place finishes, and 4 wins on the tour – including two wins his rookie year and the Senior PGA Championship in 2016. 

12. Jim Furyk

Jim Furyk is a 52-year-old golfer from the United States who made his professional debut in 1992 out of the University of Arizona. He has 29 pro wins under his belt, including 17 wins on the PGA Tour and one win in a major title at the 2003 U.S. Open. He was also the runner-up at the 2013 PGA Championship. 

Furyk joined the PGA Tour Champions in 2020 upon turning 50 years old and has played in 50 events on the tour – making the cut in all 50 of those events. He has 23 top-ten finishes, 2 third place finishes, 3 runner-up finishes, and 3 wins on the tour – including the U.S. Senior Open Championship in 2020. 

11. K.J. Choi

K.J. Choi is a 52-year-old golfer from South Korea who made his professional debut in 1994 out of Gwangju University. He has 30 pro wins under his belt, including 8 wins on the PGA Tour and 6 wins on the Asian Tour. He has never won a major, but finished in third place at the 2004 Masters Tournament. 

Choi joined the PGA Tour Champions in 2020 upon turning 50 years old and has played in 45 events since joining the tour – making the cut in 44 of those events. He has 11 top-ten finishes, 1 third place finish, 3 runner-up finishes, and 1 win on the tour – the PURE Insurance Championship in 2020. 

10. Stephen Ames

Stephen Ames is a 58-year-old golfer from Trinidad and Tobago who made his professional debut in 1987 out of the College of Boca Raton. He has 14 pro wins, including four wins on the PGA Tour and two wins on the European Tour. His best finish in a major was tied-5th at the 1997 The Open Championship. 

Ames joined the PGA Tour Champions in 2014 upon turning 50 years old and has played in 179 events since joining the tour – he has made the cut in 178 of those events. He has 46 top-ten finishes, 5 third place finishes, 3 runner-up finishes, and 3 wins on the tour – including a win during the 2023 season. 

9. Mike Weir

Mike Weir is a 52-year-old golfer from Canada who made his professional debut in 1992 out of Brigham Young University (BYU). He has 14 pro wins under his belt, including eight wins on the PGA Tour and two wins on the European Tour. His first and only major championship came at the 2003 Masters Tournament. 

Weir joined the PGA Tour Champions in 2020 upon turning 50 years old and has played in 53 events since joining the tour – he has made the cut in 52 of those events. He has 16 top-ten finishes, 6 runner-up finishes, and one win on the tour – the Insperity Invitational in 2020. He still competes at the Masters. 

8. Kevin Sutherland

Kevin Sutherland is a 58-year-old golfer from the United States who made his professional debut in 1987 out of Fresno State University. He has eight pro wins under his belt, including one on the PGA Tour. His best major finish was tied-9th at the 2007 PGA Championship and the 2001 The Open Championship. 

Sutherland joined the PGA Tour Champions in 2014 upon turning 50 years old and has played in 176 events since joining the tour – he has made the cut in all 176 of those events. He has 77 top-ten finishes, 7 third place finishes, 9 runner-up finishes, and 5 wins on the tour – but hasn’t tallied a win since 2020. 

7. David Toms

David Toms is a 56-year-old golfer from the United States who made his professional debut in 1989 out of Louisiana State University (LSU). He has 21 pro wins under his belt, including 13 wins on the PGA Tour and two wins on the European Tour. His first and only major win came at the 2001 PGA Championship. 

Toms joined the PGA Tour Champions in 2017 and has now played in 124 events since joining the tour – he has made the cut in 122 of those events. He has 49 top-ten finishes, 7 third place finishes, 6 runner-up finishes, and 4 wins – including the U.S. Senior Open Championship in 2018 and two wins so far in 2023. 

6. Bernhard Langer

Bernhard Langer is a 65-year-old golfer from Germany who made his professional debut in 1972. He has 121 pro wins under his belt, including three wins on the PGA Tour and 42 wins on the European Tour (2nd-most all-time). He’s also a two-time major champion, having won the Masters in 1985 and 1993. 

Langer joined the PGA Tour Champions in 2007 and has taken the tour by storm – appearing in 322 events and making the cut in 321 of those events. He has 213 top-ten finishes, 27 third place finishes, 40 runner-up finishes, and 45 wins (tied-1st all-time). He also still competes at the Masters Tournament. 

5. Ernie Els

Ernie Els is a 53-year-old golfer from South Africa who made his professional debut in 1989. He has 75 pro wins under his belt, including 19 wins on the PGA Tour and 28 wins on the European Tour (7th-most all-time). He has won four majors, including the U.S. Open twice and The Open Championship twice. 

Els joined the PGA Tour Champions in 2020 and has appeared in 63 events since joining the tour – he has made the cut in all 63 of those events. He has 34 top-ten finishes, 5 third place finishes, 3 runner-up finishes, and 3 wins on the tour – including the Hoag Classic in 2020 and 2023. He still competes at The Open Championship. 

4. Steven Alker

Steven Alker is a 51-year-old golfer from New Zealand who made his professional debut in 1995. He has 16 pro wins, including four wins on the Korn Ferry Tour and three wins on the PGA Tour of Australasia. He never played in the Masters or PGA Championship, but made the cut in the U.S. Open and The Open Championship. 

Alker joined the PGA Tour Champions in 2020 and has appeared in 36 events since joining the tour – he made the cut in all 36 of those events. He has 30 top-ten finishes, 6 third place finishes, 7 runner-up finishes, and 5 wins on the tour – including one win in 2020 and four wins during the 2022 season. 

3. Nick Faldo

Nick Faldo is a 65-year-old retired golfer from England who made his professional debut in 1976 out of the University of Houston. He had 43 pro wins during his career, including nine wins on the PGA Tour and 30 wins on the European Tour (5th-most all-time). He doesn’t compete anymore, but can still swing it well. 

Faldo is a six-time major champion, having won the Masters three times (1989, 1990, 1996) and The Open Championship three times (1987, 1990, 1992). He showed off his skill at the 2023 Masters Par 3 Contest, where he scored an even-par 27 in nine holes. It was nice to see the legend on the course!

2. Steve Stricker

Steve Stricker is a 56-year-old golfer from the United States who made his professional debut in 1990 out of the University of Illinois. He has 35 pro wins under his belt, including 12 wins on the PGA Tour. He has never won a major title, but has finished inside the top-six in all four of the major championships. 

Stricker joined the PGA Tour Champions in 2017 and has appeared in 52 events since – he made the cut in all 52 of those events. He has 44 top-ten finishes, 7 third place finishes, 10 runner-up finishes, and 12 wins on the tour – including the U.S. Senior Open Championship and Senior Players Championship. 

1. Gary Player

Gary Player is an 87-year-old retired golfer from South Africa who made his professional debut in 1953. He had 159 pro wins during his career, including 29 wins on the PGA Tour and 59 wins on the Sunshine Tour. He’s a nine-time major champion, including the Masters three times in 1961, 1974, and 1978. 

Player joined the PGA Tour Champions in 1985 and appeared in 430 events before retiring – he made the cut in 418 of those events and had 22 wins on the tour (tied-7th all-time). He doesn’t play anymore, but he showed that he can still swing the club at the 2023 Masters Par 3 Contest, finishing with a score of 30 (+3). 

Younger Golfers Who Are Making a Name for Themselves

Now that we’ve taken a look at some of the older golfers who are still swinging the club, let’s highlight some of the younger golfers who continue to make a name for themselves in their early careers. There’s a lot of them, considering 8 of the golfers in the top-20 earnings this season are aged 26 or younger. 

Those eight golfers include Scottie Scheffler (26), Sam Burns (26), Collin Morikawa (26), Viktor Hovland (25), Cameron Young (25), Sahith Theegala (25), Sungjae Im (25), and Tom Kim (20). All eight of these golfers have already made at least $3.2 million during the 2022-23 PGA Tour season. 

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Of course, that’s not including some of the up-and-coming stars like SamBennett, who is currently a 23-year-old amateur, but finished with an impressive 286 (-2) at the 2023 Masters. WillZalatoris (26) is another name who continues to impress on the PGA Tour and is currently ranked No. 8 in the world.

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