One of the many things that make the PGA Tour so exciting is the mixture of youth and experience we get to witness in the field every single week. You’ll have golfers 50 years and older competing against golfers who aren’t even 20 – sometimes it’s the veterans that shine, while other times it’s the youth that prevails.
Today’s youth movement is primarily being spearheaded by Tom Kim (21 years old), Nicolai Højgaard (22), Rasmus Højgaard (22), and Ludvig Åberg (23) – especially now that Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Viktor Hovland, Sam Burns, Sungjae Im, and Collin Morikawa are all beyond 25 years old.
Kim already has two wins under his belt (we’ll talk more about him below), but the Højgaard twins are still trying to earn their PGA Tour cards (which should happen soon). Åberg is a name we’re looking forward to watching over the next 11 months – he has yet to win on the PGA Tour, but it’s bound to happen soon.
Who Are the Youngest Golfers to Win on the PGA Tour Since 1900?
via Shutterstock (Isogood_patrick)
Winning on the PGA Tour is one thing, but winning on the PGA Tour before you turn 21 years old is a completely different story. There’s already enough pressure as is, but having to overcome how little experience you have just makes everything that much more difficult – yet some golfers overcome it!
Here’s a statistic that might blow your mind – only 19 golfers have won a PGA Tour event before turning 21 years old since 1900 and only five of those golfers have done so since 2010. Furthermore, only seven of those golfers won twice before turning 21 years old and the names won’t come as much of a surprise.
With that being said, how many of those 19 golfers do you think you can name? It’s not as easy as you’d think, especially since it dates all the way back to 1908 and a majority of the PGA Tour golfers on that list did so before 1930. Nonetheless, let’s test your knowledge of the youngest winners in PGA Tour history.
Rory McIlroy earned his first PGA Tour win at the Quail Hollow Championship on May 2, 2010 – he was 20 years, 11 months, and 28 days old at the time. It’s his only win before turning 21 years old with his second PGA Tour victory coming at the U.S. Open on June 19, 2011 – he was 22 years old at the time.
As of October 14, McIlroy has 37 professional wins – 24 of which coming on the PGA Tour and 16 of which coming on the European Tour. He’s a four-time major championship winner (including the PGA Championship twice), a three-time FedEx Cup champion, and a three-time PGA Tour Player of the Year.
18. Seve Ballesteros – 20 years, 11 months, 24 days
Today would've been Seve Ballesteros' 63rd birthday.
Seve Ballesteros earned his first PGA Tour win at the Greater Greensboro Open on April 2, 1978 – he was 20 years, 11 months, 24 days old at the time. It’s his only win before turning 21 years old with his second PGA Tour victory coming at The Open Championship on July 21, 1979 – he was 21 at the time.
Ballesteros turned professional in 1974 and announced his retirement in 2007. He had 90 professional wins under his belt – 9 of which came on the PGA Tour and 50 of which came on the European Tour (currently ranks No. 1 all-time). He won the Masters twice and The Open Championship three times.
Joaquin Niemann earned his first PGA Tour win at the A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier on Sept. 15, 2019 – he was just 20 years, 10 months, 8 days old at the time. It’s his only win before turning 21 years old with his second victory coming at the Genesis Invitational on Feb. 20, 2022 – he was 23 at the time.
As of Oct. 14, Niemann has nine professional wins under his belt – two of which have come on the PGA Tour. He has yet to win a major title, but finished T-23rd at the 2020 U.S. Open and the 2022 PGA Championship and had his best major finish at the 2023 Masters Tournament – where he was T-16th.
— Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (@sportshall) March 15, 2016
Albert Murray earned his first PGA Tour win at the 1908 Canadian Open – he was just 20 years, 10 months, and 2 days old at the time. He’s the youngest golfer to ever win the Canadian Open, went on to win the 2010 Quebec Open two years later, and won the Canadian Open for a second time in 1913.
Murray is a Canadian legend, even winning the 1924 Canadian PGA Championship. After his playing career, he redesigned and planned golf courses – like the Country Club of Montreal and Royal Quebec Golf Club. He was inducted into both the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.
15. Tiger Woods – 20 years, 9 months, 20 days
🚨🔥🐐• October 6 // 1996 — Tiger Woods wins his first PGA TOUR event at The Las Vegas Invitational. 📍: TPC SUMMERLIN. 📸: J.D. Cuban / Getty Images pic.twitter.com/YbYC5RkzuF
Tiger Woods earned his first PGA Tour victory at the Las Vegas Invitational on Oct. 6, 1996 – he was just 20 years, 9 months, and 20 days old at the time. He had two wins before turning 21 years old with his other victory coming at the Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic on Oct. 20, 1996 – just two weeks later.
Woods turned professional in 1996 and currently has 110 professional wins under his belt – including 82 wins on the PGA Tour (tied-1st all-time) and 41 wins on the European Tour (3rd all-time). He’s a 15-time major championship winner, two-time FedEx Cup Champion, and World Golf Hall of Fame inductee.
Phil Mickelson earned his first PGA Tour victory at the Northern Telecom Open on January 13, 1991 – he was just 20 years, 6 months, and 28 days old at the time. It’s his only win before turning 21 years old, but he did it as an amateur – becoming one of seven amateurs (and most recent) to win on the PGA Tour.
Mickelson turned professional in 1992 and currently has 57 wins in his career – including 45 wins on the PGA Tour (tied-8th all-time) and 11 wins on the European Tour. He’s a six-time major championship winner (including the Masters three times) and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2012.
Raymond Floyd earned his first PGA Tour victory at the St. Petersburg Open Invitational on March 17, 1963 – he was just 20 years, 6 months, and 13 days old at the time. It’s his only win before turning 21 years old with his second win coming at the St. Paul Open Invitational on June 27, 1965 – he was 22.
Floyd turned professional in 1961 and retired with 63 wins in his career – including 22 wins on the PGA tour, 14 wins on the PGA Tour Champions, and 4 wins on the European Tour. He was a four-time major championship winner (including the PGA Championship twice) and World Golf Hall of Fame inductee.
12. Tom Creavy – 20 years, 6 months, 7 days
1931 – First-time competitor Tom Creavy became the 2nd youngest PGA Champion defeating Gene Sarazen who is still the youngest ever to win the PGA Championship. #PGA100pic.twitter.com/TyBUJmx8dJ
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 14, 2018
Tom Creavy earned his first PGA Tour victory at the 1931 Northeastern New York at just 20 years, 6 months, and 7 days old. He went on to earn one more win before turning 21 years old – winning the 1931 PGA Championship on Sept. 19, 1931 – he was just 20 years, 7 months, and 16 days old at the time.
Creavy first started learning the game of golf as a caddie at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, New York. He eventually became a club professional at the Albany Country Club and Saratoga Spa before winning the first and only major of his career in 1931. Unfortunately, spinal meningitis riddled his career.
11. Horton Smith – 20 years, 5 months, 13 days
Horton Smith, best known for winning the first and third Masters Tournaments in 1934 and 1936.
He also finished T4 in the 1930 Open Championship, T3 in the 1928 PGA and 3rd in the 1930 and 1940 US Opens. pic.twitter.com/wsZtsi022R
Horton Smith earned his first PGA Tour victory at the Oklahoma City Open in 1928 – he was just 20 years, 5 months, and 13 days old at the time. He went on to earn five more wins over a five-month period – all before turning 21 years old – and his six total wins before turning 21 is the most in PGA Tour history.
His 5 other wins included the 1928 Canadian Open (20 years, 7 months, 1 day), 1929 Pensacola Open Invitational (20 years, 8 months, 18 days), 1929 Fort Myers Open (20 years, 9 months, 10 days), 1929 La Gorce Open (20 years, 10 months, 1 day), and 1929 North & South Open Championship (20 years, 10 months, 5 days).
Francis Ouimet earned his first PGA Tour win at the U.S. Open on September 20, 1913 – he was just 20 years, 4 months, and 12 days old at the time. It was his only win before turning 21 years old, but it wound up being the most notable and prominent win of his career – and he did it all with a 10-year-old caddie.
Ouimet went on to win the U.S. Amateur in 1914 and won the tournament again in 1931 – he was also a six-time winner of the Massachusetts Amateur. His best finish at the British Amateur was tied-3rd in 1923 and he won the Bob Jones Award more than three decades later in 1955 – he’s now in the Hall of Fame.
Matthew Wolff earned his first PGA Tour win at the 3M Open on July 7, 2019 – he was just 20 years, 2 months, and 23 days old at the time. It was his only win before turning 21 years old and is still the only win of his career. He came close at the 2020 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, but he lost in a playoff.
Wolff turned professional in 2019 after playing collegiate golf at Oklahoma State University. He has missed the cut at the Masters twice thus far and has yet to participate in The Open Championship, but he was tied-4th at the PGA Championship in 2020 and was the runner-up at the U.S. Open in 2020.
Tom Kim earned his first PGA Tour win at the Wyndham Championship on August 7, 2022 – he was just 20 years, 1 month, and 17 days old at the time. He went on to win one more time before turning 21 years old – winning the Shriner’s Children’s Open on Oct. 9, 2022 at 20 years, 3 months, and 18 days old.
Kim turned professional in 2018 and has only been on the PGA Tour for a couple of years, but he already has 11 pro wins under his belt – two of which on the PGA Tour. He was a runner-up at the 2023 The Open Championship, finished tied-8th at the 2023 U.S. Open, and is currently ranked No. 16 in the OWGR.
7. Charles Evans – 20 years, 1 month, 15 days
Happy birthday to Charles E. "Chick" Evans, Jr. Chick was an American amateur golfer of the 1910s and 1920s who won the 1910 Western Open and became the first amateur to win both the U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur in one year!#ChickEvansJr#WesternOpen#USOpen#USGApic.twitter.com/HT5ZOSAIHs
Charles Evans (also known as Chick Evans) earned his first PGA Tour win at the 1910 Western Open – he was just 20 years, 1 month, and 15 days old at the time. It came just one year after he won the Western Amateur for the first time – a tournament he would go on to win another 7 times in his career.
Evans’ most notable win came at the U.S. Open on June 30, 1916 – the same year he won the U.S. Amateur for the first time. He also won the Chicago Amateur three times, the French Amateur in 1911, the North and South Amateur in 1911, the U.S. Amateur (again) in 1920, and the Kansas City Open in 1925.
6. Gene Sarazen – 20 years, 5 days
Gene Sarazen at the 1922 US Open where he won the first of his seven majors at Skokie CC – pic.twitter.com/UKSaGfTtTv
Gene Sarazen earned his first PGA Tour win at the 1922 Southern (Spring) Open – he was just 20 years and 5 days old. He went on to win two more times before turning 21 – the 1922 U.S. Open Championship (20 years, 4 months, 18 days old) and the 1922 PGA Championship (20 years, 5 months, 22 days old).
Sarazen turned professional in 1920 and went on to win 48 times in his pro career – including 38 wins on the PGA Tour and seven major golf championships. He achieved a career Grand Slam by winning the Masters (1995), PGA Championship (1922, 1923, 1933), U.S. Open (1922, 1932), and The Open (1932).
5. Jordan Spieth – 19 years, 11 months, 17 days
On this date in 2013 – Jordan Spieth, 19, became the youngest winner on the PGA Tour in 82 years by winning the John Deere Classic in a playoff.
He's the first teenager to win since Ralph Guldahl took the Santa Monica Open in 1931. pic.twitter.com/GjsLNYvfR1
Jordan Spieth earned his first PGA Tour victory at the John Deere Classic on July 14, 2013 – he was just 19 years, 11 months, and 17 days old at the time. While he didn’t earn another win before turning 21 years old, he went on to earn five wins in the 2015 season – including his first two major championships.
Spieth turned professional in 2012 after playing collegiate golf at the University of Texas. He has 16 wins in his pro career, including 13 wins on the PGA Tour and three wins on the European Tour. As far as majors go, he won the 2015 Masters Tournament, 2015 U.S. Open, and 2017 The Open Championship.
4. John McDermott – 19 years, 10 months, 14 days
John McDermott, the first US born golfer to win the US Open in 1911 and 1912, and at 19 still the youngest.
He was also the youngest golfer to break par over 72 holes in a significant event. pic.twitter.com/g7LGxq9zcc
John McDermott earned his first PGA Tour victory at the U.S. Open on June 26, 1911 – he was just 19 years, 10 months, and 14 days old at the time. He went on to defend his title when he won the U.S. Open on August 2, 1912 at just 20 years, 11 months, and 21 days old – his only two wins before turning 21.
McDermott turned professional in 1908 and had seven professional wins under his belt – including two major titles at the U.S. Open. He came close to a third major at the 1913 The Open Championship, but finished tied-5. Unfortunately, mental illness and other personal issues riddled his career at a young age.
3. Ralph Guldahl – 19 years, 2 months, 3 days
Ralph Guldahl in 1928.
He won three majors in consecutive years, the US Open in 1937 and 1938 and the Masters in 1939. pic.twitter.com/h5R405p9eh
Ralph Guldahl earned his first PGA Tour victory at the 1931 Santa Monica Open – he was just 19 years, 2 months, and 3 days old at the time. He went on to earn his second win at the 1932 Arizona Open at just 20 years, 2 months, and 9 days old – making him one of seven golfers to win twice before turning 21.
Guldahl turned pro in 1931 and retired with 16 wins – three of which came in a major championship. He won the U.S. Open in back-to-back years in 1937 and 1938 before following that up with a win at the Masters in 1939. He was also tied-3rd at the 1940 PGA Championship and tied-11 at the 1937 The Open.
2. Harry Cooper – 19 years, 4 days (1923 Galveston Open Championship)
Harry Cooper is the youngest Winner in PGA Tour history at 19 years and 4 days. pic.twitter.com/vZt72aDG9h
Harry Cooper earned his first PGA Tour victory at the 1923 Galveston Open Championship – he was just 19 years and 4 days old at the time. He didn’t earn his second win until three years later when he won the 1926 Los Angeles Open, but would go on to have a legendary PGA Tour career over the next 15 years.
Cooper turned professional in 1923 and went on to win 36 times in his pro career – including 30 wins on the PGA Tour. He never won a major championship, but was a runner-up at the Masters (1936 and 1938) and at the U.S. Open (1927 and 1936). He also finished tied-3rd at the PGA Championship in 1925.
1. Charles Kocsis – 18 years, 6 months, 9 days (1931 Michigan Open)
5⃣2⃣ days until @TheMasters: Charles “Chuck” Kocsis played in 11 Masters as an amateur, his best 14th place in 1952 when he won low amateur. Kocsis remains youngest player to win a sanctioned open tour event at 1931 Michigan Open, at age 18 years, 6 months, 9 days. pic.twitter.com/ukXfKSTy3i
Charles Kocsis earned his first PGA Tour victory at the 1931 Michigan Open – he was just 18 years, 6 months, and 9 days old at the time and remains the only 18-year-old to win on the PGA Tour. His win at the 1931 Michigan Open came one year after he won the 1930 Michigan Amateur to kickstart his career.
Kocsis was introduced to the game of golf as a caddie at the Phoenix Country Club. He went on to win three Michigan Opens, an individual NCAA championship with Michigan, six Michigan Amateurs, two NCAA championship teams at Michigan, and was a member of three U.S. Walker Cup teams.
Who Are the Oldest Golfers to Win on the PGA Tour?
Now that you know who the youngest winners are in PGA Tour history, let’s see if you can guess who the oldest winners are. Believe it or not, only eight golfers above the age of 50 have ever won on the PGA Tour – four of them were 51 when they won and the oldest was 52 when he earned his final win on tour.
For starters, let’s highlight Craig Stadler (50 years, 1 month, 18 days), Fred Funk (50 years, 8 months, 11 days), and Phil Mickelson (50 years, 11 months, 7 days) – the latter of which became the oldest golfer to win a major championship with his historic and memorable win at the 2021 PGA Championship.
John Barnum (51 years, 1 month, 5 days), Jim Barnes (51 years, 3 months, 7 days), Davis Love III (51 years, 4 months, 10 days), and Art Wall (51 years, 7 months, 10 days) were all 51, while Sam Snead holds the record with his win at the 1965 Greater Greensboro Open at 52 years, 10 months, and 8 days.
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