The European Senior Tour, currently branded as the Legends Tour,[1] is a professional golf tour for male golfers aged 50 and over, run by the PGA European Tour. The tour was titled as the Staysure Tour for the 2018 and 2019 seasons after UK-based insurance company Staysure became the first title sponsors of the senior tour in December 2017.[2] The tour was relaunched as the Legends Tour[3][4] in 2020, after Ryan Howsam, founder and owner of Staysure, took majority ownership in a joint venture with the European Tour.

Legends Tour
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2024 European Senior Tour
Legends Tour logo
FormerlyEuropean Seniors Tour
Staysure Tour
SportGolf
Founded1992
CEOPhil Harrison
CountriesBased in Europe[a]
Most titlesOrder of Merit titles:
England Tommy Horton (5)
Tournament wins:
England Carl Mason (25)
TV partner(s)Sky Sports (UK)
Related
competitions
European Tour
Official websitehttps://www.legendstour.com/

History

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The Tour was founded in 1992 after calls from 60 leading professionals five years after the first Senior Open Championship in 1987. The highest profile event in Europe is the Senior British Open Championship, which is co-sanctioned by PGA Tour Champions and was played on the Old Course at St Andrews for the first time in 2018. The European Tour co-sanctions the Senior PGA Championship and the U.S. Senior Open. Prize money in the latter does not count towards the Order of Merit, but since 2007 the former has been an official money event.[5]

Order of Merit winners

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Year Winner Points
2023   Peter Baker 4,161
2022   James Kingston 2,845
2021   Stephen Dodd 1,830
2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019   Phillip Price 2,888
Year Winner Prize money ()
2018   Paul Broadhurst (2) 547,793
2017   Clark Dennis 222,055
2016   Paul Broadhurst 399,285
2015   Colin Montgomerie (2) 679,147
2014   Colin Montgomerie 624,543
2013   Paul Wesselingh 311,644
2012   Roger Chapman 356,751
2011   Peter Fowler 302,327
2010   Boonchu Ruangkit 266,609
2009   Sam Torrance (3) 170,696
2008   Ian Woosnam 320,120
2007   Carl Mason (3) 412,376
2006   Sam Torrance (2) 347,525
2005   Sam Torrance 277,421
2004   Carl Mason (2) 354,775
2003   Carl Mason 350,242
2002   Seiji Ebihara 330,211
2001   Ian Stanley 287,025
2000   Noel Ratcliffe 163,164
1999   Tommy Horton (5) 138,943
Year Winner Prize money (£)
1998   Tommy Horton (4) 127,656
1997   Tommy Horton (3) 158,427
1996   Tommy Horton (2) 133,195
1995   Brian Barnes 63,620
1994   John Morgan 57,209
1993   Tommy Horton 56,935
1992   John Fourie 47,856

Source:[6]

Awards

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Year Rookie of the Year
2023   Patrik Sjöland
2022   Adilson da Silva
2021 No award
2020
2019   Paul Lawrie
2018   Paul Streeter
2017   Clark Dennis
2016   Magnus Persson Atlevi
2015   Paul Broadhurst
2014   César Monasterio
2013   Steen Tinning
2012   Paul Wesselingh
2011   Gary Wolstenholme
2010   Boonchu Ruangkit
2009   Mike Harwood
2008   Ian Woosnam
2007   Costantino Rocca
2006   José Rivero
2005   Kevin Spurgeon
2004   Pete Oakley
2003   Carl Mason
2002   Steve Stull
2001   Simon Owen
2000   Priscillo Diniz
1999   Jerry Bruner
1998   Denis O'Sullivan

Leading career money winners

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The table below shows the top ten career money leaders on the European Senior Tour as of the end of the 2018 season.

Rank Player Prize money ()
1   Bernhard Langer 2,811,071
2   Carl Mason 2,757,126
3   Colin Montgomerie 1,943,628
4   Nick Job 1,653,634
5   Peter Fowler 1,652,178
6   Barry Lane 1,571,534
7   Tom Watson 1,570,663
8   Sam Torrance 1,560,985
9   Tommy Horton 1,527,506
10   Bill Longmuir 1,472,192

There is a full list that is updated after each tournament on the European Tour's website here.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Schedules have also included events in Asia, Africa, Australasia and North America.

References

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  1. ^ "Ground-breaking joint venture creates new Legends Tour". European Tour. 1 September 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Staysure to become first title sponsor of the European Senior Tour". European Tour. 7 December 2017. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  3. ^ "Legends Tour Website - Ryan Howsam – the businessman with a vision". www.legendstour.com. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Staysure Tour to become Legends Tour in unique agreement". Sky Sports. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  5. ^ "Strong Seniors contingent head to the United States". PGA European Tour. 21 May 2007. Archived from the original on 7 October 2007. Retrieved 27 May 2007.
  6. ^ "John Jacobs Trophy Winners". European Tour. 12 December 2016. Archived from the original on 10 December 2017.
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