Carl Mason

Mason turned professional in 1973, following an outstanding amateur career playing out of Goring and Streatley Golf Club, and was a rookie on the European Tour the following year. He finished in 67th place on the Order of Merit that year and was recipient of the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award. He made the top 100 on the European Tour Order of Merit twenty three years in a row up to 1996, with a best ranking of 19th in 1994. In 1980, he finished T-4th with Jack Nicklaus in The British Open Open Championship held at Muirfield.
Despite those successes, Mason only won twice on the European Tour, both times in 1994. His first victory came at the 455th attempt, in the Turespana Masters Open de Andalucia, and the second in the Scottish Open just a few months later.
After a spell working for the PGA European Tour as a tournament referee, he joined the European Seniors Tour on turning fifty. He was immediately successful as a senior, winning four of his first eleven events and topping the Order of Merit in 2003 and 2004. He was Order of Merit runner-up in each of the following two seasons before recapturing top spot in 2007. That year, after winning the European Senior Masters, he surpassed Tommy Horton as the highest career money earner on the European Seniors Tour. The next week he won the PGA Seniors Championship, and went on to finish the 2007 season with earnings of ?412,376, a new record for money won in a season on the tour, breaking his previous record of ?354,775 set in 2004. In 2010, he won his 23rd EST event, which placed him in a tie with Tommy Horton for the most EST wins. In May 2011, Mason who his 24th event, the OKI Open de Espana Senior. He won his 25th event at the Benahavis Senior Masters in October 2011 and holds the record for most wins on the European Senior Tour.
Still a force on the European Senior Tour, in 2013 at the age of 60 played in nine events with three top-four finishes, T2nd at the Russian Open, T3rd at the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open and T4th Travis Perkins pic Senior Masters. He finished 12th on the order of merit with ?107,294 and for the 11th straight year has not been higher than 12th on the money list.