Philip Golding

Golding was born in Luton, England, and was a promising cricketer for the Middlesex Colts before starting golf at age 17. He turned professional in 1981, becoming an assistant at his local golf club at Arkley in his home county of Hertfordshire. Golding has been a regular fixture at the European Tour's Qualifying School, wherein 2008 he stretched his record to 19 appearances. He has often won a tour card, but up to the age of 40, he had never done well enough on the Tour to retain his card automatically.
In 2003, Golding won the Open de France, one of Europe's most prestigious events, on his 201st tour start. Golding claimed the emotionally-charged victory at Le Golf National, birdieing the final hole to beat David Howell by a shot. His prize of Euro 416,660 was more than twice as much as he had ever won in a complete season before that year, and he finished the season with a career-best 32nd place on the Order of Merit. After falling away again in 2004 he had a solid season in 2005, with a pair of top-10 finishes. He returned to Qualifying School again in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, he was again unable to retain his place on the elite tour and dropped to the Challenge Tour in 2009. He played full-time on the European Tour between 1994 and 2008 and has played 342 events with 11 top-10 finishes and earnings of Euro 1,700,054.
After a promising start to his Senior Tour career in 2012, with two runner-up finishes, Golding claimed his first title in June 2013, overcoming tough conditions at Royal Porthcawl with a superb closing 66 to win the Speedy Services Wales Senior Open. It was at the same tournament in 2012 that he rewrote the record books, carding an opening-round 64 to match the weekend rounds he posted the previous weekend in the SSE Scottish Senior Open - the first time a hat-trick of 64s had been achieved on the European, Senior or Challenge Tour. However, on both occasions he missed the title, finishing runner-up to Anders Forsbrand in Scotland and Barry Lane in Wales, respectively. He ended the 2013 Senior Tour season in sixth on the Order of Merit, with eight top-10 finishes. He was consistent throughout 2014 with seven top-10 finishes. After losing a three-way playoff at the WINSTONgolf Senior Open, he went one better in the following event by winning the French Riviera Masters for his second Senior Tour victory. He came close again with his third T-2 of the season at the Dutch Senior Open, the very next event.
2012 European Seniors Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 7; top-10 finishes - 2; Euro 95,302 (ranked 17th); Best finish - second at the Speedy Services Wales Senior Open and SSE Scottish Senior Open.
2013 European Seniors Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 14; top-10 finishes - 8; Euro 152,166 (ranked 6th); Best finish - won the Speedy Services Wales Senior Open.
2014 European Seniors Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 14; top-10 finishes - 7; Euro 189,117 (ranked 4th); Best finish - won the French Riviera Masters.
2015 European Seniors Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 12; top-10 finishes - 4; Euro 108,127 (ranked 5th); Best finish 2nd Swiss Senior Open.
2016 European Seniors Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 13; top-10 finishes - 5; Euro 124,155 (ranked 6th); Best finish T-2nd Travis Perkins Masters and Paris Legends Championship.
2017 European Seniors Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 15; top-10 finishes - 4; Euro 167,795 (ranked 4th); Best finish winner Travis Perkins Masters & Swiss Seniors Open
2018 Notes: Played in 19 Staysure Tour event with three top-tens. Won the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, was T-4th at the Willow Senior Golf Classic and 8th at the MCB Tour Championship - Mauritius. Finished 15th on the Staysure Tour Order of Merit with euro147.058.
2019 Notes: Was T-57th at the Jordan Mixed Open.