It does appear that the average PGA Tour player peaks at a younger age in this current era, with Scottie Scheffler not even turning 30 until next June.
Just two players at the 2025 Ryder Cup were over the age of 36. Meanwhile, Phil Mickelson is, of course, the only player to have won a major after turning 50.
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Unsurprisingly, you would not need two full hands to count the number of players who have won a PGA Tour event following their 50th birthday.
But there is just one player who has secured their first ever PGA Tour victory after reaching that landmark age.
The player who won on the PGA Tour for the first time after their 50th birthday
The Cajun Classic was an event that was only on the PGA Tour calendar for 11 years, with the final staging of the tournament played in 1968.
Nevertheless, the event still had time to secure its spot in history, with John Barnum’s victory in 1962.
Barnum finished six shots clear of Gay Brewer, the man who went on to win The Masters five years later.
Barnum had turned 51 the previous month. Remarkably, he had not previously won a PGA Tour event, while he never actually finished inside the top 10 in a major.
He ended his career without ever playing in The Masters or The Open Championship. He did register eight top five finishes in 179 PGA Tour starts.
Not since Jim Barnes in 1937 had someone won an event past the age of 50.
Barnum’s victory was also significant as he became the first player to win on the PGA Tour while using a Ping putter.
The Anser putter would subsequently be launched in 1966. And in 1988, all four majors were won by players using Ping putters.
So it was not only Barnum’s age that made him a trailblazer in the game.
The eight players to have won a PGA Tour event after turning 50
Golf would not need to wait too long for another veteran winner, with Sam Snead’s 82nd and final victory coming in 1965 at the Greater Greensboro Open.
Art Wall Jr. would add his name to the list a decade later by winning the Greater Milwaukee Open 16 years after his victory at The Masters.
Another Masters winner who would join the club was Craig Stadler as he won the 2003 B.C. Open.
Fred Funk and Davis Love III were also able to secure victories after reaching an age where they qualified for PGA Tour Champions.
Mickelson then made history with his triumph at the 2021 PGA Championship.
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But Barnum remains the only player in that remarkable list to end his wait for a maiden PGA Tour victory after his 50th birthday.
Given how hard it has become to stay on tour without winning, it would be no surprise to see Barnum hold onto that title for an incredibly long time.
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