At age 61, Tom Watson became the oldest winner of a senior major since the Champions Tour began in 1980. He achieved the feat by winning the 2011 Senior PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky.
Watson finished the regulation tournament tied with David Eger at 10 under par and won on the first playoff hole. The victory was his sixth senior major championship and his second Senior PGA Championship title. He was 61 years and eight months old, making the achievement especially notable in a sport where senior competition is still intensely demanding.
The wording can cause confusion because Watson was not the oldest winner of the Senior PGA Championship ever. Jock Hutchison won the event at age 62 in 1947, before the modern Champions Tour era. Watson’s record applies specifically to the period beginning in 1980, when the senior circuit was established in its modern form.
Tom Watson was already one of golf’s major champions before moving into senior competition. During his regular-tour career, he won eight major championships, including five Open Championships and two Masters titles. His 2011 senior victory added another remarkable chapter to that career.