French Open
Winner 2003
Christmas came early for Philip Golding yesterday
and as a result Christmas may never be the same again. Golding, the
journeymen's journeyman, who has paid a record 16 visits to the
European Tour's qualifying school, yesterday won the French Open,
his first victory in 14 years of trying.
It was his 201st event as a tour professional and in the previous 200 his best finish had been sixth, as long ago as 1996. A final-round 69, three under, at the Paris National course gave him a 15-under total of 273, to beat David Howell by one and Justin Rose and Peter O'Malley by two.
He won £290,971 which compares very nicely with the £297,523 he had won in his entire career before this year. He finished off in style with a birdie on the 72nd, his second over the greenside lake, the stroke of his life.
But the shock of his life awaited him, as it awaited two other golfers. For the first time in European Tour history dope tests were applied to three of the leaders, Golding, Howell and O'Malley, Rose being excused presumably on the grounds that he has been suffering from a virulent cough and cold all week.
Golding, from Luton and with no experience of contending in an event of this stature, played the final nine holes knowing that Rose had set a 13-under benchmark. That meant he needed to complete them in at least one and probably two under par to win, a daunting proposition even for the best.
But Golding stuck to the classic formula. "I just played one shot at a time," he said. "I wasn't afraid to look at the leaderboard. I was conscious of it. I saw that David had birdied the last, so I said to my caddie 'Four to win', which you always dream of.
"I trusted my swing, hit the fairway and then hit a six-iron 167 yards over the water. I tried not to think of my family. I knew they would be going mental every time I holed a putt and I knew I would get emotional if I thought of them. It was undoubtedly the longest weekend of my life and winning at the age of 40 is absolutely incredible.
"I know that last year, after Malcolm Mackenzie won after 509 attempts, people were saying, 'If he can win, so can I'. Well, now they'll be saying, 'If Phil Golding can win, so can I'." So the man who has never finished better than 119th on the Volvo Order of Merit can now contemplate the car of his dreams. "A Porsche," he said, "I've always wanted one of those."
The win spells an end to what had become his annual attendance at the tour qualifying school. He is exempt from all qualifying as a result of this win for two years and the man who once said that he would not know what Christmas was like without the school will now be able to afford much bigger and better celebrations.
Phil Golding Career Best Finishes
2017
Farmfoods European Seniors Masters - 5th
Paris Legends Championship 3rd
Senior Italian Open - 14th
Travis
Perkins Masters - Winner
Willow Senior Classic Golf - 29th
Winston
Golf Senior Open, Vorbeck Germany - 19th
Swiss
Senior Open, Bad Ragaz - Winner
2016
MCB Tour Championship - 16th
Senior
Italian Open - 9th
Paris Legends Championship - 2nd
Travis
Perkins Masters - 2nd
Willow Senior Classic Golf - 3rd
UK Scottish Open - 21st
Winston
Golf Senior Open, Vorbeck Germany - 16th
Swiss Senior Open, Bad Ragaz - 8th
SSE
Enterprise Wales Senior Open - 22nd
2015
French Riviera Masters - Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort,
Tourettes, Provence - 9th
Travis
Perkins Masters - Dukes Course, Woburn GC, Woburn Engalnd -
4th
Winston
Golf Senior Open, Vorbeck Germany - 12th
Swiss Senior Open, Bad Ragaz - 2nd
ISPS
Handa PGA Seniors Championship - 5th
Acorn Jersey Open - 14th
SSE Enterprise Wales Senior Open - 21st
2014
MCB Tour Championship, Constance Belle Mare Plage, Mauritius -
11th
Dutch Senior Open, The International, Amsterdam,
The Netherlands - 2nd
French Riviera
Masters - Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort, Tourettes, Provence
- 1st
Winston Golf Senior Open, Vorbeck
Germany, 2nd
Russian Open Golf Championship, Moscow Country Club
-7th
Bad Ragaz PGA Senior Open - Senior European Tour - 9th
ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship - Senior European Tour - 6th
SSE Senior Scotish Open, Torrance Championship Course, St Andrews -
Senior European Tour - 2nd
2013
MCB Tour Championship, Constance Belle Mare Plage, Mauritius -
9th
Dutch Senior Open, The International, Amsterdam, The Netherlands -
6th
English Senior Open, Rockliffe - County Durham, Engalnd -
14th
French Riviera Masters - Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort,
Tourettes, Provence - 4th
WINSTONgof Senior Open - WINSTONOpen Course, Vorbeck Germany -
5th
Travis Perkins plc Senior Open - Dukes Course, Woburn GC, Woburn
Engalnd - 21st
SSE Senior Scotish Open, Torrance Championship Course, St Andrews -
Senior European Tour - 4th
Berenberg Masters, Köln, Refrath, Germany - Senior European Tour - 10th
Bad Ragaz PGA Senior Open - Senior European Tour - 11th
Speedy Services Wales Senior Open - Senior European Tour - 1st
ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship - Senior European Tour - 10th
2012
French Riviera Masters - Senior European Tour - 17th
Pon Senior Open - Senior European Tour - 13th
Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters - Senior European Tour - 17th
Speedy Services Wales Senior Open - Senior European Tour - 2nd
SSE Scottish Senior Open - Senior European Tour - 2nd
2010 -2011
Après l'Open International de Paris - 1st
Beko Classic Golf in Antalya -1st
SWALEC Wales Challenge - Challenge Tour - 17th
SAINT-OMER OPEN - European Tour - 17th
2009
Tusker Kenya Open 2009 - Challenge Tour -
2nd
ALLIANZ Eur Open de Lyon - Challenge Tour -
11th
2006-2008
The Russian Open Golf Championship - European Tour -
12th
2004-2005
Open de Madrid - European Tour - 14th
Omega European Masters - European Tour - 7th
Nissan Irish Open - European Tour - 9th
French Open - European Tour -13th
2003
French Open – European Tour - 1st
2002
Italian Open Telecom Italia - European Tour - 13th
BMW International Open - European Tour - 7th
2001
Padova International Open – 2nd
Challenge Tour Grand Final – 2nd
European Challenge Tour Championship – 2nd
Kenya Open – Challenge Tour – 6th
Formby Hall Challenge – 7th
Volvo Finnish Open – 9th
FIna Elf Challenge Tour – 10th
1999
Winner - Volcans Open, France – Challenge Tour
San Paolo Vita Open – Challenge tour – 6th
Challenge de France Bayer – Challenge Tour - 8th
Comunitat Valenciana Challenge de Espana – Challenge Tour – 9th
1997-98
San Paolo Vita Open – Challenge Tour - 12th
1996
Winner - Mauritius Open
Austrian Open – European Tour – 6th
Madeira Island Open – European Tour – 8th
BMW International Open – European Tour – 9th
1995
Austrian Open – European Tour – 8th
1994
Tour Espana – European Tour – 8th
Austrian Open – European Tour – 9th
Qualified for European Tour (8th place, Montpellier)
1993
Winner - Rolex Trophy, Switzerland – Challenge Tour
Zambia Open – Challenge Tour – 6th
Compaq Open – Challenge Tour – 10th
1992
Audio Open – Challenge Tour – 3rd
Audio Quattro Trophy – Challenge Tour – 7th
Playboy Charity Challenge – Challenge Tour – 7th
Gore-tex Fabrics Challenge – Challenge Tour 8th
Pro-2000 Challenge Dumez – Challenge Tour 8th
1991
Volvo Open di Firenze – European Tour – 7th
Kenya Open – Challenge Tour – 2nd
Zambia Open – Challenge Tour – 2nd
Laurent Perrier – Challenge Tour – 4th
1990
Winner - Belgium Perrier Pro-Am – Challenge Tour
Spanish Renault Open – Challenge Tour – 2nd
German Audi Open – Challenge Tour 10th
Safari Order of Merit – 4th
1986-93
Head Coach – South Herts G.C.
1984
British PGA Qualified (Coach/Trainer)
1982-85
Teaching/Playing Professional – Northwood G.C.
1980-82
Assistant Professional - Arkley Golf Club
1980
Turned professional
(Miscellaneous : 1985-1991 Numerous wins and runner-up positions UK)
