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Unlike games like basketball, football, or baseball — where most players are calling it quits before they hit 40, golf is a sport you can stick with for much longer. You don’t have to be in your physical prime to enjoy it or even compete. That’s partly because golf courses are built with different tee lengths, which let you tailor your game to your current strength and skill level. It’s like the sport adjusts with you as you age.
Now, just like any other sport, most golfers hit their peak in their younger years. But here’s the cool part: they often stay competitive well into their 40s, 50s, or even later. You may not be winning the Masters year after year as you get older, but you’re not forced into retirement just because you hit a certain age.
That’s especially good news for those who’ve already won the Masters before. Once you’ve earned that green jacket, you get a lifetime invitation to return and play in the tournament every year, as long as you’re up for it. No expiration date on your invite!
And while most of the buzz during the Masters tends to revolve around rising stars and young talent, don’t count the seasoned veterans out. Every now and then, one of them pulls off an incredible win that reminds everyone age is just a number.
So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the oldest golfers who’ve ever won the Masters, proof that experience really can give youth a run for its money.
Oldest golfers to win the Masters
| Rank | Golfer | Age at Latest Masters Win | Total Masters Wins |
| 1 | Jack Nicklaus | 46 years, 2 months, 24 days | 6 – 1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986 |
| 2 | Tiger Woods | 43 years, 3 months, 15 days | 5 – 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019 |
| 3 | Ben Crenshaw | 43 years, 2 months, 30 days | 2 – 1984, 1995 |
| 4 | Gary Player | 42 years, 5 months, 9 days | 3 – 1961, 1974, 1978 |
| 5 | Sam Snead | 41 years, 10 months, 17 days | 3 – 1949, 1952, 1954 |
| 6 | Mark O’Meara | 41 years, 3 months | 1 – 1998 |
| 7 | Ben Hogan | 40 years, 7 months, 30 days | 2 – 1951, 1953 |
| 8 | Jimmy Demaret | 39 years, 10 months, 16 days | 3 – 1940, 1947, 1950 |
| 9 | Phil Mickelson | 39 years, 9 months, 26 days | 3 – 2004, 2006, 2010 |
| 10 | Nick Faldo | 38 years, 8 months, 27 days | 3 – 1989, 1990, 1996 |
Jack Nicklaus
When people talk about the greatest golfers ever, Jack Nicklaus is always part of the conversation, and for good reason. He’s got a jaw-dropping 18 major titles, the most in golf history. That includes:
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6 Masters wins
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5 PGA Championships
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4 U.S. Opens
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3 Open Championships
He’s also played in more majors than anyone else, 164 total, and picked up 73 PGA Tour wins, ranking third all-time behind Sam Snead and Tiger Woods.
His most iconic Masters moment? 1986, when a 46-year-old Nicklaus shocked the world by winning the tournament for the sixth time. He finished with a blazing final round of 65 (-7) and beat out Tom Kite and Greg Norman by just one stroke. It was the 50th Masters and it felt like a storybook ending
Tiger Woods
In the late ’90s and early 2000s, Tiger Woods took the golf world by storm. At just 21 years old, he won his first Masters in 1997, setting records and turning heads with his dominance. Over his career, he added:
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5 Masters wins
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4 PGA Championships
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3 U.S. Opens
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3 Open Championships
Many expected him to break Nicklaus’ record, but injuries including a devastating car crash in 2021 that slowed him down.
Still, in 2019, against all odds, Tiger pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in sports. At 43, he won his fifth green jacket with a total score of -13 (275), just edging out stars like Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele, and Brooks Koepka, who all finished one stroke behind. It was pure magic.
Ben Crenshaw
Known for his calm demeanor and smooth putting, Ben Crenshaw turned pro in 1973 and has 30 professional wins, including 19 on the PGA Tour. He only won two major championships but both were at Augusta.
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1984 Masters
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1995 Masters
His 1995 win was especially emotional. It was the same year a young amateur named Tiger Woods made his Masters debut. Crenshaw, fueled by personal loss and powerful emotion, played a masterful tournament and finished at -14, just ahead of Davis Love III and Greg Norman.
Gary Player
Hailing from Johannesburg, South Africa, Gary Player is one of golf’s most successful international players. He turned pro in 1953 and racked up an astonishing 159 professional wins, including:
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24 PGA Tour wins
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9 major championships (3 Masters, 2 PGA, 1 U.S. Open, 3 Opens)
His last Masters win came in 1978, where he staged a brilliant comeback, finishing with a final-round 64 to end at -11. He edged out Rod Funseth, Hubert Green, and Tom Watson by a single stroke.
Sam Snead
Born in 1912, Sam Snead turned pro in the 1930s and is still considered one of the greatest natural talents in golf history. He notched a staggering 143 wins across his career, including:
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3 Masters
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3 PGA Championships
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1 Open Championship
While he never won a U.S. Open, he came heartbreakingly close four times.
One of his most memorable moments came in 1954, when he and Ben Hogan were tied at +1 after four rounds. They played an 18-hole playoff on Monday (yep, that was the format back then!), and Snead sealed the deal with a 70, beating Hogan by one stroke.