Age and Winning Professional Golf Tournaments

TL;DR

This study uses statistical data to identify the actual peak ages for winning in various professional golf tours, challenging assumptions and confirming that age influences tournament success.

Contribution

It provides empirical evidence of the specific peak ages for winning across multiple golf tours using comprehensive statistical analysis.

Findings

PGA Tour peak age: 35

European PGA Tour peak age: 30

Champions Tour peak age: 52

Abstract

Most professional golfers and analysts think that winning on the PGA Tour peaks when golfers are in their thirties. Rather than relying on educated guesses, we can actually use available statistical data to determine the actual ages at which golfers peak their golf game. We can also test the hypothesis that age affects winning professional golf tournaments. Using data available from the Golf Channel, the PGA Tour, and LPGA Tour, I calculated and provided the mean, the median, and the mode ages at which professional golfers on the PGA, European PGA, Champions, and LPGA Tours had won over a five-year period. More specifically, the ages at which golfers on the PGA, European PGA, Champions Tour, and LPGA Tours peak their wins are 35, 30, 52, and 25, respectively. The regression analyses I conducted seem to support my hypothesis that age affects winning professional golf tournaments.