# What age is old in the PGA/LPGA



## broken tee (Jan 13, 2008)

Most professional sports players get to a point where they are to old to play. How about golf for the tour?


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## Big Hobbit (Nov 2, 2010)

Now that is a tough question, and probably covered by a multitude of answers.

What's your defination of old?
Where do you draw the line at being competitive?

Anecdotal evidence would show that Tom Watson is still fairly competitive and almost won THE Open a couple of years back, and Greg Norman got pretty close the year before but is anecdotal evidence doesn't draw a fair comparison between age groups - depending on what you define as _the age groups?

Equally there are a number of very competitive "old" pro's on the European Tour, Jimenez being the best example - and what a Ryder Cup player he turned out to be._.


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## broken tee (Jan 13, 2008)

Big Hobbit said:


> Now that is a tough question, and probably covered by a multitude of answers.
> 
> What's your defination of old?
> Where do you draw the line at being competitive?
> ...


So basically you are saying its up to the competitor.


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## Big Hobbit (Nov 2, 2010)

Age is a label.................................and as I'm getting close to coffin dodging age I'm pushing old back a few years.

But yes, I think its more to do with competitive hunger. Sorry to harp back a number of years but one of the best golfers I ever watched was Johnny Miller. Classic swing, and bags of talent, flashed across the fairways and posted some stunning scores, and I mean some really stunning scores. And equally look how long Jack Nicklaus was competitive, and who can forget his last, winning, Masters?

Age does factor in in the end, otherwise we'd all live forever. I guess its choose any mix of factors for any scenario that is the reality. Some come to fruitition early, and disappear early. Some peak later, and stick around for a while, and others...


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## broken tee (Jan 13, 2008)

Big Hobbit said:


> Age is a label.................................and as I'm getting close to coffin dodging age I'm pushing old back a few years.
> 
> But yes, I think its more to do with competitive hunger. Sorry to harp back a number of years but one of the best golfers I ever watched was Johnny Miller. Classic swing, and bags of talent, flashed across the fairways and posted some stunning scores, and I mean some really stunning scores. And equally look how long Jack Nicklaus was competitive, and who can forget his last, winning, Masters?
> 
> Age does factor in in the end, otherwise we'd all live forever. I guess its choose any mix of factors for any scenario that is the reality. Some come to fruitition early, and disappear early. Some peak later, and stick around for a while, and others...


Johnny Miller now there is a name I haven't thought of for your other thread. Age maybe a lable for a pro, so what do you think the age is that they start entering less tournaments. Now I'm watching the skins match and Jack Nickalaus, Fuzzy zellor, so age in golf...just a state of mind


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## KrudlerAce (Jul 3, 2010)

I think it depends on the person and what sort of shape they are in. These days a lot of the players on the seniors tour are still able to match it with the younger guys in the big tournaments. They still seem to be able to compete well into their 50's from what I have seen. Also, I have played golf this year with guys over 70 that still hit the ball okay.


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## Big Hobbit (Nov 2, 2010)

Just looked at the driving distance stats for the tour, and you don't see many older guys knocking it really long. So if they're having to use longer clubs into greens, especially with some courses now well beyond 7000yds, I guess its athleticism that is a major factor too.

And typically its the stars of 15-20 yrs ago that are still capable of competing on the main tour. Their fellow, journeyman, competitors from back then are rarely seen. Maybe its when they lose their tour card many of them disappear...


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## broken tee (Jan 13, 2008)

KrudlerAce said:


> I think it depends on the person and what sort of shape they are in. These days a lot of the players on the seniors tour are still able to match it with the younger guys in the big tournaments. They still seem to be able to compete well into their 50's from what I have seen. Also, I have played golf this year with guys over 70 that still hit the ball okay.





Big Hobbit said:


> Just looked at the driving distance stats for the tour, and you don't see many older guys knocking it really long. So if they're having to use longer clubs into greens, especially with some courses now well beyond 7000yds, I guess its athleticism that is a major factor too.
> 
> And typically its the stars of 15-20 yrs ago that are still capable of competing on the main tour. Their fellow, journeyman, competitors from back then are rarely seen. Maybe its when they lose their tour card many of them disappear...


I understand what both of you are pointing out, to paraphrase its really their personal choice to play or not to play
competitively


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