Stuart Carl Mason (born 25 June 1953) is an English professional golfer. Mason was something of a journeyman on the European Tour. After twenty years of trying he finally won on tour for the first time in 1994. His biggest successes, however, came after turning 50. He picked up 25 tournament victories on the European Senior Tour and headed the Order of Merit three times, becoming the leading career money winner on the tour.
Career In 1953, Mason was born in Buxton, Derbyshire. He won several amateur tournaments before turning professional.
Mason turned professional in 1973, following an outstanding amateur career playing out of Goring & Streatley Golf Club, and was a rookie on the European Tour the following year. He finished in 67th place on the Order of Merit that year and was a recipient of the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award. He made the top 100 on the European Tour Order of Merit twenty three years in a row up to 1996, with a best ranking of 19th in 1994. In 1980, he finished tied for 4th with Jack Nicklaus in The Open Championship held at Muirfield.
Despite those successes, Mason only won twice on the European Tour, both times in 1994. His first victory came at the 455th attempt, in the Turespana Masters Open de Andalucia, and the second in the Scottish Open just a few months later. He also won three times on the Safari Circuit in Africa.
Senior career After a spell working for the PGA European Tour as a tournament referee, he joined the European Senior Tour on turning fifty. He was immediately successful as a senior, winning four of his first eleven events and topping the Order of Merit in 2003 and 2004. He was Order of Merit runner-up in each of the following two seasons before recapturing the top spot in 2007. That year, after winning the European Senior Masters, he surpassed Tommy Horton as the highest career money earner on the European Seniors Tour. The next week he won the PGA Seniors Championship, and went on to finish the 2007 season with earnings of €412,376, a new record for money won in a season on the tour, breaking his previous record of €354,775 set in 2004.
In 2010, he won his 23rd EST event, which placed him in a tie with Tommy Horton for the most EST wins. In May 2011, Mason who his 24th event, the OKI Open de Espana Senior.Record-breaker Mason makes history in Spain He won his 25th event at the Benahavis Senior Masters in October 2011.
Amateur wins 1973 Berkhamsted Trophy, Hampshire Hog, British Youths Open Amateur Championship, West of England Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship, West of England Amateur Championship
Professional wins (30) European Tour wins (2) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up127 Feb 1994Turespaña Masters Open de Andalucía−10 (67-70-71-70=278)2 strokes José María Olazábal29 Jul 1994Bell's Scottish Open−15 (67-69-61-68=265)1 stroke Peter Mitchell
Safari Circuit wins (2) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up125 Mar 1984Zambia Open−12 (69-70-69-72=280)2 strokes Roger Chapman21 Mar 1987555 Kenya Open−9 (72-68-67-68=275)Playoff Gordon J. Brand, Roger Chapman, Martin Poxon
Other wins (2) 1975 Lusaka Open 1999 Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship
European Senior Tour wins (25) Legend Tour Championships (1) Other European Senior Tour (24) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up113 Jul 2003Mobile Cup−10 (69-66-68=203)1 stroke Bob Cameron220 Sep 2003The Daily Telegraph Turismo AndaluzSeniors Match Play Championship1 up Denis O'Sullivan328 Sep 2003Merseyside English Seniors Open−8 (71-66-71=208)1 stroke Bill Longmuir, Denis O'Sullivan412 Oct 2003Estoril Seniors Tour Championship−11 (64-73-65=202)8 strokes Keith MacDonald, Noel Ratcliffe, Dragon Taki521 Mar 2004Tobago Plantations Seniors Classic−9 (71-64-72=207)3 strokes David Good66 Jun 2004AIB Irish Seniors Open−10 (68-69-69=206)1 stroke Nick Job78 Aug 2004De Vere PGA Seniors Championship−13 (67-71-69-68=275)Playoff Seiji Ebihara, Jim Rhodes811 Sep 2004The Daily Telegraph Turismo AndaluzEuropean Seniors Match Play Championship (2)3 and 2 John Chillas926 Sep 2004ADT English Seniors Open (2)−3 (71-67-75=213)3 strokes Bob Cameron, John Chillas1026 Jun 2005De Vere Northumberland Seniors Classic−16 (68-63-69=200)3 strokes Eamonn Darcy113 Jul 2005Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open−5 (68-69-65=202)5 strokes Bob Charles, Denis O'Sullivan1210 Sep 2006European Senior Masters−7 (73-67-69=209)2 strokes Horacio Carbonetti1317 Sep 2006Midas Group English Seniors Open (3)−4 (70-71-71=212)1 stroke Stewart Ginn1422 Oct 2006Estoril Seniors Open of Portugal−9 (64-69-71=204)4 strokes Stewart Ginn, Sam Torrance1517 Jun 2007Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open (2)−6 (73-69-68=210)2 strokes Ross Drummond, Juan Quirós1612 Aug 2007Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open−16 (65-64-65=194)6 strokes Horacio Carbonetti, Costantino Rocca, David J. Russell172 Sep 2007European Senior Masters (2)−6 (71-66-73=210)Playoff Costantino Rocca189 Sep 2007PGA Seniors Championship (2)−20 (67-67-67-67=268)6 strokes Philippe Dugeny, Costantino Rocca1921 Oct 2007OKI Castellón Open de España Senior−17 (66-68-65=199)4 strokes Luis Carbonetti2010 Aug 2008Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open (2)−15 (69-61-65=195)2 strokes Bill Longmuir2128 Jun 2009De Vere Collection PGA Seniors Championship (3)−9 (73-70-67-69=279)3 strokes Ángel Franco, Chris Williams2218 Oct 2009Benahavis Senior Masters−7 (66-72-68=206)Playoff Gordon Brand Jnr234 Jul 2010Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open (3)−11 (64-67-68=199)2 strokes Jerry Bruner2420 May 2011OKI Open de España Senior (2)−13 (67-65-68=200)4 strokes George Ryall2516 Oct 2011Benahavis Senior Masters (2)−9 (70-65-69=204)3 strokes Mark James, Gary Wolstenholme
European Senior Tour playoff record (3–2) No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result12003Senior British Open Tom WatsonLost to par on second extra hole22004De Vere PGA Seniors Championship Seiji Ebihara, Jim RhodesWon with birdie on second extra holeRhodes eliminated by par on first hole32007Sharp Italian Seniors Open Tony Allen, John Benda, Simon OwenOwen won with birdie on first extra hole42007European Senior Masters Costantino RoccaWon with birdie on first extra hole52009Benahavis Senior Masters Gordon Brand JnrWon with birdie on second extra hole
Playoff record Champions Tour playoff record (0–1) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult12003Senior British Open Tom WatsonLost to par on second extra hole
Results in major championships Tournament197419751976197719781979The Open ChampionshipCUT62T24T50 Tournament1980198119821983198419851986198719881989The Open ChampionshipT4CUTCUTCUTCUTT56T44T57 Tournament19901991199219931994199519961997The Open ChampionshipT39T67CUTT22CUT Note: Mason only played in The Open Championship.
CUT = missed the half-way cut "T" indicates a tie for a place
Team appearances Professional World Cup (representing England): 1980 Hennessy Cognac Cup (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1980 (winners) UBS Cup (representing the Rest of the World): 2003 (tie), 2004
See also List of golfers with most European Senior Tour wins
References
External links