The 50 Greatest European Male Golfers

40. Ken Brown

Scotland | January 9, 1957 | TP 1974

A long-standing and popular member of the BBC golf team, Brown had a seriously impressive career at the top level of the game, spending 16 years on the European Tour where he won four times. He also tasted victory on the PGA Tour, winning the 1987 Southern Open, and played on five European Ryder Cup sides.

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39. Paul Lawrie

Scotland | January 1, 1969 | TP 1986

The Aberdonian’s finest hour came at Carnoustie in 1999 when, after coming through qualifying, he made up a ten-shot deficit in the final round to win The Open, just 60 miles from his front door. Roy of the Rovers stuff, quite honestly. Won seven other times on the European Tour and played in two Ryder Cups, including the ‘Miracle at Medinah’ in 2012.

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38. Eric Brown

Scotland | February 15, 1925 | TP 1946

Known as much for his combustible temperament as his silky-smooth swing, Bathgate legend Brown turned pro following his 1946 Scottish Amateur win. He racked up 26 professional victories, played on four Ryder Cup sides and captained the team in both 1969 and 1971. Notably, he also won the Scottish PGA Championship eight times.

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37. Francesco Molinari

Italy | November 8, 1982 | TP 2004

The younger of the two Molinari brothers, Francesco became the first Italian to win a major when he lifted the Claret Jug at Carnoustie in 2018. Later that year, he managed five points from five at the Ryder Cup, his third appearance for Europe. The Torinese has won three times on the PGA Tour and six on the European Tour, and has been as high as world No.5.

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36. Paul McGinley

Ireland | December 16, 1966 | TP 1991

Europe’s match-winner in the 2002 Ryder Cup at The Belfry, McGinley captained the side to victory over a US side led by his boyhood hero Tom Watson at Gleneagles in 2014. A winner of four European Tour titles, he also teamed-up with fellow Rathfarnham man Padraig Harrington to win the World Cup for Ireland in 1997.

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35. Barry Lane

England | June 21, 1960 | TP 1976

Something of a late bloomer, Lane only took up golf at the age of 14 but, by 16, was working as an assistant pro at Downshire Golf Club in Berkshire. Joined the European Tour in 1982 and went on to make close to 700 appearances on the circuit, winning five times. He made his one and only Ryder Cup appearance in Europe’s defeat at The Belfry in 1993.

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34. Howard Clark

England | August 26, 1954 | TP 1973

Leeds-born Clark turned pro in 1973 after a successful amateur career, joining the European Tour a year later. He went on to chalk up 11 victories on the circuit, including multiple wins in four successive seasons from 1984 to 1987. Clarke also made six Ryder Cup appearances and, to date, is one of six men to have had a hole-in-one in the contest.

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33. Thomas Bjorn

Denmark | February 18, 1971 | TP 1993

A stalwart of the European Tour, Bjorn is, by some distance, the greatest Dane ever to pick up a golf club. In addition to winning 15 times on the tour, he came agonisingly close to winning The Open in 2003 and was the first of his countrymen to play in the Ryder Cup teams. He did so three times before captaining the side to an emphatic victory in Paris in 2018.

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32. Paul Casey

England | July 21, 1977 | TP 2000

It remains the stuff of modern golf mystery that a player as talented as Casey has been unable to pick off a major win. A winner of 15 European Tour titles and three PGA Tour events, the 44-year-old has been one of the game’s most consistent performers over the past 20 years and reached a career-high of third on the world rankings in 2009.

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31. Robert Karlsson

Sweden | September 3, 1969 | TP 1989

Served notice of his potential as a 19-year-old amateur in 1989 when he became just the sixth Swede to play all four rounds of The Open. Went on to win 11 times on the European Tour, played on two Ryder Cup teams and won the European Order of Merit in 2008, the same year he reached a career high of sixth on the world rankings.