Phil Mickelson is the oldest player to win a men’s golfing Major. Here we consider some other veterans who picked up top sporting titles.
Oldest Sporting Champions – Phil Mickelson Joins The List
In winning the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, Phil Mickelson became the oldest man ever to win a Major golf championship.
At 50 years, 11 months and seven days he beat the previous record held by Julius Boros, who won the 1968 PGA Championship at 48 years, four months and 18 days by more than 30 months.
Phil joins a list of veteran competitors who have secured one of the most significant prizes in their sport in the latter years of their competitive careers.
Here we look at a few of them.
Oldest Sporting Champions – Phil Mickelson Joins The List
Bernard Hopkins – Boxing
Bernard Hopkins
Bernard Hopkins is one of the most successful boxers of the last 30 years. He held multiple world championships through his career and was undisputed middleweight champion from 2001 to 2005.
Hopkins longevity within a punishing sport was incredible. Aged 46 he became the oldest boxer in history to win a world championship.
He broke his own record, most latterly in beating Beibut Shumenov (above) to unify the light heavyweight titles in 2014. Hopkins was 49.
Ken Rosewall – Tennis
Ken Rosewall
Australia’s Ken Rosewall is the oldest player to have won a grand slam tennis singles event.
Rosewall was 37 years, two months and one day old when he beat Malcolm Anderson in the final of the 1972 Australian Open.
It was the Aussie’s eighth grand slam title. He reached the 1974 Wimbledon final just months before his 40th birthday but was beaten by Jimmy Connors – 18 years his junior!
Juan Manuel Fangio – Formula One
Juan Manuel Fangio
The great Argentinian driver Fangio won the Formula One World Championship on five occasions between 1951 and 1957.
When he took the last of his titles, he was 46 years and 41 days old.
Fangio won 46.15% of the races he entered during his career – more than any other driver in the history of the sport.
Luigi Fangioli is the oldest driver to win a Formula One race. He took the 1951 French Grand Prix aged 53 years and 22 days.
Oscar Swahn – Shooting
Not exactly a household name, but Sweden’s Oscar Swahn is the oldest person to win an Olympic gold medal.
He was 64 years and 258 days old when he participated in the winning Running Deer shooting team at the 1912 Games in Stockholm.
Dino Zoff – Football
Dino Zoff
The Italian is the oldest player to win a football World Cup. The goalkeeper was 40 years, four months and 13 days when Italy triumphed in 1982.
Zoff made 112 appearances for his country between 1968 and 1983.
He was captain of the Italian 1982 World Cup-winning side and was named as the best goalkeeper of the tournament.
Phil Taylor – Darts
Phil Taylor
Darting legend Phil “The Power” Taylor won an astonishing 16 world championship titles in a career spanning more than 30 years.
Taylor’s final world championship win came in 2013 when he beat Michael van Gerwen to take the title at the age of 52.