Peter Senior
Australian professional golfer (born 1959)
Peter Albert Charles Senior OAM (born 31 July 1959) is an Australian professional golfer who has won more than twenty tournaments around the world.
Senior has competed mainly on the PGA Tour of Australasia, where he has had the most success and won the Order of Merit on four occasions, and the European Tour. He has also played occasionally on the Japan Golf Tour and the United States-based PGA Tour.
Senior has represented Australia in international competitions several times, and was a member of the International Team at the first two stagings of the Presidents Cup. He has also represented Australia twice at the World Cup.
01Career
In 1959, Senior was born in Singapore.
In 1978, Senior turned professional. He joined the PGA Tour of Australasia shortly thereafter. During his career, he has won 21 tournaments on the tour, including the Australian PGA Championship in 1989, 2003 and 2010, the Australian Open in 1989 and 2012, and the Australian Masters in 1991, 1995, and 2015. Senior has won professional events on the main men's tour in five separate decades, a feat achieved by very few players previously anywhere in the world. He also has the distinction of winning the Australian PGA, Open and Masters tournaments after he turned 50. He also topped the tour's Order of Merit in 1987, 1989 and 1993. Even after reaching the age of fifty, he remained competitive on the tour, through until his retirement from golf in 2016.
Between 1984 and 1992, Senior competed on the European Tour full-time, winning four tournaments and finishing a career best of 7th on the Order of Merit in 1987. He also played regularly on the Japanese Tour, winning three tournaments before rejoining the European Tour in 1998. Through the 2007 season he continued to play in a small number of tournaments on the tour.
In 1985, Senior finished 5th at the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament to earn his card for the following season. He did not have much success, making just two cuts in the first half of the season, before he elected to return to Europe. He did play in several PGA Tour events in other seasons, notably finishing tied for second in The International in 1990, but never tried to qualify for the tour again.
Senior made his debut on the over-50 circuit the Champions Tour in February 2010 at The ACE Group Classic. Senior has yet to win on the Champions Tour, but has finished as a runner up on six occasions, with three playoff defeats. One of these came in February 2012 at the Allianz Championship, when Senior birdied the final hole of regulation to make the playoff before losing to Corey Pavin with a birdie on the first playoff hole.
Senior announced his retirement during the second round of the 2016 Australian Open held at The Royal Sydney Golf Club. Senior suffered a hip injury on the sixth hole and announced his retirement from professional golf shortly after.
02Personal life
He lives in Hope Island, Queensland, with his wife June, whom he married in 1984. They have three children: Krystlle, Jasmine and Mitchell.
03Awards and honors
- Senior won the PGA Tour of Australasia's Order of Merit four times: in 1987, 1989, 1993, and 2012
- In 1993, Senior was the PGA Tour of Australasia's Player of the Year
- In 2024, Senior was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2024 King's Birthday Honours for his service to golf
04Professional wins (67)
European Tour wins (4)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 Aug 1986 | PLM Open | −11 (69-72-64-68=273) | 2 strokes | Mats Lanner |
| 2 | 27 Jun 1987 | Johnnie Walker Monte Carlo Open | −16 (66-63-65-66=260) | 1 stroke | Rodger Davis |
| 3 | 9 Sep 1990 | Panasonic European Open | −13 (67-68-66-66=267) | 1 stroke | Ian Woosnam |
| 4 | 10 May 1992 | Benson & Hedges International Open | −1 (74-73-70-70=287) | Playoff | Tony Johnstone |
European Tour playoff record (1-0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1992 | Benson & Hedges International Open | Tony Johnstone | Won with par on first extra hole |
PGA of Japan Tour wins (3)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 Apr 1992 | Bridgestone Aso Open | −7 (70-70-70-71=281) | 1 stroke | Rick Gibson |
| 2 | 2 May 1993 | The Crowns | −10 (68-67-69-66=270) | 1 stroke | Gary Hallberg, Masashi Ozaki |
| 3 | 23 Apr 1995 | Dunlop Open1 | −9 (69-70-67-73=279) | 5 strokes | Brian Watts |
1Co-sanctioned by the Asia Golf Circuit
PGA Tour of Australasia wins (21)
| Legend |
|---|
| Flagship events (1) |
| Other PGA Tour of Australasia (20) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 Feb 1979 | Dunhill South Australian Open | −6 (70-72-70-70=282) | Playoff | Graham Stevens (a) |
| 2 | 14 Oct 1984 | Stefan Queensland Open | −6 (68-71-70-73=282) | 7 strokes | Wayne Grady |
| 3 | 25 Nov 1984 | Honeywell Classic | −18 (71-70-67-66=274) | 2 strokes | Ossie Moore |
| 4 | 25 Jan 1987 | U-Bix Classic (2) | −19 (67-65-72-69=273) | 1 stroke | Gerry Taylor |
| 5 | 1 Mar 1987 | Rich River Classic | −15 (62-68-71-72=273) | 2 strokes | Mike Ferguson |
| 6 | 18 Oct 1987 | Queensland PGA Championship | −10 (67-72-71-68=278) | Playoff | Jeff Woodland |
| 7 | 12 Nov 1989 | Australian PGA Championship | −14 (67-68-68-71=274) | 1 stroke | Jim Benepe |
| 8 | 3 Dec 1989 | Australian Open | −17 (66-66-69-70=271) | 7 strokes | Peter Fowler |
| 9 | 10 Dec 1989 | Johnnie Walker Australian Classic | −12 (65-72-70-69=276) | 5 strokes | Greg Norman |
| 10 | 17 Feb 1991 | Pyramid Australian Masters | −14 (68-71-69-70=278) | 1 stroke | Greg Norman |
| 11 | 8 Dec 1991 | Johnnie Walker Australian Classic (2) | −10 (66-71-72-73=282) | 1 stroke | Rodger Davis, Frank Nobilo |
| 12 | 31 Jan 1993 | Heineken Classic | −13 (65-71-67-72=275) | 3 strokes | Michael Campbell |
| 13 | 27 Feb 1994 | Canon Challenge | −12 (68-67-72-69=276) | Playoff | Chris Gray |
| 14 | 19 Feb 1995 | Australian Masters (2) | −12 (69-70-72-69=280) | 1 stroke | Wayne Grady, Lucas Parsons, Tom Watson |
| 15 | 25 Feb 1996 | Canon Challenge (2) | −10 (70-72-67-69=278) | 2 strokes | Robert Allenby, Brad King, Robert Willis |
| 16 | 1 Dec 1996 | Greg Norman's Holden Classic | −7 (69-73-69-70=281) | 1 stroke | Greg Norman |
| 17 | 23 Feb 1997 | Canon Challenge (3) | −14 (68-70-66-70=274) | Playoff | Steven Alker |
| 18 | 14 Dec 2003 | Australian PGA Championship (2) | −17 (64-65-69-73=271) | 1 stroke | Rod Pampling |
| 19 | 13 Dec 2010 | Australian PGA Championship1 (3) | −12 (70-67-68-71=276) | Playoff | Geoff Ogilvy |
| 20 | 9 Dec 2012 | Emirates Australian Open1 (2) | −4 (75-68-69-72=284) | 1 stroke | Brendan Jones |
| 21 | 22 Nov 2015 | Uniqlo Masters (3) | −8 (70-70-68-68=276) | 2 strokes | Bryson DeChambeau (a), Andrew Evans, John Senden |
1Co-sanctioned by the OneAsia Tour
PGA Tour of Australasia playoff record (5-1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1979 | Dunhill South Australian Open | Graham Stevens (a) | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 2 | 1987 | Queensland PGA Championship | Jeff Woodland | Won with bogey on first extra hole |
| 3 | 1993 | Microsoft Australian Masters | Bradley Hughes | Lost to par on first extra hole |
| 4 | 1994 | Canon Challenge | Chris Gray | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 5 | 1997 | Canon Challenge | Steven Alker | Won with birdie on fourth extra hole |
| 6 | 2010 | Australian PGA Championship | Geoff Ogilvy | Won with par on second extra hole |
Von Nida Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 Jul 2003 | Queensland Masters | −17 (67-67-70-67=271) | Playoff | Paul Marantz |
Other wins (3)
- 1985 Western Australia PGA Championship
- 1987 Victorian PGA Championship (Non-tour event)
- 1995 Australian Skins Game
European Senior Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 Nov 2010 (2011 season) |
Handa Australian Senior Open | −9 (65-70-72=207) | 3 strokes | Sandy Lyle |
PGA of Australia Legends Tour wins (35)
note: this list is probably incomplete
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 Dec 2009 | Australian PGA Seniors Championship | −9 (72-63-72=207) | 9 strokes | Larry Canning, Mike Harwood |
| 2 | 21 Nov 2010 | Handa Australian Senior Open | −9 (65-70-72=207) | 3 strokes | Sandy Lyle |
| 3 | 20 Dec 2013 | Australian Legends Nor East Drinks Tour Championship | |||
| 4 | 15 Dec 2015 | Noosa Legends Pro-Am | |||
| 5 | 21 Dec 2015 | Sunshine Coast Masters | |||
| 6 | 3 Feb 2017 | Shepparton BMW Victorian Senior Open | |||
| 7 | 23 Aug 2017 | Ulton, Ken's Plumbing Plus & Lindsay Australia Bargara Legends Pro-Am | |||
| 8 | 16 Sep 2017 | South Pacific Classic New Caledonia | |||
| 9 | 24 Oct 2017 | Bermagui Legends Pro-Am | |||
| 10 | 1 Mar 2018 | The Bruce Green Legends Pro-Am | |||
| 11 | 7 Mar 2018 | Portsea Legends Pro-Am | |||
| 12 | 18 Jul 2018 | Ulton, Ken's Plumbing Plus & Lindsay Australia Bargara Legends Pro-Am | |||
| 13 | 10 Aug 2018 | Royal QLD Cup | |||
| 14 | 1 Feb 2019 | Yarrawonga Mulwala Resort Victorian Senior Open | |||
| 15 | 5 Mar 2019 | Legends on the Legends Pro-Am | |||
| 16 | 27 Apr 2019 | Brookwater Legends Pro-Am | |||
| 17 | 12 Jul 2019 | Tropical Auto Group Yeppoon Legends Pro-Am | |||
| 18 | 6 Aug 2019 | Bartons / BMD QLD Senior PGA Championship (with Richard Backwell) |
|||
| 19 | 7 Aug 2019 | Global Hire Rowes Bay Legends Pro-Am | |||
| 20 | 23 Aug 2019 | Reside Retirement Living Pacific Legends Pro-Am (with two others) |
|||
| 21 | 27 Aug 2019 | Gold Coast Senior PGA Championship | |||
| 22 | 20 Sep 2019 | Dumbea Legends Pro-Am | |||
| 23 | 2 Nov 2019 | Australian PGA Seniors Championship (2) | −9 (69-67-65=201) | 1 stroke | Peter Fowler, Peter O'Malley |
| 24 | 31 Jan 2020 | Furphy Victorian Open | |||
| 25 | 3 Aug 2020 | onPlatinum RACV Royal Pines Legends Sweepstakes | |||
| 26 | 22 Jul 2021 | Elgin Valley Beerwah Legends Pro-Am (with Mike Harwood) |
|||
| 27 | 26 Jul 2021 | QLD PGA Senior Foursomes Championship (with Gregory Rix) |
|||
| 28 | 17 Dec 2021 | Sunshine Coast Masters (with Andre Stolz) |
|||
| 29 | 17 Dec 2021 | Sunshine Coast Series | |||
| 30 | 1 Apr 2022 | Advent One Legends Pro-Am | |||
| 31 | 17 Jul 2022 | Urangan Smash Repairs Fraser Coast Classic | |||
| 32 | 3 Sep 2022 | PNG Senior Open | |||
| 33 | 31 Oct 2022 | Moss Vale Legends Pro-Am | |||
| 34 | 20 May 2023 | Vuksich & Borich Fiji Legends Golf Classic | |||
| 35 | 20 Jul 2025 | Urangan Smash Repairs Fraser Coast Classic |
Source:
05Playoff record
Champions Tour playoff record (0-3)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2011 | Songdo IBD Championship | Jay Don Blake, John Cook, Mark O'Meara |
Blake won with birdie on fifth extra hole O'Meara and Senior eliminated by par on third hole |
| 2 | 2011 | Regions Tradition | Tom Lehman | Lost to par on second extra hole |
| 3 | 2012 | Allianz Championship | Corey Pavin | Lost to par on first extra hole |
06Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | |||||||||||
| U.S. Open | |||||||||||
| The Open Championship | CUT | T14 | T44 | CUT | CUT | 6 | CUT | ||||
| PGA Championship | T58 |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T42 | |||||||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | |||||||||
| The Open Championship | CUT | T17 | T25 | T4 | T20 | T58 | CUT | T51 | CUT | |
| PGA Championship | 62 | CUT | T48 | T51 | T71 | T44 | CUT |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | ||||||||||
| U.S. Open | ||||||||||
| The Open Championship | T72 | |||||||||
| PGA Championship |
| Tournament | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | ||||
| U.S. Open | ||||
| The Open Championship | T60 | T79 | ||
| PGA Championship |
CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1979 Open Championship)
"T" = tied
Summary
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 19 | 12 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 6 |
| Totals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 29 | 19 |
- Most consecutive cuts made, 8 (1992 Open Championship, 1995 PGA)
- Longest streak of top-10s, 1 (twice)
07Results in The Players Championship
| Tournament | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Players Championship | CUT | CUT |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
08Results in World Golf Championships
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match Play | ||||||||||||
| Championship | T42 | NT1 | T43 | T64 | ||||||||
| Invitational | T72 | |||||||||||
| Champions | ||||||||||||
1Cancelled due to 9/11
"T" = Tied
NT = No tournament
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.
09Team appearances
Amateur
- Australian Men's Interstate Teams Matches (representing Queensland): 1976, 1977, 1978
Professional
- Dunhill Cup (representing Australia): 1987, 1993
- Four Tours World Championship (representing Australasia): 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 (winners)
- World Cup (representing Australia): 1988, 1990
- Presidents Cup (International Team): 1994, 1996
- UBS Cup (representing the Rest of the World): 2004
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Peter Senior”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
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