From the fastest round to new scoring records and the first professional disability golfer to play on the European Tour, here are the history making moments of the 2020 season.
November 2019
The 2020 season started with a historic change in tournament policy for the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa, where players were allowed to wear shorts on tournament days for the first time due to the hot temperatures.
For the first time in European Tour history, players will be allowed to wear shorts on tournament days.#DunhillChamps pic.twitter.com/VzIrGUbatT
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 27, 2019
December (2019)
In just the second event of the season, Danish teenager Rasmus Højgaard made history in what was his fourth event on the European Tour, claiming his maiden title in a dramatic play-off at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open to become the first player born in the 21st century to win on Tour.
Things that make you feel old...
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 9, 2019
Rasmus Højgaard becomes the first player born in this millennium to win on the European Tour. 📅 pic.twitter.com/2UvAf0NJBq
A week later, Nick Flanagan tied the course record of 63 during Saturday's round, and eventually finished in a tie for sixth - three shots adrift of winner Adam Scott.
Ties the course record. 63 ✍️#AUSPGA pic.twitter.com/QyEBDdrQ6x
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 21, 2019
January
Jayden Schaper made waves in the first event of 2020 when he became the first amateur to record a top ten on Tour in ten years - the highest place finish by an amateur in the South African Open since Ernie Els in 1990.
The first amateur to record a top ten on Tour in ten years.
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) January 12, 2020
Remember the name Jayden Schaper.#SAOpen pic.twitter.com/wwKmnR555A
Lee Westwood then captured his 25th career win in 24 years on the European Tour, which puts him at eighth in the all-time list for number of wins on the European Tour.
The victory, which saw him become just the third player in Tour history to win in four different decades, was his 44th worldwide.
A winner in four different decades 👏#ADGolfChamps #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/211hKOe7fd
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) January 19, 2020
Sebastian Soderberg followed Westwood's history-making week in Abu Dhabi with a record of his own during the final round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, which he played in just 97 minutes.
97 minutes. 75 shots. 😅
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) January 26, 2020
Sebastian Söderberg on the fastest round in European Tour history.#ODDC pic.twitter.com/4J4TxH9wV1
February
The Vic Open produced a moment to remember in February when Min Woo Lee earned his maiden European Tour victory - at the event of the same name won by his sister Minjee in 2014 and 2018.
2014/2018: @minjeegolf 🏆
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) February 9, 2020
2020: @Minwoo27Lee 🏆
Brother and sister's names are now both on the #VicOpen trophy. pic.twitter.com/K79ms3s2p3
Jon Rahm then set several records at the year's first WGC, the WGC Mexico Championship. During the third round, Rahm not only recorded his lowest ever round as a pro - a 10 under par 61 - but broke the course record and tied the lowest ever round recorded at a WGC.
Lowest round as a pro ✔️
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) February 22, 2020
New course record ✔️
Ties the lowest ever WGC round ✔️
10 under par ✔️#WGCMexico pic.twitter.com/kIjU8kqKZa
July
When the Tour resumed in July following a four month break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Robin Sciot-Siegrist was the first player to make his mark by tying the course record at GC Adamstal with a third round 61.
Frenchman @RobinSciot will take a 3-shot lead going into tomorrow's final round.#EuramBankOpen pic.twitter.com/bVHZMqunMm
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) July 17, 2020
Jon Rahm achieved an impressive milestone just a few days later, becoming the just the second Spaniard in history to reach the top of the Official World Golf Rankings.
.@JonRahmpga joins Seve Ballesteros as the second Spanish golfer to reach No.1 in the Official World Golf Rankings. pic.twitter.com/tToZM2MRHg
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) July 20, 2020
Another of the big headlines of July belonged to Miguel Ángel Jiménez, who earned his place in the history books by overtaking Sam Torrance's previous European Tour appearance record of 706 events.
⭐ HISTORY ⭐
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) July 30, 2020
Miguel Ángel Jiménez breaks the European Tour all-time appearance record. #Miguel707 🕺 pic.twitter.com/vBywPvLyr5
August
Continuing the trend of breaking long-standing records during the UK Swing was Andy Sullivan, whose victory at the English Championship also saw him set the record for the lowest ever aggregate score on the European Tour, of 257. The previous record of 258 had been first set by David Llewellyn at the 1988 AGF Biarritz Open, and matched only once - by Ian Woosnam during the 1990 Torras Monte Carlo Open.
66-62-64-65 = 257 (27 under par) ✍️
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) August 9, 2020
Andy Sullivan sets the record for the lowest ever aggregate score on the European Tour!@Workday #EnglishChampionship
Brendan Lawlor made history of his own in August too, by becoming the first professional disability golfer to compete on the European Tour.
History.@BrendanLawlor97 becomes the first professional disability golfer to compete on the European Tour.@ISPSHanda #ISPSHANDAUKChampionship pic.twitter.com/S2JvyPH8tB
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) August 27, 2020
Back in the headlines with his second victory in just 15 starts at the ISPS HANDA UK Championship, Rasmus Hojgaard became the second-youngest player - after Matteo Manassero - to win multiple titles on the European Tour.
Rasmus Højgaard 🏆🇩🇰
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) August 30, 2020
He becomes the second-youngest player to multiple European Tour wins. #ISPSHANDAUKChampionship pic.twitter.com/2xMfPR1Sww
September
Four-time Asian Tour winner and American Catlin is no stranger to the winner's circle, and the 29-year-old claimed his first European Tour title with a composed display in southern Spain, seeing off former World Number One Martin Kaymer in a thrilling final round battle that saw him become the only wire-to-wire winner in the tournament's history.
The only wire-to-wire winner at Valderrama in European Tour history 👏#ValderramaMasters pic.twitter.com/5DBa5hGlNk
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) September 6, 2020
October
Laurie Canter recorded four top 10s on the European Tour in 2020, and came incredibly close to lifting his maiden title during the Italian Open, where he recorded the lowest 36 hole score in the tournaments history.
Italian Open history ✍️@LaurieCanter breaks the lowest 36 hole score at the Italian Open. (128, -16)#ItalianOpen pic.twitter.com/59ZEARcn5C
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) October 23, 2020
The newly rescheduled season saw two brand new events make their debut on the European Tour: The Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Open, and the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown.
Those events saw Cyprus become the 50th different country visited by the European Tour.
Golf’s global Tour 🌎
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) October 29, 2020
Cyprus marks the 50th country visited on the European Tour. #CyprusOpen
November
A number of records fell during an historic week at Augusta National, which hosted the Masters for the very first time.
Dustin Johnson triumphed that week for his second Major Championship, and became the first player in history to reach 20 under par in the event - overtaking Jordan Spieth's previous record of reaching 19 under.
Elsewhere, Bernhard Langer became the oldest player to make the cut, Sungjae Im recorded the lowest ever score for a player making their debut, and Cameron Smith achieved something noone else had ever done - shooting all four rounds in the 60s.
A Masters in November with no spectators. A new experience for everyone 🍂#TheMasters pic.twitter.com/9u8jVXErQ9
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 9, 2020
A celebratory shandy after becoming the oldest player in history to make the cut at #TheMasters.
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 14, 2020
Friday was a good day to be Bernhard Langer.
The first player in Masters history to get to 20 under par.
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 15, 2020
Yep, 20 under par!#TheMasters pic.twitter.com/Hlmp5XjEik
67-68-69-69.
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 15, 2020
Cameron Smith is the first player in Masters history to card four rounds in the 60s!#TheMasters pic.twitter.com/cLRUm5f2Fs
Sungjae Im finished the week at 15 under par, shooting the lowest score ever in a Masters debut. #themasters pic.twitter.com/RwYKaALRN7
— The Masters (@TheMasters) November 15, 2020
And while Adrian Meronk was unable to convert a 54-hold lead into a record as the first player from Poland to win on the European Tour two weeks later, he did still make history as the first Polish player to lead (or co-lead) after any round on Tour.
Making history 📜@AdrianMeronk is the 1st player from Poland to lead after any round on the European Tour.#DunhillChamps pic.twitter.com/Lf3IBNbo2H
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 26, 2020
December
Christiaan Bezuidenhout excelled in the South African Swing, taking home two titles at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and South African Open - becoming the first player since Justin Rose in 2017 to win back-to-back titles.
Back-to-back 🏆🏆
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 6, 2020
The first player since Justin Rose in 2017 to win two consecutive tournaments on the European Tour.#SAOpen pic.twitter.com/o1JAssKB5e
And in the final event of the season, it was Lee Westwood who book-ended his year with two new records.
By claiming the season-long race for a third time, Westwood not only became the oldest winner of the Race to Dubai, but he also now holds the record of most years (20) between first and most recent Order of Merit wins.
Longest spans between first and most recent Order of Merit wins in Tour history:
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 14, 2020
* Westwood, 20 years
* Seve, 15 years
* Monty, 12 years#DPWTC #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/4deL5ostBZ