Philip Golding Golf player
Philip Keith Golding (born 25 July 1962) is an English professional golfer.Golding was born in Luton, Bedfordshire. He was a promising cricketer who played for Middlesex Colts before he took up golf at the age of 17. He turned professional in 1981, becoming an assistant at his local golf club.Golding has been a regular fixture at the European Tour's qualifying school, where in 2007 he stretched his record to 18 appearances. He has often won a tour card, but up to the age of forty he had never done well enough on the Tour to retain his card automatically.In 2003 Golding won the Open de France, one of Europe's most prestigious events, on his 201st tour start. His prize of €416,660 was more than twice as much as he had ever won in a complete season before that year, and he went on to finish the season in a career best 32nd place on the Order of Merit. After falling away again in 2004 he had a solid season in 2005, with a pair of top ten finishes, but he has struggled since, returning to qualifying school again in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, he was again unable to retain his place on the elite tour, and dropped back down to the second tier Challenge Tour for 2009. Having won the Open de France in 2003, Golding is looking to use the two year exemption to play on the European Seniors Tour in 2012. Golding would win on the European Seniors Tour for the first time in August of 2013 when he won the Speedy Services Wales Senior Open. He would win for a second time the following season by taking home the victory at the French Riviera Masters.
