A special report by Kevin Kennedy, Senior Writer at www.ussportsmachine.com

Pro sports are a young person’s game.

As we age, the little injuries build up, our metabolism slows down, and our bodies just aren’t as capable.

It’s a sad fact of life that gets magnified immensely at the pro level, where victory and defeat can be decided by mere inches, and the continuous strain on their bodies ages athletes faster than the rest of us.

Professional golf isn’t quite as rough. There’s a lot of walking involved, but the hardest regular impact is indirect contact with a ball lighter than two ounces. Unlike football, where most players see a steep decline after 30 and even the best QBs rarely last beyond 40, a golfer can stay competitive for a long time with proper technique and focus.

The most obvious recent examples of successful older golfers are Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.

Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods and two of golf’s successful older golfers (Photo – www.rydercup.com)

Mickelson finished in the top 10 six times in his 22 PGA Tour events. Sure, he’s tailed off some and hasn’t won a major in almost four years, but he’s still part of the conversation at 46. Tiger hasn’t aged quite so well, missing almost all of 2016 due to an injury he suffered in 2015.

However, they’re far from the full story. Adam Scott (36 years old) and Jimmy Walker (38) both make the top ten by total earnings in the 2015-2016 season, with Scott actually coming in at third most. Scott even came in fourth in cup points and tied for third in tournaments won, taking back to back events in the early spring.

Looking further down the winnings list, all but two of the players ranked between 12 and 21 are 34 or older, with five wins between them. The most notable name is Bubba Watson, who won the Masters in 2012 and 2014. He was 33 when he won his first green jacket and 35 when winning the second, right at the start of his decline.

Bubba Watson aged 33 when fitted with a second Augusta National members jacket in 2014.

Of course, we can’t forget the biggest ‘old golfer’ story in the last few years: Tom Watson. He is the 2nd oldest player to ever make the cut at a PGA tournament, making the cut at the RBC Heritage while 65 years old. Watson probably won’t take the record, as his only PGA tournament in 2016 was at his final Masters, but it’s still an impressive achievement.

This doesn’t prove that golfers are ageless or will win forever. In fact, quite the opposite is true.

However, an ageing player can still have an impact and continue to win. The best of the best (Julius Boros and Jack Nicklaus, the two oldest players to win a major) can and will find a way to win no matter what age difference they face or how worn down their bodies have become.

With any luck, we’ll see a few more wins from the greats of our time.