Oldest Masters winners of all time: Where Justin Rose would rank among eldest golfers to earn green jacket

Oldest Masters winners of all time: Where Justin Rose would rank among eldest golfers to earn green jacket originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

In the NFL, fans wince when they hear that a player has turned 30 because they know their career is nearing its end.

In golf, 30 is a spring chicken, and the player should have several more years ahead to continue playing at a high level.

Justin Rose first debuted at a PGA Tour major event in 1998 as an amateur. Nearly 30 years later, Rose finds himself in contention to win the 2026 Masters Tournament. The green jacket has long eluded the veteran golfer, even though he always seems to hang around down the wire of the tournament, like in 2025 when he forced a playoff against Rory McIlroy but came up just short.

If Rose is finally able to win the Masters Tournament, he would become one of the oldest golfers to ever accomplish the feat.

Here is more on where Rose would rank among the oldest golfers to win the Masters if he were to win the 2026 tournament.

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Who is the oldest golfer to win the Masters?

The oldest golfer to win the Masters is Jack Nicklaus. He not only has the most career wins at the event but was also the oldest to do so. When Nicklaus won his sixth Masters Tournament, he was 46 years, 2 months and 24 days old.

If Rose wins the 2026 Masters, he will become the second-oldest winner in the history of the event. He is 45 years, 8 months, and 13 days old as of the final round of the 2026 Masters. Rose wouldn't be old enough to catch Nicklaus, but would surpass Woods, whose 2019 victory made him the current second-oldest winner at the event.

MORE: Complete list of Masters winners by year

Oldest golfers to win the Masters

Jack Nicklaus

"The Golden Bear" is considered one of the best golfers ever. He has won the Masters six times and has also competed in the most majors of all time (164). Nicklaus has 73 PGA Tour victories, ranking third behind Sam Snead and Tiger Woods. He has the most major wins (18), winning the Masters six times, PGA Championship five times, U.S. Open four times, and The Open Championship three times.

Nicklaus' latest Masters win came in 1986, at the 50th edition of the tournament. He shot a -7 65 in his final round, for a total score of -9. Nicklaus narrowly beat out Tom Kite and Greg Norman, who tied for second at -8.

MORE: Who has won the most Masters of all time?

Tiger Woods

Woods was the talk of the golf world in the early 2000s. He won his first Masters at the age of 21 in 1997. Woods went on to four more to move into second place for the most all-time at the major. His trophy case isn't all from Augusta National. Woods has won four PGA Championships, three U.S. Opens, and three The Open Championships. He was expected to challenge Nicklaus for the greatest golfer of all time before injuries, including a 2021 car crash, derailed his career.

Woods' best golf was likely behind him in 2019. Still, he got to Augusta and looked 15 years younger. Woods shot a 70, 68, 67, and a 70 to end the four-day tournament with a 275 total score, or a -13. He beat out Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele, and Brooks Koepka, who each finished -12.

MORE: Why Augusta National always hosts the Masters

Ben Crenshaw

"Gentle Ben" became a professional golfer in 1973. He has 30 professional wins in his career, with 19 coming on the PGA Tour. Crenshaw has only won two majors so far in his career, both in Augusta. He won the 1984 and 1995 Masters tournaments. The 1995 Masters will be remembered not only for Crenshaw's win but also for being the first in which Woods played, qualifying as an amateur.

Crenshaw won in 1995 with a -14, shooting a 70, 67, 69, and 68 in the tournament. He finished one stroke ahead of Davis Love III and three strokes in front of Jay Haas and Greg Norman.

MORE: History behind the famous Masters green jacket

Gary Player

Player was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1935 and turned professional in 1953. He has retired but has 159 professional wins to his credit. Twenty-four of his wins came on the PGA Tour, and nine were in major championships. Player won the Masters three times, the PGA Championship twice, the U.S. Open once, and the Open Championship three times.

His most recent Masters win came in 1978. To open the tournament, Player shot back-to-back 72s. He then rallied with a 69 and a 64 to finish -11. Player was one stroke ahead of Rod Funseth, Hubert Green, and Tom Watson, who all finished tied for second.

MORE: Inside Augusta's iconic Amen's Corner

Sam Snead

Snead was born in 1912 in Ashwood, Virginia. He turned pro in 1934 and won 143 events in his career. Snead won the Masters three times, the PGA Championship three times, and The Open Championship once. He finished in second or tied for second at the U.S. Open four separate times. Snead passed away in 2002.

In 1954, Snead and Ben Hogan finished tied at +1. Snead shot 72, 73, 69 and 75 to end with a total score of 289, forcing a playoff. Back then, the playoff format was simply another round on Monday. Snead shot a 70, finishing -2, while Hogan finished -1.

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