28 days until golf: Marvelling at Raymond Floyd's longevity
The PGA Tour plans to restart its season June 11 after halting due to the coronavirus pandemic. Each day until then, we'll highlight key moments, people, or facts relating to where we are in the countdown.
Raymond Floyd won 22 times during his Hall of Fame career, with his 28 years, 11 months, and 20 days serving as the record for the longest time from a player's first to their last PGA Tour victories.
His initial title came as a 20-year-old at the 1963 St. Petersburg Open Invitational. He remains the 15th-youngest PGA Tour winner ever, with only Jordan Spieth and Matthew Wolff surpassing him since.
Floyd's first of four major championships came at the 1969 PGA Championship when he edged Gary Player by a stroke. He later added the 1976 Masters, 1982 PGA Championship, and 1986 U.S. Open to his stellar resume.
Finally, the North Carolina native defeated Fred Couples and Keith Clearwater at the 1992 Doral-Ryder Open for his last trip to the winner's circle on the PGA Tour. At 49 years, six months, and four days, Floyd is the eighth-oldest winner of all time.
In addition to his success on the Tour, Floyd was a staple on American Ryder Cup teams for decades. His first team victory came in 1969 and he added six more Ryder Cup titles along the way, including one during his final appearance in 1993 as a 51-year-old. Floyd also served as the U.S. captain in 1989.
He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1989.