When Des Smyth won the 2001 Madeira Island Open he created European Tour history by becoming the oldest winner of a European Tour event, aged 48 and 34 days, beating the record of Neil Coles, who was 48 and 14 days , in winning the 1982 Sanyo Open.
Here is a list of the oldest winners on The European Tour:
Des Smyth
Age: 48 and 34 days
Event Won: 2001 Madeira Island Open
Neil Coles
Age: 48 and 14 days
Event Won: 1982 Sanyo Open
Eduardo Romero
Age: 47 and 362 days
Event Won: 2002 The Barclays Scottish Open
Christy O’Connor
Age: 47 and 187 days
Event Won: 1972 Carrolls International
Mark McNulty
Age: 47 and 95 days
Event Won: 2001 Mercedes-Benz South African Open
Mark O’Meara
Age: 47 and 54 days
Event Won: 2004 Dubai Desert Classic
Harold Henning
Age: 46 and 295 days
Event Won: 1981 KLM Dutch Open
The tournament is well known for first-time European Tour winners since the event began in 1993. Santiago Luna (1995), Pedro Linhart (1999), Niclas Fasth (2000), Bradley Dredge (2003) and Christopher Hanell (2004), all entered the winners circle in Madeira.
One country that has a rich history in Madeira is Sweden. Since Ove Sellberg became the first Swede to win on The European Tour at the 1986 Epson Match Play, five victories have gone their way in Madeira since 1993 – the event they have won the most on The European Tour. Their winners are: Mats Lanner (1994, 98), Sandelin (1996), Fasth (2000) and Hanell (2004). Indeed Lanner is the only multiple winner in the event’s history.
In the 13 years of the event, there has yet to be a play-off. On six occasions the winner won by one shot; four times by two strokes; and one each by three, four and eight shots respectively.
The Madeira Island Open Caixa Geral de Depositos has seen former European Challenge Tour players perform with distinction- with eight different winners. `They are: Lanner (1994, 98), Sandelin (1996), Linhart (1999), Fasth (2000), Diego Borrego (2002), Dredge (2003), Hanell (2004) and Robert-Jan Derksen (2005).
