A lot can change in ten years – as these pictures of the European Tour’s finest players show.
Whether it’s Tommy Fleetwood with short hair, Rory McIlroy with long locks or Ian Poulter with a mullet, prepare to be amazed by the changes to the appearances of these household names over the past decade…
1)Rory McIlroy
Back in 2009 McIlroy was a 20 year old with precocious talent two years into his pro career. It’s safe to say he’s excelled since then, winning 23 titles around the world, including four Major Championships, plus four Ryder Cups.
2)Danny Willett
On the left you see a 22 year old trying to make his way in the professional game. On the right is a Masters Champion who has made one of the most notable golfing comebacks in recent memory.
3)Eddie Pepperell
Ten years ago a teenage Pepperell was sporting a Hollister polo shirt and a quiff. Now he’s a two-time winner on the European Tour and inside the world’s top 50.
4)Alex Noren
Sweden’s Noren will always remember 2009 fondly, given it was the year of his first European Tour win. Ten years on he’s won ten times on Europe’s top tier and drained a stunning 40-foot putt to put the icing on the cake of his continent’s win in The Ryder Cup last year.
5)Ian Poulter
Ten years ago ‘The Postman’ Poulter was earning a reputation for delivering in Ryder Cups – one he’s strengthened by winning four more over the past decade.
6)Thorbjørn Olesen
From his first Qualifying School headshot at 19 to posing in his Ryder Cup gear, Olesen has come a long way.
7)Tommy Fleetwood
As this photo shows Fleetwood was once a fresh-faced Walker Cup player. Now he is a four-time European Tour winner and one of the game’s elite players.
8)Justin Rose
The reigning World Number One was sporting a very different hair cut back in 2009…
9)Francesco Molinari
From a catalogue-style shoot to sharp shooter who is the reigning Open Champion and the only European player to earn five points out of five in a single Ryder Cup.
10)Henrik Stenson
The years go by, but ‘The Iceman’ remains as cool as ever…
