Steve Webster became the 29th member of one of the European Tour’s most illustrious groups at the BMW PGA Championship, when he teed it up for the 500th time on The European Tour.
The 40 year may have missed the cut at Wentworth Club, but it will still remain a tournament to remember for him as he became the tenth Englishman in history to reach the landmark, and the second player this season, after Frenchman Raphaël Jacquelin.
Webster joined the European Tour in 1996 and he is competing in his 20th consecutive season. He has won twice during that period, making his breakthrough in the 2005 Italian Open and then claiming an emotional victory at the Portugal Masters two years later, shortly after losing his mother.
He has finished in the money in 343 of his 500 events, recording 55 top ten finishes and amassing €7,405,873 in prize money along the way.
Having recently returned to action following a wrist injury, Webster was delighted to pass the milestone at The European Tour’s flagship event.
“I just want to thank everybody on The European Tour for their support over the last 20 years,” he said. “It's been an amazing journey, and hopefully there are a few more years to come, but it's a great way to mark my 500 at Wentworth, the best tournament of the year. It’s a shame I've played probably the worst golf of my life, but I really enjoyed it and just want to thank everybody for their support.”
While two decades may have elapsed since he was a rookie on Tour, Webster can still recall those early days.
“My first event was in first one was Singapore, and then it was Australia, and I think Woosie won back to back. The furthest I had ever been was Spain and I was hit with jet lag and didn't have a clue what I was doing. I really struggled for the first year, and then I got my card back and I have never lost it since.”
Having overcome those early adjustments, Webster’s victory in Portugal provided the high point of his career so far.
“Portugal was a massive one for me,” he said. “I just lost my Mum and I didn't think I was going to get my card and I was a bit down in the doldrums and all of a sudden, as soon as I saw my brother, I just had a feeling I was going to win.
“I wish I could get that feeling a little bit more, but that was a real memorable one for my mum, and also St. Andrews (1995 Open Championship) when I was an amateur, winning the silver medal.
“I still feel I can compete out here, which is great. I just have to get rid of my bad shots. Next week, in Ireland, I’ll be trying to do that.”
Keith Waters, Chief Operating Officer and Director of International Policy for the European Tour, presented Webster with an engraved ice bucket to mark the occasion.
