The 1976 European Tour was the fifth official season of golf

Golf

Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....

 tournaments known as the PGA European Tour

PGA European Tour

The PGA European Tour is an organization which operates the three leading men's professional golf tours in Europe: the elite European Tour, the European Seniors Tour and the developmental Challenge Tour. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England...

 and organised by the Professional Golfers' Association

Professional Golfers' Association (Great Britain & Ireland)

The Professional Golfers' Association is the professional body which represents the interests of teaching and club golf professionals in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland...

.

The Order of Merit was won by Spain's Seve Ballesteros.

Schedule

The table below shows the 1976 European Tour schedule which was made up of 22 tournaments, which included the major national opens around Europe. The other tournaments were mostly held in England and Scotland. There were several changes from the previous season, with the addition of the Greater Manchester Open

Greater Manchester Open

The Greater Manchester Open was a European Tour golf tournament which was played annually from 1976 to 1981. It was held at Wilmslow Golf Club in Wilmslow, Cheshire, just to the South of Manchester, one of the main cities of the North of England. Three of the six winners were from the Republic of...

, the Uniroyal International and the Lancome Trophy, and the Benson & Hedges Festival being retitled as the Benson and Hedges International Open.

Dates	Tournament	Host country	Winner	Notes
14–17 Apr	Portuguese Open Portuguese Open The Portuguese Open, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Estoril Open de Portugal, is an annual tournament on men's golf's European Tour. It has been played since 1953, with a few skipped years, and has been part of the European Tour's schedule since 1973...	Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...	Salvador Balbuena
21–24 Apr	Spanish Open Open de España The Open de España is the national open golf championship of Spain. It was founded in 1912 and has been part of the European Tour's schedule since the inception of the Tour in 1972. Except for a five year period in the early 1980s, the tournament has been played in April or May. In 2005 it was one...	Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...	Eddie Polland Eddie Polland Edward Polland is a Northern Irish professional golfer.Polland was born in Newcastle, County Down. He turned professional in 1968 and won four times on the European Tour between 1973 and 1980. He played in the Ryder Cup in 1973....
28 Apr–1 May	Madrid Open	Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...	Francisco Abreu Francisco Abreu Francisco Abreu is a Spanish professional golfer.Abreu turned professional in 1968 and played on the European Tour from its first official season in 1972 until 1980. He won the 1973 German Open and the 1976 Madrid Open. His best Order of Merit finish of ninth came in 1977...
6–9 May	French Open Open de France The Open de France is a European Tour golf tournament. Inaugurated in 1906 it is the oldest national open in Continental Europe and has been part of the European Tour's schedule since the tour's inception in 1972....	France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...	Vincent Tshabalala Vincent Tshabalala Vincent Vesele Tshabalala is a South African professional golfer.Tshabalala was born in Johannesburg and worked as a mechanic before his golf career took over...
12 15 May	Piccadilly Medal Piccadilly Medal The Piccadilly Medal was a men's professional golf tournament. It was a European Tour event from 1972 to 1976. It was played in 1962 and from 1964 to 1976. In 1976, the winner received £38,912...	England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...	Sam Torrance Sam Torrance Sam Torrance OBE is a Scottish professional golfer and sports commentator. He was one of the leading players on the European Tour from the mid 1970s to the late 1990s, with 21 Tour wins. Torrance was a member of European Ryder Cup teams on eight occasions, from 1981 to 1995 consecutively; he was...
28–31 May	Penfold PGA Championship	England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...	Neil Coles Neil Coles Neil Chapman Coles, MBE is an English professional golfer. As of 2005, Coles is only the second man to win a professional golf tournament in six different decades, starting in the 1950s and extending into the 21st century.Coles was born in England...
4–7 Jun	Kerrygold International Classic Kerrygold International Classic The Kerrygold International Classic was a men's golf tournament on the European Tour from 1975 to 1977. It was held at the Waterville Golf Links on the Ring of Kerry in County Kerry, Ireland....	Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...	Tony Jacklin Tony Jacklin Anthony Jacklin CBE is an English golfer, who was the most successful British player of his generation. He was also the most successful European Ryder Cup captain ever.-Early life and education:...
9–12 Jun	Martini International Martini International The Martini International was a men's professional golf tournament that was held from 1961 to 1983. It was hosted by several different golf clubs in England, Scotland and Wales. It was part of the European Tour's schedule from the tour's first official season in 1972 until the event ceased...	England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...	Sam Torrance Sam Torrance Sam Torrance OBE is a Scottish professional golfer and sports commentator. He was one of the leading players on the European Tour from the mid 1970s to the late 1990s, with 21 Tour wins. Torrance was a member of European Ryder Cup teams on eight occasions, from 1981 to 1995 consecutively; he was...
17–20 Jun	Greater Manchester Open Greater Manchester Open The Greater Manchester Open was a European Tour golf tournament which was played annually from 1976 to 1981. It was held at Wilmslow Golf Club in Wilmslow, Cheshire, just to the South of Manchester, one of the main cities of the North of England. Three of the six winners were from the Republic of...	England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...	John O'Leary John O'Leary (golfer) John O'Leary is an Irish professional golfer.O'Leary was born in Dublin. He turned professional in 1970 and played on the European Tour until 1989. Despite finishing highly on the Order of Merit every season though 1987, he won only twice on the tour...	New tournament
23–26 Jun	Uniroyal International	England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...	Tommy Horton Tommy Horton Thomas Alfred Horton, MBE is an English professional golfer.Horton was born in St Helens, Merseyside. He played on the European Tour for many years with moderate success, winning four titles and finishing fifth on the Order of Merit in 1976 and tenth in both 1974 and 1978. He has been more...	New tournament
7–10 Jul	The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...	Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...	Johnny Miller Johnny Miller John Laurence Miller is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour. He was one of the top players in the world during the mid-1970s; he ranked second in the world on Mark McCormack's world golf rankings in both 1974 and 1975 behind Jack Nicklaus. He is currently the lead golf...
15–18 Jul	Scandinavian Enterprise Open Scandinavian Enterprise Open The Scandinavian Enterprise Open was a golf tournament on the European Tour that was played in Sweden until 1990, when it had a prize fund of £400,000, which was mid-range for the tour at that time....	Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....	Hugh Baiocchi Hugh Baiocchi Hugh John Baiocchi is a South African professional golfer who has won more than twenty professional tournaments around the world....
22–25 Jul	Swiss Open	Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....	Manuel Piñero Manuel Piñero Manuel Piñero Sanchez is a Spanish professional golfer.Piñero was born in Badajoz. He turned professional in 1968 and established himself on the European Tour in the early 1970s. He won nine titles on the Tour, the most prestigious of them the 1977 British PGA Championship...
5–8 Aug	Dutch Open	Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...	Seve Ballesteros
12–15 Aug	German Open German Open (golf) The German Open was a men's golf tournament. It was first staged in 1911 when the winner was Harry Vardon. The following year the champion was another of the Great Triumvirate of late 19th and early 20th century British golfers, John Henry Taylor. The tournament was then cancelled for over a decade...	West Germany West Germany West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....	Simon Hobday Simon Hobday Simon Hobday is a South African professional golfer who has won tournaments on three continents.Hobday was born in Mafikeng. He turned professional in 1969. He spent his regular career mainly on the Southern Africa Tour, where he won six times and the European Tour, where he won the 1976 German...
17–18 Aug	Double Diamond Individual Championship	Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...	Simon Owen Simon Owen Simon Owen is a professional golfer from New Zealand.Owen was born in Wanganui. He turned professional in 1971 and has won several tournaments in Australasia. He played on the European Tour from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s, winning the 1974 German Open and the 1976 Double Diamond Individual...
26–29 Aug	Carroll's Irish Open	Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...	Ben Crenshaw Ben Crenshaw Ben Daniel Crenshaw is an American professional golfer.Crenshaw was born in Austin, Texas. He attended and played golf at Austin High School and the University of Texas, where he won three NCAA Championships from 1971 to 1973...
2–5 Sept	Sun Alliance Match Play Championship	England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...	Brian Barnes Brian Barnes (golfer) Brian Barnes is a professional golfer. He was born in Addington, Surrey, England, and lives in England, but he represented Scotland at the international level...
22–25 Sept	Benson and Hedges International Open	England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...	Graham Marsh Graham Marsh Graham Vivian Marsh MBE was one of the leading Australian professional golfers of his generation.-Career outline:Marsh was born in Kalgoorlie, Australia...
29 Sept–2 Oct	Dunlop Masters	Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...	Baldovino Dassù Baldovino Dassu Baldovino Dassù is an Italian golfer.Dassù won the 1970 British Youths Open Amateur Championship and played for Italy in that year's Eisenhower Trophy. He turned professional in 1971 and was a regular on the European Tour from its first official season in 1972 until the mid 1980s...
14–17 Oct	Lancome Trophy	France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...	Seve Ballesteros	New tournament
21–24 Oct	Italian Open Italian Open (golf) The BMW Italian Open, as it is currently known for sponsorship reasons, is the Italian national open golf championship for men. It was founded in 1925 and has been part of the European Tour's schedule since the tour's first season in 1972....	Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...	Baldovino Dassù Baldovino Dassu Baldovino Dassù is an Italian golfer.Dassù won the 1970 British Youths Open Amateur Championship and played for Italy in that year's Eisenhower Trophy. He turned professional in 1971 and was a regular on the European Tour from its first official season in 1972 until the mid 1980s...

Order of Merit

The PGA European Tour's money list was known as the "Order of Merit". It was based on a points system, which meant that some players could finish lower than others despite accumulating more prize money.

Position	Player	Country	Prize money (£ Pound sterling The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence... )
1	Seve Ballesteros		39,504
2	Eamonn Darcy Eamonn Darcy Eamonn Darcy is one of the most successful golfers produced by the Republic of Ireland.Darcy was born in Delgany, County Wicklow. He turned professional in 1968 and played on the European Tour from 1972, winning four European Tour tournaments. His best years were 1975, when he came third on the...		25,027
3	Sam Torrance Sam Torrance Sam Torrance OBE is a Scottish professional golfer and sports commentator. He was one of the leading players on the European Tour from the mid 1970s to the late 1990s, with 21 Tour wins. Torrance was a member of European Ryder Cup teams on eight occasions, from 1981 to 1995 consecutively; he was...		20,917
4	Manuel Piñero Manuel Piñero Manuel Piñero Sanchez is a Spanish professional golfer.Piñero was born in Badajoz. He turned professional in 1968 and established himself on the European Tour in the early 1970s. He won nine titles on the Tour, the most prestigious of them the 1977 British PGA Championship...		19,946
5	Tommy Horton Tommy Horton Thomas Alfred Horton, MBE is an English professional golfer.Horton was born in St Helens, Merseyside. He played on the European Tour for many years with moderate success, winning four titles and finishing fifth on the Order of Merit in 1976 and tenth in both 1974 and 1978. He has been more...		22,781
6	Neil Coles Neil Coles Neil Chapman Coles, MBE is an English professional golfer. As of 2005, Coles is only the second man to win a professional golf tournament in six different decades, starting in the 1950s and extending into the 21st century.Coles was born in England...		20,543
7	Martin Foster		17,436
8	Brian Barnes Brian Barnes (golfer) Brian Barnes is a professional golfer. He was born in Addington, Surrey, England, and lives in England, but he represented Scotland at the international level...		23,350
9	Baldovino Dassù Baldovino Dassu Baldovino Dassù is an Italian golfer.Dassù won the 1970 British Youths Open Amateur Championship and played for Italy in that year's Eisenhower Trophy. He turned professional in 1971 and was a regular on the European Tour from its first official season in 1972 until the mid 1980s...		13,405
10	Simon Hobday Simon Hobday Simon Hobday is a South African professional golfer who has won tournaments on three continents.Hobday was born in Mafikeng. He turned professional in 1969. He spent his regular career mainly on the Southern Africa Tour, where he won six times and the European Tour, where he won the 1976 German...	South Africa	15,196

External links

• 1976 season results on the PGA European Tour website
• 1976 Order of Merit on the PGA European Tour website