Introduction
Philip Joseph Walton (born 28 March 1962) is an Irish professional golfer.
Walton attended Oklahoma State University in the United States and played for Great Britain & Ireland in the Walker Cup in 1981 and 1983. He turned professional in 1983 and spent many years on the European Tour, making the top one hundred on the Order of Merit every year from 1983 to 1998, with a best ranking of thirteenth in 1995. He has won three European Tour events and four Irish PGA Championships.
Walton has represented Ireland or Great Britain & Ireland on many occasions. He was a member of the winning Irish team at the 1990 Alfred Dunhill Cup. He made his only Ryder Cup appearance for Europe in 1995 at Oak Hill, where he beat Jay Haas on the final green of the crucial penultimate singles match.
Walton came through Local qualifying to earn his place at the 2008 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, his first major since 1998.
Amateur wins (3)
- 1981 Scottish Amateur Stroke Play Championship, Spanish Open Amateur Championship
- 1982 Irish Amateur Championship
Professional wins (7)
European Tour (3)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Jul 1990 | Peugeot Open de France | –5 (73-66-67-69=275) | Playoff |  Bernhard Langer |
| 2 | 17 Apr 1995 | Open Catalonia | –7 (68-74-71-68=281) | 3 strokes |  Andrew Coltart |
| 3 | 4 Jun 1995 | Murphy's English Open | –14 (65-70-69-70=274) | Playoff | Colin Montgomerie |
European Tour playoff record (2–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1989 | Carroll's Irish Open |  Ian Woosnam | Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
| 2 | 1990 | Peugeot Open de France | Bernhard Langer | Won with par on second extra hole |
| 3 | 1995 | Murphy's English Open | Colin Montgomerie | Won with birdie on second extra hole |
Other wins (4)
- 1987 Irish PGA Championship
- 1989 Irish PGA Championship
- 1991 Irish PGA Championship
- 1995 Irish PGA Championship
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Open Championship | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT | CUT | T50 | T52 | T13 |
| PGA Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T97 | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Open Championship | CUT | CUT | CUT | DNP | DNP | WD | CUT | DNP | T38 | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T39 | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Open Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT |
| PGA Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
Note: Walton never played in the Masters Tournament.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = withdrew
"T" = tied
Team appearances
Amateur
- Walker Cup (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1981, 1983
- Eisenhower Trophy (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1982
Professional
- Europcar Cup (representing Ireland): 1988
- Dunhill Cup (representing Ireland): 1989, 1990 (winners), 1992, 1994, 1995
- Ryder Cup (representing Europe): 1995 (winners)
- Record (W–L–H) 1–1–0 = 1 pt
- World Cup (representing Ireland): 1995