Thomas Bjørn, Miguel Ángel Jiménez and Paul McGinley have each been presented with Honorary Life Membership of the DP World Tour ahead of The Senior Open Presented by Rolex.
The three legends of European golf have been honoured for their services to both the DP World Tour and the Ryder Cup throughout their respective glittering careers.
Guy Kinnings, Chief Executive of the DP World Tour, presented the trio with their Honorary Life Membership cards after the European Tour Group Board of Directors approved the recommendation to honour the trio.
They become the 60th, 61st and 62nd DP World Tour members to be bestowed the honour, following the Tour’s founding father John Jacobs who became the first recipient in 1978.
Kinnings said: “Honorary Life Membership is recognition for those who have contributed so much to the Tour both inside and outside the ropes. These three players have given everything to the Tour and have shaped the Tour with both their play and their personalities.
“They have given so much whether that be through service on Committees, or as Board members, or indeed through their service to the Ryder Cup as players, Vice Captains and Captains. It is all of this together which makes everyone recognise these three individuals as such huge figures on our Tour.
“For us to be able to honour them together is also very special. I am delighted for them.”
Bjørn is Denmark’s most successful golfer of all time with 15 DP World Tour wins across a pioneering 30-year career that has helped to inspire the current crop of talented Danes playing on the Tour. He has also enjoyed an incredible Ryder Cup career, making three victorious appearances as a player – in 1997, 2002 and 2014 – and was Captain for Europe’s memorable 17 ½ – 10 ½ triumph over the United States at Le Golf National, France, in 2018.
The 53 year old will also be a Vice Captain again at Bethpage next year – the sixth time in total he has performed that role for Team Europe – and he has also made a huge contribution to European golf off the course, as Chairman of the European Tour’s Tournament Committee from 2007 to 2016, and latterly on the Board of Directors since April 2020.
Bjørn said: “I think it shows dedication to the Tour for a long time. I served as Chairman of the Tournament Committee for ten years, which is the heart and soul of the Tour in many ways. I’ve been a member for almost 30 years, so it’s a great honour and I think it’s shows great respect that you’ve served the Tour and that you’ve done the right things.
“I think all three of us have been such big parts of the Tour as players, but also we served in a lot of ways. Both Paul and Miguel have served on the Tournament Committee and Paul served as Ryder Cup Captain and probably had a huge impact on the way we do the Ryder Cup.
“For all of us, we’ve contributed in different ways. It’s a great honour but it’s also something where you sit back and wonder where all that time went. It’s been great fun and now all three of us are looking at other places to play our golf and do other things, so it’s probably the best time to look back and say we did our bit.”
Spaniard Jiménez has become one of the most enduring and recognisable players on the DP World Tour, teeing it up 722 times to sit second only to David Howell in the all-time appearance list. The 21-time DP World Tour winner also holds the record for the oldest player to win a European Tour event, courtesy of his most recent success at the 2014 Open de España – which he won aged 50 years and 133 days.
Jiménez, a former winner of the Senior Open Championship, is also a four-time European Ryder Cup player – featuring in 1999, 2004, 2008 and 2010 – and he was a Vice Captain under Seve Ballesteros at Valderrama in 1997, José María Olazábal at Medinah in 2012 and Paul McGinley at Gleneagles in 2014.
Jiménez said: “Golf has given me everything in life and I’m very proud to be part of this world. This is not a job for me, it is a way of life.
“I’ve played with so many golfing greats through the years, many of whom have been made Honorary Life Members in the past. It’s great to be a part of this world and the fact I have now joined this group and am part of that history is very special.”
Irishman McGinley is a four-time DP World Tour winner who has made 578 appearances. He has also made a significant contribution to the European Ryder Cup team across his career, including featuring in three consecutive winning teams from 2002 to 2006, before leading Team Europe to a stunning 16 ½ – 11 ½ victory at Gleneagles in 2014.
The 57 year old was also a Vice Captain on two occasions and last month was named as a Strategic Adviser to the European Ryder Cup Team, having been part of the Ryder Cup Committee since 2019. He was also a member of the European Tour’s Board of Directors from 2016 to 2023.
McGinley said: “It’s obviously a great honour and I think it’s not just a recognition of me as a player but the work put in behind the scenes. I’ve been a member of the Tour, a Board member and I was on the Players’ Committee for 15 years.
“I’m European Tour Group through and through and I’ve got its best interests at heart. There are challenging times at the moment but also a lot of opportunities in golf. I’ll keep this card in my wallet and it’s a nice thing to have.”