The 1986 European Tour, titled as the 1986 PGA European Tour,[1] was the 15th season of the European Tour, the main professional golf tour in Europe since its inaugural season in 1972.
| Duration | 10 April 1986 – 26 October 1986 |
|---|---|
| Number of official events | 26[a] |
| Most wins |  Seve Ballesteros (6) |
| Order of Merit | Seve Ballesteros |
| Golfer of the Year | Seve Ballesteros |
| Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year | José María Olazábal |
← 1985 1987 → | |
Changes for 1986
There were several changes from the previous season, with the addition of the Epson Grand Prix of Europe Matchplay Championship and the PLM Open;[2][3] the return of the Bell's Scottish Open, as the Glasgow Open was rebranded,[4] and the loss of the GSI L'Equipe Open.
Before the season started, the Tunisian Open, scheduled as the opening event opposite the Masters Tournament, was cancelled after sponsors withdrew funding for the event.[5]
Order of Merit minimum tournaments
In 1986 the minimum number of tournaments needed to qualify for the Order of Merit was increased from seven to nine.
Schedule
The following table lists official events during the 1986 season.[6]
Unofficial events
The following events were sanctioned by the European Tour, but did not carry official money, nor were wins official.
| Date | Tournament | Host country | Purse (£) | Winner(s) | OWGR points | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Sep | Dunhill Cup | Scotland | US$1,000,000 |  Team Australia | n/a | Team event |
| 5 Oct | Suntory World Match Play Championship | England | 175,000 | Greg Norman | 32 | Limited-field event |
Order of Merit
The Order of Merit was titled as the Epson Order of Merit and was based on prize money won during the season, calculated in Pound sterling.[8]
| Position | Player | Prize money (£) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seve Ballesteros | 242,209 |
| 2 | José María Olazábal | 136,775 |
| 3 |  Howard Clark | 121,903 |
| 4 |  Ian Woosnam | 111,799 |
| 5 | Gordon J. Brand | 106,314 |
| 6 |  Mark McNulty | 101,327 |
| 7 | Rodger Davis | 95,429 |
| 8 |  Anders Forsbrand | 84,706 |
| 9 |  Ronan Rafferty | 80,336 |
| 10 |  Gordon Brand Jnr | 78,639 |
Awards
| Award | Winner | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Golfer of the Year | Seve Ballesteros | [9] |
| Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year | José María Olazábal | [10] |