Famous Birthdays·September 2·Robert Coles (golfer)
Robert Coles (golfer)

GBRobert Coles (golfer)

A journeyman English golfer whose career is a testament to persistence, grinding out victories across the European tour's challenging landscape.

Born 1972 (age 54)·English professional golfer·Birthday: September 2·Generation X

Photo: Pvt pauline · CC BY-SA 3.0

Biography

Robert Coles represents the backbone of professional golf—the player who operates far from the spotlight of majors but whose career is a marathon of skill and tenacity. Turning professional in 1994, the Essex golfer spent years navigating the mini-tours and qualifying schools, a grueling apprenticeship that forged a steady, unflappable game. His breakthrough on the European Tour was hard-won, and his victories didn't come in glamorous locales but in the tough, workmanlike events that define a season. Coles's three European Tour wins were characterized by a methodical precision rather than explosive power, a reflection of his personality. For over two decades, he maintained his playing privileges through consistency and a deep knowledge of his own game, becoming a respected figure among his peers. His later move to the European Senior Tour was a natural progression, allowing his experience to shine in a new arena, proving that for some golfers, the craft only deepens with time.

Generation X

1965–1980

The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.

Robert was born in 1972, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.

#1 When Robert Was Born

The biggest hits of 1972

#1 Movie

The Godfather

Best Picture

The Godfather

#1 TV Show

All in the Family

Robert's Life & Times

The world at every milestone

1972Born

Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission

Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1977Started school

Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies

Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1985Became a teenager

Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine

Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Could drive

Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie

Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1990Could vote

Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies

Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Turned 21

European Union officially established

Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2002Turned 30

Euro currency enters circulation

Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 40

Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting

Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 50

Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies

Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 54 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump

Key Achievements

  • Won three times on the European Tour: the 2003 Open de Madrid, the 2003 Aa St Omer Open, and the 2013 M2M Russian Open.
  • Maintained a playing status on the European Tour for over 15 seasons.
  • Successfully transitioned to the European Senior Tour, competing regularly after turning 50.
  • Represented England in professional team competitions earlier in his career.

Did You Know?

He won the Aa St Omer Open and the Open de Madrid in the same year, 2003.

He served as the tournament director for the PGA EuroPro Tour after his playing career slowed.

He hails from Rochford, Essex, and was a member of the Rochford Hundred Golf Club.

His victory at the 2013 M2M Russian Open came after a four-way playoff.

“You learn more about your game missing a cut than winning.”

— Robert Coles (golfer)

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