1980 European Tour
The 1980 European Tour was the ninth official season of golf tournaments known as the PGA European Tour and organised by the Professional Golfers' Association. The Official Money List was won by Scotland's Sandy Lyle. Changes for 1980. There were several changes from the previous season, with the addition of the Newcastle Brown "900" Open, the Merseyside International Open and the Bob Hope British Classic; and the loss of the British PGA Matchplay Championship, the Portuguese Open and the Belgian Open. Schedule. The following table lists official events during the 1980 season. The season was made  up of 23 tournaments counting for the Official Money List, and some non-counting tournaments later known as "Approved Special Events". Unofficial events. The following events were sanctioned by the European Tour, but did not carry official money, nor were wins official. Official Money List. In 1980, the PGA European Tour's money list was retitled as the "Official Money List" having previously been 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.