"I probably have no business playing golf anymore" - Fred Funk's increasing age hasn't quite slowed him down yet

Fred Funk is one of the oldest players on the PGA Tour. Despite that, he's still playing at a fairly high level. He's not out winning majors, but he is performing well- especially for his age and health.

The old golfer was among nearly 70 players who competed in a Monday qualifier for the Sony Open in Hawaii. Unfortunately, he missed the cut, but did come within one stroke of advancing into the first full-field PGA Tour event of the calendar year.

Funk actually played well enough to make it into the event and made it into a nine-man playoff for the spot. Unfortunately, he bogeyed his first hole and couldn't recover to make it.

According to Golf Digest, he said:

“I’m 66 years old with a bad back. I probably have no business playing golf anymore.”

Funk quipped about his old age, but he's still playing pretty well. He's also still on the PGA Tour, which many older golfers can't say anymore, especially with LIV Golf becoming an attractive destination for them.

Nevertheless, Funk plods on and could eventually make a name for himself as the oldest player on the tour if Haas retires.

Despite his age and perceived lack of competitiveness, Funk enjoys playing:

“I just haven’t been competitive. I think I might be the second-oldest player out there after Jay Haas, and I don’t really have the game for it, although Taylor [Funk] is helping me try to find a little more speed.

"I love being with the guys out there, I love the camaraderie. I want to keep playing, but I just want to be better. I’m going to give it this year, give it everything I got and see what I have left.”

This may be the final year for Funk's lengthy career. He alluded to it in the interview, saying that he's not sure how much he has left. If his performance in the qualifier is any indication, he might have more left in the tank than he thinks.

Fred Funk was expected to compete in the season opener on the senior circuit at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hualalai, Hawaii next week. However, plans changed when he agreed to be the caddie for his son at the Sony Open and did so at the qualifier as well.

He decided to play and performed better than was expected. Could he keep that up this entire year? There's no reason to believe he can't.

Fred Funk's PGA Tour career

Fred Funk is 66 years old. Normally, that age would be enough to be the oldest player active, but it's not quite. Nevertheless, he's had a long and storied career.

Funk first turned pro on the PGA Tour in 1981, so he's been active for about four decades. That's a much longer career than most players ever have.

He has eight wins on the PGA Tour and was ranked as high as 21st in the world back in 2003. Funk's highest placement in a major was sixth in the 2004 U.S. Open.