The 1981 European Tour, titled as the 1981 PGA European Golf Tour, was the 10th season of the European Tour, the main professional golf tour in Europe since its inaugural season in 1972.

Changes for 1981

The season was made up of 22 tournaments counting for the Official money list, and some non-counting tournaments later known as "Approved Special Events". There were several changes from the previous season, with the addition of the Lawrence Batley International, and the loss of the Newcastle Brown "900" Open and the Merseyside International Open.

Rule changes

The local rule that had been introduced on the tour in 1976 which allowed spike marks to be repaired was rescinded, and a local rule that prohibited touching of the line of a putt with a club was introduced.

Schedule

The following table lists official events during the 1981 season.

Unofficial events

The following events were sanctioned by the European Tour, but did not carry official money, nor were wins official.

Official money list

The official money list was based on prize money won during the season, calculated in Pound sterling.

Awards