He finished in the top ten of the Open Championship four times, won a number of important tournaments both before and after the founding of the European Tour in 1972 and played in the Ryder Cup in 1975 and 1977.
[5] Horton won two important tournaments in 1970, the South African Open in February and the Long John Scotch Whisky Match Play Championship in August.
[8] Horton played on the European Tour for many years with moderate success, winning four titles and finishing fifth on the Order of Merit in 1976 and tenth in both 1974 and 1978.
That year he was 11th in the Ryder Cup points list before the final qualifying event, the Esso Golden Tournament, with the leading 10 making the team.
The European Seniors Tour was founded shortly after he reached its minimum age of fifty, and Horton was the dominant player in its early seasons, topping the money list in 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999.
[1] In the 2000 New Year Honours, Horton was awarded an MBE for services to golf, and he was made an honorary life member of the European Tour in 2012.
[19] Horton was taken ill at the Annual General Meeting of the Royal Jersey Golf Club on 7 December 2017 and died later that evening in hospital.
[19][20] European Tour playoff record (0–1) *Note: The 1997 Scottish Seniors Open was shortened to 36 holes due to the Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales.
European Seniors Tour playoff record (4–1) Note: Horton only played in the Masters Tournament and the Open Championship.