Jimmy Thomson (golfer)
Scottish-American professional golfer (1908–1985)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Wilfred Stevenson Thomson (29 October 1908 – 28 June 1985) was a Scottish-born professional golfer who played exclusively in the United States.
.jpg)
Scotland
United States| Jimmy Thomson | |
|---|---|
Thompson at the 1954 Los Angeles Open | |
| Personal information | |
| Full name | James Wilfred Stevenson Thomson |
| Born | 29 October 1908 |
| Died | 28 June 1985 (aged 76) Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Sporting nationality | Scotland United States |
| Career | |
| Status | Professional |
| Former tour | PGA Tour |
| Professional wins | 5 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 2 |
| Other | 3 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | 6th: 1937 |
| PGA Championship | 2nd: 1936 |
| U.S. Open | 2nd: 1935 |
| The Open Championship | T13: 1929 |
Early life
Thomson was born in North Berwick, the son of pro golfer Wilfred Thomson. His cousin Jack White won the 1904 Open Championship. In 1921 his father Wilfred was appointed pro at The Country Club of Virginia. The following year, Jimmy sailed to the U.S. with his mother and sister Emily.
Professional career
Thomson is notable for losing the 1936 PGA Championship to Denny Shute, 3&2. In addition, he won the Richmond Open that year. He also won the Los Angeles Open two years later. Both were retroactively labeled PGA Tour events.
He appeared in the movie The Caddy with Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. He also featured in Shoot Yourself Some Golf with Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman. He was married to silent film star Viola Dana from 1930 to 1945.[1]
Professional wins (5)
PGA Tour wins (2)
- 1936 Richmond Open
- 1938 Los Angeles Open
Other wins (3)
this list may be incomplete
- 1927 Virginia Open
- 1934 Melbourne Centenary Open (Australia)
- 1937 San Francisco Matchplay Open
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | 59 | T16 | DQ | T38 | |
| The Open Championship | T13 | ||||
| PGA Championship |
| Tournament | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | NYF | NYF | NYF | NYF | T51 | T15 | 6 | T8 | T18 | |
| U.S. Open | WD | T43 | 2 | T14 | T28 | T32 | ||||
| The Open Championship | ||||||||||
| PGA Championship | R16 | 2 | R16 | R32 | R64 |
| Tournament | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T33 | T14 | 12 | NT | NT | NT | T25 | |||
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | NT | NT | NT | NT | CUT | T39 | T48 | T37 |
| The Open Championship | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | CUT | |||
| PGA Championship | R64 | R64 | R64 | NT | R32 | R64 | R32 |
NYF = tournament not yet founded
NT = no tournament
DQ = disqualified
WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Summary
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 9 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 11 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 11 |
| Totals | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 17 | 38 | 32 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 16 (1934 U.S. Open – 1940 Masters)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (three times)