Peter Thomson (golfer)
Australian professional golfer (1929–2018)
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Peter William Thomson AO, CBE (23 August 1929 – 20 June 2018) was an Australian professional golfer, often cited as the greatest and most successful golfer in Australian golf history. In the late 1940s, Thomson turned professional and immediately had success on the Australasian circuits, then posted his first international win at the 1950 New Zealand Open followed by the 1951 Australian Open.
| Peter Thomson AO CBE | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thomson in Tasmania | |||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Full name | Peter William Thomson | ||||||||
| Nickname | The Melbourne Tiger[1] | ||||||||
| Born | 23 August 1929 Brunswick, Victoria, Australia | ||||||||
| Died | 20 June 2018 (aged 88) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | ||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||
| Sporting nationality |  Australia | ||||||||
| Spouse |
Lois Brauer (m. 1952)Mary Kelly (m. 1960) | ||||||||
| Children | 4, including Andrew | ||||||||
| Career | |||||||||
| Turned professional | 1949[2] | ||||||||
| Former tours | PGA Tour European Tour Asia Golf Circuit PGA Tour of Australia New Zealand Golf Circuit Senior PGA Tour | ||||||||
| Professional wins | 105 | ||||||||
| Number of wins by tour | |||||||||
| PGA Tour | 6 | ||||||||
| European Tour | 1 | ||||||||
| Japan Golf Tour | 1 | ||||||||
| PGA Tour of Australasia | 1 | ||||||||
| PGA Tour Champions | 11 | ||||||||
| Other | 47 (Australia/New Zealand) 28 (Europe) 10 (Asia/Japan) 2 (other regular) 1 (other senior) | ||||||||
| Best results in major championships (wins: 5) | |||||||||
| Masters Tournament | 5th: 1957 | ||||||||
| PGA Championship | DNP | ||||||||
| U.S. Open | T4: 1956 | ||||||||
| The Open Championship | Won: 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1965 | ||||||||
| Achievements and awards | |||||||||
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| Signature | |||||||||
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From the time he turned professional in 1949, Thomson won at least one tournament every year for the next 20 years, including 27 'National Opens'. Thomson won professional championships in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Philippines, England, Scotland, Germany, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Canada, India, Hong Kong and the United States. In the United Kingdom, Thomson had extraordinary success, winning dozens of tournaments on the British PGA circuit, including the Open Championship five times.
As a senior, Thomson continued with success, winning 11 times on the Senior PGA Tour in the United States, including a record nine times in one season, 1985, a record he holds with Hale Irwin.
Early life
Professional career
Thomson's Open Championship wins came in 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, and 1965. He was the only man to win the tournament for three consecutive years in the 20th century.
Thomson was a prolific tournament champion around the world, winning the national championships of ten countries, including the New Zealand Open nine times.
He competed on the American PGA Tour from 1953 to 1957, playing 74 events and only missing 3 cuts (all in 1954).
With one win, several runner-up finishes and over a dozen top-10 finishes,[3] Thomson decided he preferred the 'tour' (and the golf courses) in the UK/Europe and chose to travel from Australia to play his summer season in the UK, rather than the US from 1958 onward.
His best year in the US was in 1956, playing in just eight events, he won the Texas International Open, and achieved his best finish in one of the three majors staged in the United States (fourth at the U.S. Open), to finish ninth on the money list.
In the era that Thomson won his first four Open Championships, few of the leading professionals from the United States travelled to Britain to play in that event. At that time, the prize money in the Open was insufficient for an American to cover their expenses. However, Thomson demonstrated with his win in 1965 that he could beat a field of the world's best players, as that victory came against a field that included Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tony Lema, three of the top four American golfers from the 1964 money list. Peter Thomson put on a ball-striking clinic at Royal Birkdale in 1965, where, in the final 18 holes he took 71 shots that included 35 putts.
Thomson continued on his winning ways, after his historic fifth British Open victory at Royal Birkdale in 1965, hoisting championship trophies in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand and several more victories in the UK before a wrist injury in 1975, in Bangkok, slowed his performance. Thomson had slept in cold air-conditioned comfort the night previous, sprung out of bed and hastily made his way to his tee time. The first shot he hit was a driver off the first tee and he said "I heard the tendon in my left wrist snap - it went off like a rubber band." He withdrew from that championship on the 1st hole, rested the wrist for 3 weeks and then damaged it further by returning to golf too soon. In his own words "truthfully the left wrist has never been any good since."[4]
Thomson then enjoyed a successful senior career in the US. In 1985 he won nine times on the Senior PGA Tour in the United States, and finished top of the money list. 9 wins in one season is a record Thomson still holds, along with Hale Irwin who won 9 times in 1997. His last tournament victory came at the 1988 British PGA Seniors Championship.
He was president of the Australian PGA from 1962 to 1994, still the longest serving president. (He was president of the Australian PGA at the same time he won The British Open in 1965)
He served as the non-playing captain of the victorious International Team in the 1998 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne and is, as of 2025, the only captain to steer the International Team to success in the competition's history.
Thomson was active as a golf writer, contributing to The Age of Melbourne for some 50 years from the early 1950s.
His home club was Victoria Golf Club. He was an honorary member of Royal Melbourne Golf Club and dozens of golf clubs around the world including several in Scotland, Japan and throughout Asia.
Following his successful playing career, Thomson began designing courses with Michael Wolveridge in the 1960s. Over 51 years, he and his business partners, including Ross Perrett, developed more than 180 courses in over 30 countries.
Personal life
On June 1, 1960, Thomson was married to Mary Kelly of Melbourne, Australia. The wedding took place in London, England.[5]
Thomson died in Melbourne on 20 June 2018 after a four-year battle with Parkinson's disease, at the age of 88.[6][7]
Awards and honors
- In 1955, he was selected as ABC Sportsman of the Year.
- In 1957, he was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in recognition of his services to Australia in the sporting and international sphere.[8][9]
- In 1979, appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for service to the sport of golf.[10]
- Thomson was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985.[11]
- Thomson was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1988.
- In 1997, The Peter Thomson Trophy, an annual contested between the eight Melbourne Sandbelt golf clubs, was inaugurated.[12]
- In 2001, he was awarded the Centenary Medal.[13]
- In 2001, he was elected an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)[14][15]
- In 2011, he was inducted into the Victorian Golf Industry Hall of Fame.[16]
- In 2016, he was inducted as inaugural Immortal of the PGA of Australia.[17]
Amateur wins
- 1947 Australasian Foursomes Shield (with Dick Payne)
- 1948 Victorian Amateur Championship
Professional wins (105)
PGA Tour wins (6)
| Legend |
|---|
| Major championships (5) |
| Other PGA Tour (1) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 Jul 1954 | The Open Championship | −9 (72-71-69-71=283) | 1 stroke |  Bobby Locke,  Dai Rees, Syd Scott |
| 2 | 8 Jul 1955 | The Open Championship (2) | −7 (71-68-70-72=281) | 2 strokes |  John Fallon |
| 3 | 4 Jun 1956 | Texas International Open | −13 (67-68-69-63=267) | Playoff |  Gene Littler, Cary Middlecoff |
| 4 | 6 Jul 1956 | The Open Championship (3) | +2 (70-70-72-74=286) | 3 strokes |  Flory Van Donck |
| 5 | 5 Jul 1958 | The Open Championship (4) | −6 (66-72-67-73=278) | Playoff | Dave Thomas |
| 6 | 9 Jul 1965 | The Open Championship (5) | −3 (74-68-72-71=285) | 2 strokes |  Brian Huggett,  Christy O'Connor Snr |
PGA Tour playoff record (2–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1956 | Texas International Open | Gene Littler, Cary Middlecoff |
Won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 2 | 1958 | The Open Championship | Dave Thomas |
Won 36-hole playoff; Thomson: −3 (68-71=139), Thomas: +1 (69-74=143) |
European Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 Sep 1972 | W.D. & H.O. Wills Tournament | −14 (71-69-66-64=270) | 3 strokes | Peter Butler |
PGA of Japan Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 May 1976 | Pepsi-Wilson Tournament | −5 (71-72-68=211)[a] | Playoff | Brian Jones, Graham Marsh, Shozo Miyamoto |
PGA of Japan Tour playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1976 | Pepsi-Wilson Tournament | Brian Jones, Graham Marsh, Shozo Miyamoto |
Won with par on fourteenth extra hole Jones eliminated by par on fourth hole Miyamoto eliminated by par on first hole |
Other Japan wins (5)
- 1969 Chunichi Crowns
- 1971 Dunlop Tournament, Wizard Tournament
- 1972 Chunichi Crowns, Pepsi Tournament
Asia Golf Circuit wins (5)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 Mar 1962 | Yomiuri International | −10 (72-68-64-74=278) | 8 strokes |  Al Balding |
| 2 | 23 Feb 1964 | Philippine Open | −3 (74-74-69-68=285) | Playoff | Doug Sanders |
| 3 | 28 Mar 1965 | Hong Kong Open | −2 (75-66-67-70=278) | 1 stroke |  Ross Newdick |
| 4 | 26 Mar 1967 | Hong Kong Open (2) | −7 (68-69-67-69=273) | Playoff | Brian Huggett |
| 5 | 4 Apr 1976 | Indian Open | −4 (74-75-69-70=288) | 1 stroke | Brian Jones |
Asia Golf Circuit playoff record (2–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1964 | Philippine Open | Doug Sanders |
Won with bogey on first extra hole |
| 2 | 1967 | Hong Kong Open | Brian Huggett |
Won with par on second extra hole |
Other Asian wins (3)
- 1960 Hong Kong Open
- 1964 Indian Open
- 1966 Indian Open
PGA Tour of Australia wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 Feb 1973 | Victorian Open | −4 (71-73-73-67=284) | 2 strokes | Stewart Ginn, Bob Tuohy |
Other Australian wins (24)
- 1949 Victorian Close Championship
- 1951 Australian Open, Victorian Close Championship
- 1952 Victorian PGA Championship, Mobilco Tournament
- 1953 Victorian PGA Championship
- 1954 Ampol Tournament (Nov)
- 1955 Wiseman's Tournament, Pelaco Tournament, Speedo Tournament
- 1956 Pelaco Tournament
- 1958 Victorian Open, Pelaco Tournament
- 1959 Pelaco Tournament, Coles Tournament
- 1960 Wills Classic
- 1961 Adelaide Advertiser Tournament, New South Wales Open
- 1963 Lakes Open
- 1967 Australian PGA Championship, Australian Open
- 1968 South Australian Open, Victorian Open
- 1972 Australian Open
New Zealand Golf Circuit wins (11)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 Sep 1963 | Metalcraft Tournament | −5 (72-69-74-72=287) | Shared title with Ted Ball | |
| 2 | 1 Dec 1964 | Forest Products Tournament | −11 (69-68-65=202) | 1 stroke | Cobie Legrange, Kel Nagle |
| 3 | 21 Nov 1965 | New Zealand Open | −2 (70-71-68-69=278) | 8 strokes | Bob Charles, Kel Nagle |
| 4 | 23 Nov 1965 | Metalcraft Tournament (2) | −8 (71-68-69=208) | 3 strokes | Barry Coxon, Walter Godfrey, Alan Murray, Ross Newdick |
| 5 | 27 Nov 1965 | Caltex Tournament | −10 (68-70-69-75=282) | 2 strokes | Cedric Amm, John Sullivan |
| 6 | 11 Dec 1965 | BP Tournament | −10 (68-66-73-71=278) | Shared title with Kel Nagle | |
| 7 | 26 Nov 1966 | New Zealand Wills Masters | −17 (69-69-70-67=275) | Shared title with Tim Woolbank | |
| 8 | 17 Dec 1966 | Caltex Tournament (2) | −4 (72-67-70-67=276) | Shared title with Kel Nagle | |
| 9 | 26 Nov 1967 | Caltex Tournament (3) | −14 (72-70-67-69=278) | Shared title with Bob Charles | |
| 10 | 23 Nov 1968 | Sax Altman Tournament | −3 (72-71-70-72=285) | Shared title with Guy Wolstenholme | |
| 11 | 28 Nov 1971 | New Zealand Open (2) | −8 (71-66-69-70=276) | 2 strokes | Maurice Bembridge |
Other New Zealand wins (10)
- 1950 New Zealand Open
- 1951 New Zealand Open
- 1953 New Zealand Open, New Zealand PGA Championship
- 1955 New Zealand Open, Caltex Tournament
- 1959 New Zealand Open, Caltex Tournament
- 1960 New Zealand Open
- 1961 New Zealand Open
British PGA Circuit wins (25)
Other European wins (3)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 Oct 1959 | Italian Open | 69-67-68-65=269 | 1 stroke |  Alfonso Angelini |
| 2 | 17 Oct 1959 | Spanish Open | 71-73-72-70=286 | 2 strokes |  Jean Garaïalde, Syd Scott |
| 3 | 24 Jul 1960 | German Open | 71-67-72-71=281 | 2 strokes |  Roberto De Vicenzo, Jean Garaïalde |
Other wins (3)
- 1952 Mills Round Robin (South Africa)[18]
- 1954 Canada Cup (with Kel Nagle)
- 1959 Canada Cup (with Kel Nagle)
Senior PGA Tour wins (11)
| Legend |
|---|
| Senior major championships (1) |
| Other Senior PGA Tour (10) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 Sep 1984 | World Seniors Invitational | −7 (69-69-69-74=281) | 1 stroke | Arnold Palmer |
| 2 | 9 Dec 1984 | General Foods PGA Seniors' Championship | −2 (67-73-74-72=286) | 3 strokes | Don January |
| 3 | 17 Mar 1985 | Vintage Invitational | −7 (69-73-69-69=280) | 1 stroke | Billy Casper, Arnold Palmer |
| 4 | 31 Mar 1985 | American Golf Carta Blanca Johnny Mathis Classic | −11 (70-64-71=205) | 1 stroke | Don January |
| 5 | 5 May 1985 | MONY Senior Tournament of Champions | −4 (70-70-71-73=284) | 3 strokes | Don January, Dan Sikes |
| 6 | 9 Jun 1985 | The Champions Classic | −6 (68-72-70=210) | 2 strokes | Billy Casper, Jim Ferree |
| 7 | 16 Jun 1985 | Senior Players Reunion Pro-Am | −14 (68-66-68=202) | 2 strokes | Lee Elder |
| 8 | 21 Jul 1985 | MONY Syracuse Senior's Classic | −9 (70-64-70=203) | 2 strokes | Miller Barber, Gene Littler |
| 9 | 18 Aug 1985 | du Maurier Champions | −13 (64-70-69=203) | 1 stroke | Ben Smith |
| 10 | 15 Sep 1985 | United Virginia Bank Seniors | −9 (69-69-69=207) | 4 strokes | George Lanning |
| 11 | 20 Oct 1985 | Barnett Suntree Senior Classic | −9 (70-68-69=207) | 1 stroke | Charlie Sifford |
Senior PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1985 | Merrill Lynch/Golf Digest Commemorative Pro-Am | Lee Elder |
Lost to eagle on first extra hole |
Other senior wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 Jun 1988 | Trusthouse Forte PGA Seniors Championship | +7 (78-67-72-70=287) | 2 strokes | Denis Hutchinson |
Major championships
Wins (5)
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | The Open Championship | Tied for lead | −9 (72-71-69-71=283) | 1 stroke |  Bobby Locke, Dai Rees, Syd Scott |
| 1955 | The Open Championship (2) | 1 shot lead | −7 (71-68-70-72=281) | 2 strokes | John Fallon |
| 1956 | The Open Championship (3) | 3 shot lead | −2 (70-70-72-74=286) | 3 strokes | Flory Van Donck |
| 1958 | The Open Championship (4) | 2 shot lead | −6 (66-72-67-73=278) | Playoff1 | Dave Thomas |
| 1965 | The Open Championship (5) | 1 shot lead | −7 (74-68-72-71=285) | 2 strokes | Christy O'Connor Snr, Brian Huggett |
1Defeated Dave Thomas in 36-hole playoff; Thomson (139), Thomas (143)
Results timeline
| Tournament | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T36 | T16 | T18 | 5 | T23 | DQ | |||
| U.S. Open | T26 | CUT | T4 | T22 | |||||
| The Open Championship | T6 | 2 | T2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | T23 |
| Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T19 | CUT | ||||||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | |||||||||
| The Open Championship | T9 | 7 | T6 | 5 | T24 | 1 | T8 | T8 | T24 | T3 |
| Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | ||||||||||
| U.S. Open | ||||||||||
| The Open Championship | T9 | T9 | T31 | T31 | CUT | CUT | CUT | T13 | T24 | T26 |
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | |||||
| U.S. Open | |||||
| The Open Championship | CUT |
Note: Thomson never played in the PGA Championship.
CUT = missed the halfway cut (3rd round cut in 1975 and 1984 Open Championships)
DQ = disqualified
"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 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 6 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| The Open Championship | 5 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 18 | 23 | 30 | 26 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 5 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 20 | 30 | 43 | 35 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 10 (1954 Open Championship – 1958 Open Championship)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 4 (1955 Open Championship – 1957 Masters)
Champions Tour major championships
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984a | General Foods PGA Seniors' Championship | −2 (67-73-74-72=286) | 3 strokes | Don January |
a This was the December edition of the tournament.
Team appearances
Amateur
- Australian Men's Interstate Teams Matches (representing Victoria): 1948 (winners)
Professional
- World Cup (representing Australia): 1953, 1954 (winners), 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959 (winners), 1960, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1969
- Lakes International Cup (representing Australia): 1952
- Slazenger Trophy (representing British Commonwealth and Empire): 1956
- Presidents Cup (representing International): 1996 (non-playing captain), 1998 (non-playing captain, winners), 2000 (non-playing captain)
- Hopkins Trophy (representing Canada): 1952
- Vicars Shield (representing Victoria): 1951 (winners), 1952 (winners), 1953 (winners)
See also
Notes
- Shortened to 54 holes due to weather.