Peter Thomson (golfer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Peter ThomsonAO CBE |
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Thomson in Tasmania
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | Peter William Thomson |
| Nickname | The Melbourne Tiger |
| Born | 23 August 1929 Brunswick, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | 20 June 2018 (aged 88) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Nationality |  Australia |
| Spouse | Lois Brauer (m. 1952) Mary Kelly (m. 1960) |
| Children | Deirdre, Andrew, Peta-Ann, Fiona |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1949 |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour European Tour Australasian Tour Senior PGA Tour |
| Professional wins | 98 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 6 |
| European Tour | 1 |
| Japan Golf Tour | 1 |
| PGA Tour of Australasia | 1 |
| Champions Tour | 11 |
| Other | 46 (Australia/New Zealand) 28 (Europe) 10 (Asia/Japan) 1 (other regular) 1 (other senior) |
| Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 5) |
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| The Masters Tournament | 5th: 1957 |
| U.S. Open | T4: 1956 |
| The Open Championship | Won: 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1965 |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| Achievements and awards | |
| World Golf Hall of Fame | 1988 |
| Arnold Palmer Award (Champions Tour) |
1986 |
Peter William Thomson was an amazing Australian golfer. He was born on August 23, 1929, and passed away on June 20, 2018. He is famous for winning the Open Championship five times. This is one of the biggest golf tournaments in the world. Thomson is the only golfer in modern history to win a major championship three times in a row. He won The Open in 1954, 1955, and 1956.
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Life and Golf Career
Peter Thomson was born in Brunswick, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. His five Open Championship wins were in 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, and 1965. He was the only person in the 20th century to win this tournament three years in a row.
Thomson won many golf tournaments all over the world. He won the national championships in ten different countries. This included the New Zealand Open nine times! He played on the PGA Tour in the United States in 1953 and 1954. He didn't win often there, but he did well in 1956. That year, he won the Texas International Open. He also finished fourth in the U.S. Open, which is another major tournament.
When Thomson won his first four Open Championships, not many top American golfers traveled to Britain to play. The prize money wasn't enough for them to cover their travel costs. But in 1965, Thomson showed he could beat anyone. He won The Open against famous golfers like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tony Lema. These were some of the best players in the world at the time.
Peter Thomson also had a very successful career as an older golfer. In 1985, he won nine times on the Senior PGA Tour in the United States. He finished that year as the top earner. His last tournament win was in 1988 at the British PGA Seniors Championship.
Beyond playing, Thomson was a leader in golf. He was the president of the Australian PGA from 1962 to 1994. He also led the international team to victory in the 1998 Presidents Cup. He was a non-playing captain, meaning he guided the team.
Thomson was recognized for his amazing career. He was added to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1988. He also joined the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985.
He was also a golf writer for The Age newspaper in Melbourne for about 50 years. He even designed over a hundred golf courses around the world! His local golf club was the Victoria Golf Club. He was also an honorary member of the Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
Passing Away
Peter Thomson passed away in Melbourne on June 20, 2018. He was 88 years old. He had been battling Parkinson's disease for four years.
Major Championship Wins
Peter Thomson won The Open Championship five times. This is one of golf's most important tournaments.
| Year | Championship | Winning Score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
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| 1954 | The Open Championship | −9 (283 strokes) | 1 stroke |  Bobby Locke,  Dai Rees, Syd Scott |
| 1955 | The Open Championship (2) | −7 (281 strokes) | 2 strokes |  John Fallon |
| 1956 | The Open Championship (3) | +2 (286 strokes) | 3 strokes |  Flory Van Donck |
| 1958 | The Open Championship (4) | −6 (278 strokes) | Playoff1 | Dave Thomas |
| 1965 | The Open Championship (5) | −7 (285 strokes) | 2 strokes |  Christy O'Connor Snr, Brian Huggett |
1He beat Dave Thomas in a special 36-hole playoff.
Major Championship Summary
Here's a quick look at how Peter Thomson did in the major golf championships:
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd Place | 3rd Place | Top-5 Finishes | Top-10 Finishes | Events Played |
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| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| The Open Championship | 5 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 18 | 30 |
| Totals | 5 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 20 | 43 |
- He never played in the PGA Championship.
- He made the cut (finished enough rounds to continue playing) in 10 tournaments in a row from 1954 to 1958.
- He had a streak of 4 top-10 finishes from the 1955 Open Championship to the 1957 Masters.
Senior Major Championship Win
Peter Thomson also won a major championship as a senior golfer:
| Year | Championship | Winning Score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | General Foods PGA Seniors' Championship | −2 (286 strokes) | 3 strokes |  Don January |
Team Appearances
Peter Thomson represented Australia in several team golf events:
- 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)
Honours and Awards
Peter Thomson received many awards and honours for his contributions to golf:
- 1955 – ABC Sportsman of the Year
- 1957 – Appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to Australia in sports.
- 1979 – Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his service to golf.
- 1985 – Became an original member of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
- 1988 – Elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame.
- 1997 – The Peter Thomson Trophy, a golf competition, was named after him.
- 2001 – Awarded the Centenary Medal.
- 2001 – Elevated to "Legend" in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
- 2001 – Appointed Officer of the Order of Australia (AO).
- 2011 – Inducted into the Victorian Golf Industry Hall of Fame.
- 2016 – Became an original "Immortal" of the PGA of Australia.
Images for kids
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Thomson in Tasmania
See also
- List of golfers with most PGA Tour Champions wins
- List of golfers with most wins in one PGA Tour event
- List of men's major championships winning golfers
