Tom Watson (golfer) facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Tom Watson
Watson after winning the 1982 U.S. Open
Personal information
Full name	Thomas Sturges Watson
Born	(1949-09-04) September 4, 1949 (age 75) Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Height	5 ft 9 in
Weight	175 lb
Nationality	United States
Residence	Overland Park, Kansas, U.S.
Spouse	Linda Rubin (m. 1972; div. 1997) Hilary Watson (m. 1999; died 2019) LeslieAnne Wade (m. 2022; separated 2022)
Children	5
Career
College	Stanford University
Turned professional	1971
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour European Tour PGA Tour Champions European Seniors Tour
Professional wins	70
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	39 (Tied-10th all-time)
European Tour	8
Japan Golf Tour	4
Asian Tour	1
PGA Tour of Australasia	1
Champions Tour	14
Other	11
Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 8)
The Masters Tournament	Won: 1977, 1981
U.S. Open	Won: 1982
The Open Championship	Won: 1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983
PGA Championship	T2: 1978
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame	1988
PGA Tour money list winner	1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1984
PGA Player of the Year	1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1984
Vardon Trophy	1977, 1978, 1979
Bob Jones Award	1987
Old Tom Morris Award	1992
Payne Stewart Award	2003
Champions Tour Charles Schwab Cup winner	2003, 2005
Champions Tour money list winner	2003
Champions Tour Player of the Year	2003
Champions Tour Byron Nelson Award	2003

Thomas Sturges Watson (born September 4, 1949) is a famous American golfer. In the 1970s and 1980s, Tom Watson was one of the best golfers in the world. He won eight major championships and was the top earner on the PGA Tour five times. From 1978 to 1982, he was ranked the number one player globally. In 1983 and 1984, he was ranked second, just behind Seve Ballesteros.

Watson is also known for playing golf well for a very long time. When he was almost 60 years old, 26 years after his last major win, he led the 2009 Open Championship in the final rounds. He almost won but lost in a playoff. He missed a short putt on the last hole that would have given him the victory. He then lost to Stewart Cink in the extra holes.

Many of Watson's major wins happened when he was competing against Jack Nicklaus. Nicklaus was the golfer Watson replaced as the world's number one. Their friendly competition made golf even more popular back then.

Tom Watson's amazing career includes eight major championship wins. He won the Open Championship five times, the Masters twice, and the U.S. Open once. His eight major wins place him among the top golfers in history. He is behind only Nicklaus, Woods, Walter Hagen, Hogan, and Player.

Watson is also considered one of the best players on links courses. These are coastal golf courses with unique challenges. His five Open Championship victories, along with his strong finishes in other events, show his skill on these courses. He also won the Senior British Open Championship three times when he was in his mid-50s.

Watson played on four Ryder Cup teams for the United States. He was also the captain of the American team that won in 1993 in England. More than 20 years later, he captained the U.S. team again in 2014 in Scotland, but they lost that time.

Early Life and Amateur Golf
Professional Career Highlights
Champions Tour Success
Playing Style and Character
Personal Life and Community
Awards and Honors
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Amateur Golf

Tom Watson was born in Kansas City, Missouri. His father, Ray, first taught him how to play golf. Stan Thirsk, his early coach, helped him at the Kansas City Country Club. Watson first became well-known locally while playing for his high school team. He attended The Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City.

Watson won the Missouri State Amateur championships four times. He won in 1967, 1968, 1970, and 1971. He went to Stanford University and played on both the golf and table tennis teams. He earned a degree in psychology in 1971.

Professional Career Highlights

Starting Out in the 1970s

Watson became a professional golfer and joined the PGA Tour in 1971. He hired Bruce Edwards as his caddie in 1973. They worked well together and Edwards caddied for Watson for many years.

Watson first competed for a major championship at the 1974 U.S. Open. He was leading after three rounds but did not play well in the final round. After this, a famous retired player named Byron Nelson offered him help. Nelson liked Watson's game and his aggressive style. They later became close friends and Nelson helped Watson improve his golf skills.

Just two weeks after his U.S. Open disappointment, Watson won his first Tour title. He won the Western Open in 1974, coming from six shots behind in the final round. With Nelson's help, Watson's game got much better very quickly.

He won his first major championship, the 1975 Open Championship, in his very first time playing the event in Britain. Watson made a long putt on the last hole to tie Jack Newton. The next day, Watson won an 18-hole playoff by just one stroke. He became one of only four players since World War II to win the Open Championship in their first try.

Watson won his second major, the 1977 Masters Tournament, after a close battle with Jack Nicklaus. On the 17th hole of the final round, Watson made a long putt to take the lead. He then made par on the 18th to win the Masters by two strokes.

His victory at the 1977 Open Championship in Scotland was very memorable. Many people consider it one of the best tournaments of the last century. Watson and Jack Nicklaus were tied after 16 holes in the final round. Watson birdied the 17th hole to take the lead. On the 18th, Watson hit his approach shot very close to the flag. Nicklaus also made a great shot from a tough spot. Both players birdied the last hole, with Watson winning by one stroke. They finished far ahead of everyone else.

In 1978, Watson had five PGA Tour wins. However, he also had a big disappointment at the 1978 PGA Championship. He had a five-shot lead after three rounds but lost in a playoff. This was the closest he came to winning the PGA Championship, the only major title he never won.

In 1979, Watson won five more PGA Tour events. He finished second at the Masters again, losing in a playoff to Fuzzy Zoeller. This was the first time the Masters used a sudden-death playoff format.

Dominating the Early 1980s

Watson had an amazing year in 1980. He shot a fantastic round of 64 to help him win his third Open Championship. He was the top money winner on the PGA Tour for the fourth year in a row. He won six tournaments in America that year. Watson was very consistent in 1980, finishing in the top 10 sixteen times.

In 1981, Watson won his second Masters title. He finished two strokes ahead of Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller. He also won two other Tour events that year.

Watson really wanted to win the U.S. Open. In 1982, at Pebble Beach, he achieved his dream after an exciting battle with Jack Nicklaus. On the 17th hole, Watson hit his shot into the rough. He had a very difficult chip shot to the hole. Nicklaus, who was already finished, seemed confident he would win. But Watson's chip shot amazingly hit the flagstick and went into the hole for a birdie! This incredible shot helped him win over Nicklaus. Watson also birdied the 18th hole to win by two shots.

The next month, in July 1982, Watson won his fourth Open Championship. He became only the third golfer since World War II to win both the U.S. Open and the Open Championship in the same year. He won by one stroke after the leader, Nick Price, struggled in the final round.

In 1983, Watson finished second at the U.S. Open, losing by one stroke. The next month, he won his fifth Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. This was his last of eight major wins. It was also his only Open victory in England, as his other four were in Scotland.

In 1984, Watson finished second at the Masters for the third time. He won three Tour events that year, including his third Western Open title. Later that year, he almost won his sixth Open Championship at St Andrews. This would have tied the record for most Open wins. But he bogeyed the 17th hole, and Seve Ballesteros birdied the 18th, so Ballesteros won.

After 1984, Watson did not win a PGA Tour event for three years. His performance declined, and he missed being on the 1985 U.S. Ryder Cup team. In 1987, he had a one-shot lead going into the final round of the U.S. Open. He was trying to win his ninth major but lost by one stroke. His putt on the last hole to force a playoff was just short.

Watson (left) with President Ronald Reagan and Lee Trevino in 1988.

Watson's top play on the PGA Tour started to fade in the late 1980s. He had trouble with his putting, even though his other skills seemed to improve. He had some close calls in tournaments during this time.

Later Career: 1990s and 2000s

At the 1991 Masters, Watson was tied for the lead on the last hole but made a double-bogey. He finished tied for third place. This was his 15th straight top-20 finish at the Masters.

In 1994, Watson talked about how golfers can sometimes lose their drive. But he had a comeback in the late 1990s. He won the 1996 Memorial Tournament. His last of 39 PGA Tour wins was the 1998 MasterCard Colonial when he was 48 years old. In 1997, he won the Japan Golf Tour's Dunlop Phoenix tournament for the second time.

In the 2003 U.S. Open, at age 53, he shared the lead after the first round. His longtime caddie, Bruce Edwards, was with him. Edwards had been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease earlier that year. Watson spent a lot of time and money helping to raise money for research into the disease. Edwards passed away in 2004.

Watson was one of two players to play with Jack Nicklaus in Nicklaus's final two rounds of golf. This happened at the 2005 Open Championship.

In the first round of the 2009 Open Championship, Watson shot a great score of 65. He was just one shot behind the leader. In the second round, he tied for the lead. At 59 years old, Watson became the oldest person to lead a major championship after any round. He kept the lead going into the final round, becoming the oldest player to do so. He later said he was thinking of Bruce Edwards as he played the last hole.

Watson finished the regular 72 holes of the Open tied for the lead with Stewart Cink. He needed to make par on the last hole to win his sixth Open Championship. But his second shot went over the green. He then missed a short putt that would have won the tournament. He made a bogey, which led to a four-hole playoff with Cink. Watson struggled in the playoff and lost by six strokes.

In 2012, Watson said he was "distraught" about coming so close to winning a major at age 59. He said the experience "tore his guts out." But he also said that the support from people around the world was a good thing that came from it.

The next year, Watson played in the 2010 Masters Tournament. He shot a good first round and finished tied for 18th place. Because of his great play in 2009 and early 2010, he was given a special invitation to the 2010 U.S. Open. He finished tied for 29th there.

For the 2015 Open Championship, Watson was given a special invitation to play at St. Andrews. He wanted to make one final appearance at the Open. He had won Open Championships at five different courses, but not at St. Andrews. He did not make the cut but had an emotional walk across the famous Swilcan Bridge. In April 2016, he played in his final Masters. He missed the cut by two strokes.

Even though he no longer plays in the full Masters, Watson won the 2018 Masters Tournament Par-3 contest. At 68 years old, he was the oldest person to win that event. In July 2019, Watson played his last competitive event on British soil at the Senior British Open.

Records and Achievements

Watson holds a record for shooting a round of 65 or less in a major championship in four different decades. He did this in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. With a round of 67 in the 2010 Masters, he also set a record for shooting 67 or less in a major in five different decades.

He also holds the record for the longest time between his first and last playoffs on the PGA Tour. This was 34 years and 6 days. He won the 1975 Open Championship in a playoff and lost a playoff for the 2009 Open Championship.

Watson is only the second player in history, after Sam Snead, to finish in the top 20 in at least one major championship in five different decades.

Champions Tour Success

Watson joined the Champions Tour in 1999. This was the same year he became an honorary member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews in Scotland. He has won 14 times on the Champions Tour, including six senior majors. He shares the record with Gary Player and Bernhard Langer for three wins each in the Senior Open Championship. Watson won the 2003 Senior British Open at Turnberry, the same course where he won the Open Championship in 1977. He won the Senior Open again in 2005 and 2007.

Playing Style and Character

Watson was known as one of the most complete golfers ever. This was clear when he competed so well in the 2009 Open Championship at age 59. He was not a very big golfer, but he could hit the ball far and accurately. He played aggressively and had an excellent short game. In his best years, he was a very skilled and confident putter.

Watson is famous for playing well in bad weather. He showed this talent best in the tough conditions of The Open Championship. When he was at his peak, he was known for his amazing ability to recover from difficult situations, especially around the greens. Years later, if a player got out of trouble and still made par, other golfers would call it a "Watson par."

Watson was also known for being very honest. Once, he even called a penalty on himself for slightly moving a ball in the rough, even though no one else saw it. In 1991, Watson spoke out against fans who were bothering his playing partner, Ian Woosnam, at the Masters. Watson later said that there was a "breakdown in decorum" and that he did not like it when fans were too biased.

In 2010, Watson agreed with another golfer, Lee Westwood, about a rule change. Some players were using older golf clubs to get around new rules about grooves on clubs. Watson said this went against "the spirit of the game." Watson also criticized Tiger Woods for his "language and club-throwing" and said Woods needed to "show humility."

Watson has also talked about how too much prize money can affect some golfers. He believes that for some players, too much money can make them less eager to be the best player they can be.

Personal Life and Community

Watson lives in Overland Park, Kansas. He helped design the National Golf Club of Kansas City golf course. The road that passes the course is even called the "Tom Watson Parkway."

Watson was a member of the Kansas City Country Club. In 1990, he was concerned when the club leaders seemed to reject an applicant because of his Jewish faith. Watson's wife at the time and his two children were Jewish. He said, "It was a very personal decision. I just didn't feel my family was welcome." He resigned from the club. However, the Jewish applicant, H&R Block founder Henry W. Bloch, was later accepted into the club, as were other minority members. Watson then rejoined the club.

He has also designed other golf courses, including ones in South Carolina, Florida, Japan, and California.

Awards and Honors

Watson was named PGA Player of the Year six times: in 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, and 1984.
He won the Vardon Trophy three years in a row (1977, 1978, 1979). This award is for the lowest scoring average on the PGA Tour.
Watson was the top money winner on the PGA Tour five times (1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1984).
In 1987, he received the Bob Jones Award. This is the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association (USGA) for great sportsmanship in golf.
Watson was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1988.
He was also inducted into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame.
In 1992, Watson won the GCSAA Old Tom Morris Award.
In 2000, Golf Digest magazine ranked Watson as the 10th greatest golfer of all time.
In 2003, Watson was the top money winner on the Champions Tour.
He also received the Payne Stewart Award in 2003.
In 2003, Watson was named the Champions Tour's Player of the Year.
He won the Byron Nelson Award in 2003 for the lowest scoring average on the Champions Tour.
Watson won the Champions Tour's Charles Schwab Cup in 2003 and 2005.

Images for kids

Tom Watson Parkway at the National Golf Club in Parkville