Five- time champ of British Open
Hailed as a hero to some and as golf royalty to others, Peter Thomson, a five- time winner of the British Open and the only player in the 20th century to win the tournament for three straight years, died Wednesday. He was 88.
Thomson had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease for more than four years and died at his Melbourne home surrounded by family members, Golf Australia said.
The first Australian to win the British Open, Thomson went on to secure the title five times between 1954 and 1965, a record equaled only by American Tom Watson.
The Australian’s wins came in 1954, ’ 55, ’ 56, again in 1958 and lastly in 1965 against a field that included Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.
Only Harry Vardon, with six titles between 1896 and 1914, won more.
Thomson also tied for fourth at the 1956 U. S. Open and placed fifth in the 1957 Masters. He never played the PGA Championship.
In 1998, he captained the International side to its only win over the United States at the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne.
Asked by The Associated Press in 2011 how he’d like to be remembered, Thomson replied: “A guy who always said what he thought.”
Veteran Australian golfer Karrie Webb was among the first to tweet her condolences, saying she was “saddened to hear of the passing of our Aussie legend and true gentleman of the game …. so honored to have been able to call Peter my friend. RIP Peter.”
Former PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said Thomson was “a champion in every sense of the word, both on the course and in life.”