Peter William Thomson (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.
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 Thomson was born in Brunswick, a northern suburb of Melbourne, Australia.
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, 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."
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.
Thomson died in Melbourne on 20 June 2018 after a four-year battle with Parkinson's disease, at the age of 88.
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.Australia list: Thomson, Peter William MBE, It's an Honour, 1 January 1957. In 1979, appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for service to the sport of golf.Thomson, Peter William CBE, It's an Honour, 31 December 1979. Thomson was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985. 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. In 2001, he was awarded the Centenary Medal.Thomson, Peter William, It's an Honour, 1 January 2001. In 2001, he was elected an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)Thomson, Peter William AO, It's an Honour, 11 June 2001. In 2011, he was inducted into the Victorian Golf Industry Hall of Fame. In 2016, he was inducted as inaugural Immortal of the PGA of Australia.
Amateur wins 1947 Australasian Foursomes Shield (with Dick Payne) 1948 Victorian Amateur Championship
Professional wins (105) PGA Tour wins (6) LegendMajor championships (5)Other PGA Tour (1) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up1 9 Jul 1954 The Open Championship −9 (72-71-69-71=283) 1 stroke Bobby Locke, Dai Rees, Syd Scott2 8 Jul 1955 The Open Championship (2) −7 (71-68-70-72=281) 2 strokes John Fallon3 4 Jun 1956 Texas International Open −13 (67-68-69-63=267) Playoff Gene Littler, Cary Middlecoff4 6 Jul 1956 The Open Championship (3) +2 (70-70-72-74=286) 3 strokes Flory Van Donck5 5 Jul 1958 The Open Championship (4) −6 (66-72-67-73=278) Playoff Dave Thomas6 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.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result11956Texas International Open Gene Littler, Cary MiddlecoffWon with birdie on second extra hole21958The Open Championship Dave ThomasWon 36-hole playoff;Thomson: −3 (68-71=139),Thomas: +1 (69-74=143)
European Tour wins (1) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up1 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.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunners-up123 May 1976Pepsi-Wilson Tournament−5 (71-72-68=211)Playoff Brian Jones, Graham Marsh, Shozo Miyamoto
PGA of Japan Tour playoff record (1–0) No.YearTournamentOpponentsResult11976Pepsi-Wilson Tournament Brian Jones, Graham Marsh, Shozo MiyamotoWon with par on fourteenth extra holeJones eliminated by par on fourth holeMiyamoto 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.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up111 Mar 1962Yomiuri International−10 (72-68-64-74=278)8 strokes Al Balding223 Feb 1964Philippine Open−3 (74-74-69-68=285)Playoff Doug Sanders328 Mar 1965Hong Kong Open−2 (75-66-67-70=278)1 stroke Ross Newdick426 Mar 1967Hong Kong Open (2)−7 (68-69-67-69=273)Playoff Brian Huggett54 Apr 1976Indian Open−4 (74-75-69-70=288)1 stroke Brian Jones
Asia Golf Circuit playoff record (2–0) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult11964Philippine Open Doug SandersWon with bogey on first extra hole21967Hong Kong Open Brian HuggettWon 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.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunners-up111 Feb 1973Victorian 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.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up13 Sep 1963Metalcraft Tournament−5 (72-69-74-72=287)Shared title with Ted Ball21 Dec 1964Forest Products Tournament−11 (69-68-65=202)1 stroke Cobie Legrange, Kel Nagle321 Nov 1965New Zealand Open−2 (70-71-68-69=278)8 strokes Bob Charles, Kel Nagle423 Nov 1965Metalcraft Tournament (2)−8 (71-68-69=208)3 strokes Barry Coxon, Walter Godfrey, Alan Murray, Ross Newdick527 Nov 1965Caltex Tournament−10 (68-70-69-75=282)2 strokes Cedric Amm, John Sullivan611 Dec 1965BP Tournament−10 (68-66-73-71=278)Shared title with Kel Nagle726 Nov 1966New Zealand Wills Masters−17 (69-69-70-67=275)Shared title with Tim Woolbank817 Dec 1966Caltex Tournament (2)−4 (72-67-70-67=276)Shared title with Kel Nagle926 Nov 1967Caltex Tournament (3)−14 (72-70-67-69=278)Shared title with Bob Charles1023 Nov 1968Sax Altman Tournament−3 (72-71-70-72=285)Shared title with Guy Wolstenholme1128 Nov 1971New 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)