Peter Thomson

Wins

1. 1954 The Open Royal Birkdale Golf Club · 283 · by 1 stroke from Dai Rees, Bobby Locke and Syd Scott
2. 1955 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · 281 · by 2 strokes from John Fallon
3. 1956 The Open Royal Liverpool Golf Club · 286 · by 3 strokes from Flory Van Donck
4. 1958 The Open Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · 278 · won a playoff against Dave Thomas
5. 1965 The Open Royal Birkdale Golf Club · 285 · by 2 strokes from Christy O'Connor Snr and Brian Huggett

Near misses

1. 1951 The Open Royal Portrush Golf Club · finished T6 · 293
2. 1952 The Open Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · runner-up to Bobby Locke · 288
3. 1953 The Open Carnoustie Golf Links (Championship Course) · runner-up to Ben Hogan · 286
4. 1957 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · runner-up to Bobby Locke · 282
5. 1960 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · finished T9 · 286
6. 1961 The Open Royal Birkdale Golf Club · finished 7 · 290
7. 1962 The Open Troon Golf Club (Old Course) · finished T6 · 292
8. 1963 The Open Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · finished 5 · 285
9. 1966 The Open Muirfield · finished T8 · 288
10. 1967 The Open Royal Liverpool Golf Club · finished T8 · 287
11. 1969 The Open Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · finished T3 · 283 (-1)
12. 1970 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · finished T9 · 289 (+1)
13. 1971 The Open Royal Birkdale Golf Club · finished T9 · 285 (-7)

Rivals

Beat him

Beaten in finals and playoffs

Next in the chain: Bobby Locke's rivals →

Moments

1. 1954 Open At the 16th Thomson played from a steep bunker 25 yards from the flag with feet together and eyes closed and left it inches away - 'That won it for me, no doubt.'
2. 1954 Open Thomson bogeyed the 72nd from a greenside bunker, but Locke needed a birdie at the last to force a playoff and made par, while Rees also missed on the 72nd.
3. 1955 Open Thomson found the Beardies bunkers at the 14th and took a double-bogey 7, then birdied the next hole and went on to win.
4. 1955 Open Thomson's £1,000 was the first four-figure cheque paid to an Open champion, and the BBC televised parts of the final round for the first time.
5. 1956 Open Dennis Smalldon opened with a 68 to lead, then shot 79 in the second-round morning when, per the R&A, 'the conditions were at their worst'.
6. 1956 Open Thomson and Van Donck both closed with 74s as Thomson became the first player to win three Opens in a row since the event went to 72 holes; Gary Player was fourth on his debut.
7. 1958 Open On the 72nd green Thomson had a putt of about 10-12 feet to win outright and missed it, setting up a tie with Thomas at a record-low 278.
8. 1958 Open Eric Brown and Christy O'Connor both drove into the bunker off the 18th tee, costing a 6 and a 5 and missing the playoff by one, while Leopoldo Ruiz took 7 there.
9. 1965 Open Defending champion Tony Lema came within one and just missed a birdie putt on the 16th green to tie, then found a bunker with his approach to the 18th and took 6.
10. 1965 Open In the bad weather of the final day Thomson's 71 won his fifth Claret Jug, matching James Braid and J.H. Taylor.

Records and firsts

1. — Open 5 titles · 5 each (James Braid; J.H. Taylor; Peter Thomson; Tom Watson)
2. 1954 Open First Open champion from: Australia