All 5 Of Peter Thomson's Open Championship Wins

Here we look at all five of legendary Australian Peter Thomson's Open victories

Peter Thomson's Open Championship Wins
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Peter Thomson was Australia's most successful golfer to date. He was one was one of the finest players throughout the 1950's and 1960's, lifting the Claret Jug on five occasions.

All 5 Of Peter Thomson's Open Championship Wins

The Open Championship takes place at Royal Portrush in 2019 with the last time it being hosted there coming in 1951. At that tournament, Australian Peter Thomson struggled in the final round shooting 75 to come in tied 6th. But over the next 15 years or so, the legendary Australian won five Claret Jugs, with four victories in the space of five years between 1954 and 1958.

His final Open win, fittingly, came in 1965 at Royal Birkdale which was the same venue as his first.

All 5 Of Peter Thomson's Open Championship Wins

1954 - Royal Birkdale

At just the age of 23 Thomson secured his first Open. Having finished 6th, 2nd and 2nd in his first three Opens, victory was surely only a matter of time for the young Australian. Thomson progressed steadily through the field after rounds of 72, 71 and 69 to tie Dai Rees and Syd Scott for the lead. A sand save on 16 would then prove crucial, as Thomson went on to win by one with a closing 71.

1955 - St Andrews

1955 was a year of Open firsts – the first time the Road Hole was played as a par 4 not a par 5, and the first time the champion walked away with a four-figure cheque. Thomson was that champion, from leading after 54 holes, he held his own during the final round - bouncing back from a potentially costly double at the 14th in the final round with a birdie on 15 for a two-shot victory and a successful title defence.

1956 - Royal Liverpool

Thomson made it three in a row by assuming control from the second round, as poor weather made scoring tricky at Hoylake. He extended his lead to three with a third-round 72, and maintained that margin in the final round despite a closing 74. No players were under par at the end of a testing week on The Wirral.

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1958 - Royal Lytham and St Annes

Thomson didn't quite make it 4 in a row but he came back a year later to Royal Lytham and St Annes to claim his 4th Open title. Thomson’s fourth Claret Jug came courtesy of a 36-hole Saturday playoff after he and Wales’ Dave Thomas both finished the week at six-under par, with Thomson missing a 12-footer on the 72nd hole for the win. Mistakes and missed putts by the Welshman on the 8th, 10th and 11th holes of the second playoff round helped Thomson re-establish a winning four-shot margin.

1965 - Royal Birkdale

Thomson’s fifth and final victory came at the same course as his first. After a slow start, middle rounds of 68 and 72 saw him lead once more heading into the final round. After seeing his three-shot lead midway through the final round all but wiped out, Thomson closed with two birdies to clinch it by two from Brian Huggett and Christy O’Connor.

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