Thomson, Peter

Peter Thomson, in full Peter William Thomson, (born August 23, 1929, Brunswick, Victoria, Australia—died June 20, 2018, Melbourne, Victoria), Australian golfer who won the British Open five times and who was the first Australian to win that tournament.

Thomson won the British Open in 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, and 1965, matching the number of wins by John Henry Taylor and James Braid and exceeded only by Harry Vardon, who won six times. Thomson won the New Zealand Open nine times from 1950 through 1971 and the Australian Open three times. Active on the international golf tour, Thomson also captured a number of other open titles. However, he rarely competed on the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) of America Tour, and his only PGA win was at the Texas International Open (1956). He retired in 1979, though he later competed on the Senior PGA Tour (later renamed Champions Tour), and his nine wins in 1985 set a record for most victories in a single season. A “thinking man’s golfer,” Thomson was known for his efficient and brisk style of play.

Instrumental in helping to develop a Far East professional golf tour, Thomson was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (C.B.E.) in 1980. He was coauthor with Desmond Zwar of This Wonderful World of Golf (1969), and he wrote a newspaper column. From 1962 to 1994 he served as president of the Australian PGA, and he designed numerous golf courses. Thomson was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1988.