Peter Thomson: an amazing Australian golfer

Peter William Thomson, who was one of Australia’s best professional golfers, was an amazing man. He was born in Brunswick, Victoria of Australia on the 23rd of Augusta, 1929. Since his birth, he has had 4 children, and two spouses. People gave him the nickname, “The Melbourne Tiger”, due to his Australian career in professional golf.

Peter Thomson - Australian golfer in Hobart, Tasmania as taken by Mercury Newspaper (1962 - Libraries Tasmania)

In 1949, he had become a professional golfer. During his lifetime, he had won the Open Championship five total times in the years of 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, and 1965. According to various sources, Peter has been the only man to win the championship three years in a row during the 20th century, this was really impressive.

Peter had even won national championships in ten countries, which included the New Zealand Open nine times. He competed in the PGA Tour during 1953 and 1954. In 1956, he won the Texas International Open in the United States and achieved one of his best finishes in one of the three majors staged within the United States.

In 1988, Peter was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, and in 1985, he was inducted into the official Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, all good things have to come to an end and that was true for Peter. Peter had sadly passed away in Melbourne on the 20th of June 2018, this was after a four year battle with Parkinson’s disease, he was just 88 years old.

He was known for the efficient style that he used while he played his games. Peter’s professional career and play style influenced many Australians and even people all around the world. There is no doubt that Peter would've had an influence on both adults and children.

Resources used to help make this blog post

“Peter Thomson.” Sport Australia Hall of Fame, https://sahof.org.au/hall-of-fame-member/peter-thomson/. Accessed 17 November 2023.

“Peter Thomson (golfer).” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Thomson_(golfer). Accessed 17 November 2023.

Tallentire, Mark. “Peter Thomson won the 1958 British Open with these clubs. His son found them at an auction.” The Sydney Morning Herald, 29 July 2023, https://www.smh.com.au/sport/golf/peter-thomson-won-three-british-opens-with-the-same-clubs-his-son-found-them-at-an-auction-20230727-p5drql.html. Accessed 17 November 2023.

Tikkanen, Amy. “Peter Thomson | Biography, Titles, & Facts.” Britannica, 31 October 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Peter-Thomson. Accessed 17 November 2023.