Tom Watson (golfer)
| Tom Watson | |
|---|---|
Watson during 2008 Open Championship
|
|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Thomas Sturges Watson |
| Born |
September 4, 1949 Kansas City, Missouri |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Nationality |
 United States
|
| Residence | Stillwell, Kansas |
| Spouse | Linda Rubin (m. 1972–97) Hilary Watson (m. 1999–present) |
| Children | Meg, Michael, Kyle, Kelly Paige, Ross |
| Career | |
| College | Stanford University |
| Turned professional | 1971 |
| Current tour(s) |
Champions Tour (joined 1999) European Seniors Tour (joined 2011) |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour (1972–2014) |
| Professional wins | 71 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 39 (tied 11th all time) |
| Japan Golf Tour | 4 |
| PGA Tour Champions | 14 |
| Other | 14 |
| Best results in major championships (wins: 8) |
|
| Masters Tournament | Won: 1977, 1981 |
| U.S. Open | Won: 1982 |
| The Open Championship | Won: 1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983 |
| PGA Championship | 2nd: 1978 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| World Golf Hall of Fame | 1988 (member page) |
| PGA Tour leading money winner |
1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1984 |
| PGA Player of the Year | 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1984 |
| Vardon Trophy | 1977, 1978, 1979 |
| Bob Jones Award | 1987 |
| Old Tom Morris Award | 1992 |
| Payne Stewart Award | 2003 |
| Charles Schwab Cup | 2003, 2005 |
Thomas Sturges Watson (born September 4, 1949) is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and now plays mostly on the Champions Tour.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Watson was one of the leading players in the world, winning eight major championships and heading the PGA Tour money list five times. He was the number one player in the world according to McCormack's World Golf Rankings from 1978 until 1982; in both 1983 and 1984, he was ranked second behind Seve Ballesteros. He also spent 32 weeks in the top 10 of the successor Sony Rankings in their debut in 1986.
Watson is also notable for defying age: at nearly 60 years of age, and 26 years after his last major championship victory, he led after the second and third rounds of the 2009 Open Championship, but eventually lost in a four-hole playoff. With a chance to win the tournament with par on the 72nd hole, he missed an eight-foot putt, before losing the playoff to Stewart Cink.
Several of Watson's major victories came at the expense of Jack Nicklaus, the man he replaced as number one, most notably the 1977 Masters, 1977 Open Championship, and the 1982 U.S. Open. Though his rivalry with Nicklaus was intense, their friendly competitiveness served to increase golf's popularity during the time.
In Watson's illustrious career, his eight major championships include five Open Championships, two Masters titles, and one U.S. Open title. The only major that has eluded him is the PGA Championship, which would put him in an elite group of golfing "career grand slam" winners that includes Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. In all, Watson's eight majors ranks 6th on the list of total major championship victories, behind only Nicklaus, Woods, Walter Hagen, Hogan, and Player.
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