Only one golfer was able to record three successive Open victories in the 20th century, the great Peter Thomson.
The Australian claimed the first Open title for his country in 1954 as a 24-year-old at Royal Birkdale, and went on to win the Claret Jug three further times in that decade alone.His maiden victory represented a much-anticipated breakthrough after Thomson had finished as the runner-up in each of the previous two years, having also been an impressive sixth on debut at Royal Portrush in 1951.He followed up his first success by winning at St Andrews the next year and then completed a hat trick of triumphs at Royal Liverpool in 1956.A playoff victory over Dave Thomas at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 1958 made it four wins in five years for the increasingly dominant Thomson, but arguably his greatest triumph came in 1965.Although four-time “champion golfer” Bobby Locke represented a formidable rival to Thomson in the 1950s, some critics highlighted the absence of leading American players as a significant factor in his success.However, all of the best players in the world were present at Royal Birkdale in 1965 – including the “Big Three” of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player – as Thomson prevailed by two shots to claim his fifth and final Open title.Only six-time winner Harry Vardon has won golf’s original championship more often, with Thomson among esteemed company alongside James Braid, JH Taylor and Tom Watson as a five-time champion.
To view Peter Thomson’s complete record at The Open, click HERE.
The R&A