Peter Thomson AO CBE - 2010 VU Sport Hall of Fame inductee
A five-time Open Championship winner and one of the most influential figures in the history of world golf.
2010 VU Sport Hall of Fame (golf)
Diploma of Applied Chemistry 1945, Honorary Doctorate 2006
Peter Thomson AO CBE is widely regarded as the greatest golfer in Australian history and one of the most influential figures the sport has ever produced. A proud Victoria University alumnus, his career combined extraordinary playing success with decades of leadership, course design and contribution to the global golfing community.
Born in Brunswick in 1929, Thomson developed his love of golf on Melbourne’s renowned sandbelt courses. He turned professional in 1949 and quickly established himself as one of the world’s leading players, winning the 1950 New Zealand Open and the 1951 Australian Open.
Over the next two decades he built one of the most remarkable records in world golf. For 20 consecutive years he won at least one professional tournament annually, claiming 27 national open titles and victories across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the Philippines, Europe, South Africa, India, Hong Kong, Canada and the United States.
Thomson’s greatest achievements came at The Open Championship, where he became a legend of the tournament. He won the title five times – in 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958 and 1965 – and remains the only golfer in the 20th century to win the event three consecutive years. His 1965 victory at Royal Birkdale came against a field that included Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tony Lema.
Although he competed on the American PGA Tour between 1953 and 1957, Thomson chose to base much of his career in Australia and the United Kingdom. He later enjoyed further success on the Senior PGA Tour, winning 11 tournaments, including a record nine victories in 1985.
Beyond playing, Thomson became one of the most respected figures in world golf. He served as President of the Australian PGA for 32 years, captained the only International Team to win the Presidents Cup in 1998 and wrote about golf for The Age newspaper for more than five decades. He also designed more than 180 golf courses in over 30 countries.
Peter Thomson passed away in 2018 at the age of 88. His induction into the Victoria University Sport Hall of Fame recognises an extraordinary life devoted to excellence and leadership in golf.