Athletes - Tom Watson

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	Athletes - Tom Watson

Thomas Sturges Watson (born September 4, 1949 in Kansas City, Missouri) is a golfer on the Champions Tour, who still occasionally competes in PGA TOUR events.

Career outline

A lifelong golfer (gaining local notoriety while on his high school team at The Pembroke Country-Day School for Boys, today The Pembroke Hill School, in Kansas City), Watson began his golf career in 1971, the same year he graduated from Stanford University, where he was a member of Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity, with a degree in psychology.

He has won eight major championships on the regular tour—two Masters (1977 and 1981), one US Open (1982), and five British Opens (1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983).

His 1977 British Open victory, at Turnberry in Scotland, was especially memorable. After two rounds, he and Jack Nicklaus were one shot out of the lead and paired for the third round. Both shot 65, ending the third round three shots clear of the field. Watson and Nicklaus were again paired for the final round. On the last day, the two were tied after 16 holes. Nicklaus missed a makeable birdie putt on 17, losing his share of the lead to Watson, who birdied 17. On the 18th, Nicklaus drove into the rough, while Watson drove into the fairway. Watson's approach landed three feet from the flag, while Nicklaus, after a drive into deep rough, managed to get his approach 30 feet away. Nicklaus sank his birdie putt to finish with a 66, but Watson followed suit with his own birdie, finishing with a second straight 65 and his second Open.

Watson's only US Open win, in 1982 at Pebble Beach, was equally memorable. Nicklaus, playing two groups ahead of Watson in the final round, charged into a share of the lead with five consecutive birdies. When Watson reached the par-3 17th hole the two were still tied, but with Nicklaus safely in the clubhouse at 4 under par 284. Watson hit his tee shot on 17 into the rough just off the green. He faced an extremely difficult chip shot downhill on a very fast green that sloped toward the Pacific Ocean. While being interviewed on national television and fully aware of Watson's terrible predicament, Nicklaus appeared confident he was on his way to an unprecedented fifth US Open championship. Watson's chip shot, amazingly, hit the flagstick and landed in the cup, giving him a near-miraculous birdie and setting the stage for yet another win over Nicklaus. Watson went on to birdie the 18th as well, for a final margin of two shots.

He joined the Champions Tour in 1999, the same year he earned an honorary membership of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews in Scotland. Ironically, St. Andrews is one of the few Open venues where Watson did not claim victory.

A memorable moment in Watson's career came at the 2003 US Open, when he shot an opening-round 65 with his longtime caddy Bruce Edwards carrying his clubs. The latter would succumb to ALS on April 8, 2004 at the age of 49.

In total Watson won 39 events on the PGA TOUR between 1974 and 1998. As of the end of the 2005 season he had eight wins on the Champions Tour, including four senior majors. He has also won a number of unofficial and international events.

Watson was one of two players to play with Jack Nicklaus in the final two rounds of golf in Nicklaus' career; the other was Luke Donald.

Having resided for many years in Mission Hills, Kansas, Watson currently resides in Stillwell, Kansas with his wife, two children, and three stepchildren. He also designed the National Golf Club of Kansas City golf course.

PGA TOUR wins

1974 Western Open
1975 Byron Nelson Golf Classic, The Open Championship
1977 Bing Crosby National Pro-Am, Andy Williams-San Diego Open, The Masters, Western Open, The Open Championship
1978 Joe Garagiola-Tucson Open, Bing Crosby National Pro-Am, Byron Nelson Golf Classic, Colgate Hall of Fame Classic, Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic
1979 Sea Pines Heritage Classic, MONY Tournament of Champions, Byron Nelson Golf Classic, Memorial Tournament, Colgate Hall of Fame Classic
1980 Andy Williams-San Diego Open, Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open, MONY Tournament of Champions, Greater New Orleans Open, Byron Nelson Golf Classic, The Open Championship, World Series of Golf
1981 The Masters, USF&G New Orleans Open, Atlanta Classic
1982 Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open, Sea Pines Heritage, U.S. Open, The Open Championship
1983 The Open Championship
1984 Seiko-Tucson Match Play Championship, MONY Tournament of Champions, Western Open
1987 Nabisco Championship
1996 Memorial Tournament
1998 MasterCard Colonial

Major championships are shown in bold.

Other regular career wins

1980 Dunlop Phoenix (Japan Golf Tour)
1984 Australian Open
1992 Hong Kong Open
1994 Skins Game
1997 Dunlop Phoenix (Japan Golf Tour)

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Athletes - Tom Watson

Career outline

PGA TOUR wins

Other regular career wins

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