History of Tom Watson (golfer) in Timeline
Tom Watson is a highly accomplished American professional golfer, renowned for his dominance in the 1970s and 1980s. He secured eight major championships and topped the PGA Tour money list five times, solidifying his position as a leading figure in the sport. Watson held the number one position in McCormack's World Golf Rankings from 1978 to 1982 and maintained a top ranking in subsequent years, demonstrating sustained excellence throughout his career.
2 hours ago : Tom Watson to be Honorary Starter at the 2026 Masters Tournament.
Tom Watson is named Honorary Starter for the 2026 Masters. The ceremony start time was revealed. Gary Player plans to participate for many years.
September 4, 1949: Thomas Sturges Watson Born
On September 4, 1949, Thomas Sturges Watson, the American professional golfer, was born.
1953: Ben Hogan Wins Both U.S. Open and Open Championship
In 1953, Ben Hogan won both the U.S. Open and Open Championship in the same year; Watson's 1982 feat made him only the third golfer since World War II to achieve this.
1953: Ben Hogan Wins Open Championship
In 1953, Ben Hogan won the Open Championship on his debut; Watson's 1975 win made him one of only four players since World War II to achieve this feat.
1964: Tony Lema Wins Open Championship
In 1964, Tony Lema won the Open Championship on his debut; Watson's 1975 win made him one of only four players since World War II to achieve this feat.
1967: Missouri State Amateur Championship
In 1967, Tom Watson won the Missouri State Amateur championship.
1968: Missouri State Amateur Championship
In 1968, Tom Watson won the Missouri State Amateur championship.
1970: Missouri State Amateur Championship
In 1970, Tom Watson won the Missouri State Amateur championship.
1970: Previous Masters Playoff
In 1970, the previous Masters Playoff took place on Monday under an 18-hole format.
1971: Lee Trevino Wins Both U.S. Open and Open Championship
In 1971, Lee Trevino won both the U.S. Open and Open Championship in the same year; Watson's 1982 feat made him only the third golfer since World War II to achieve this.
1971: Missouri State Amateur Championship and Graduation
In 1971, Tom Watson won the Missouri State Amateur championship and graduated from Stanford University with a degree in psychology.
1973: Bruce Edwards becomes caddie
In 1973, Tom Watson hired Bruce Edwards as his caddie for the first time at the St. Louis tournament.
1974: U.S. Open Disappointment and Byron Nelson's Offer
In 1974, Tom Watson contended in the U.S. Open but faded in the final round after holding the 54-hole lead. Byron Nelson offered encouragement and assistance afterwards.
1975: First Open Championship Victory
In 1975, Tom Watson won his first major championship, the Open Championship, on his first appearance in the event in Britain, defeating Jack Newton in a playoff.
1977: Tom Watson reflects on the past
During the 1994 Open Championship, held at Turnberry, Tom Watson reflects on his 1977 victory.
1977: Victories over Jack Nicklaus
In 1977, Tom Watson notably defeated Jack Nicklaus at the Masters and the Open Championship.
1977: Masters Victory
In 1977, Tom Watson won the Masters, securing his first green jacket after a final-round duel with Jack Nicklaus.
1977: Open Championship Victory at Turnberry
In 1977, Tom Watson's Open Championship victory at Turnberry in Scotland is regarded as one of the finest tournaments played in the second half of the 20th century, where he duelled with Jack Nicklaus, ultimately winning with a record score of 268.
1977: Top-10 of The Masters
Tom Watson began a period of high performance at the Masters, beginning in 1977, leading to finishing in the top-10 of the Masters in 13 of the 15 years between 1977 and 1991.
1978: Missed Playoff at Masters and PGA Championship Loss
In 1978, Tom Watson missed a playoff at the Masters and lost the PGA Championship in a 3-way sudden-death playoff to John Mahaffey, his closest attempt at the title.
1978: Ranked Number One
In 1978, Tom Watson was ranked as the number one player in the world according to McCormack's World Golf Rankings.
1979: Sea Pines Heritage Classic and Masters Runner-Up
In 1979, Tom Watson had five PGA Tour victories, including the Sea Pines Heritage Classic, and finished runner-up at the Masters, losing in a 3-way sudden-death playoff to Fuzzy Zoeller.
August 1980: Watson's Comments on Consistency
In August 1980, after his sixth victory of the year, Tom Watson stated his love for the game and the importance of dedication for improvement, acknowledging his increased consistency.
1981: Second Masters Title
In 1981, Tom Watson won his second Masters title at Augusta, finishing two strokes ahead of Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller.
July 1982: Open Championship Victory
In July 1982, Tom Watson won The Open Championship at Royal Troon, becoming only the third golfer since World War II to win the U.S. Open and Open Championship in the same year.
1982: Victory over Jack Nicklaus at the U.S. Open
In 1982, Tom Watson achieved victory over Jack Nicklaus at the U.S. Open.
1982: Continued Number One Ranking
Tom Watson maintained his position as the number one player in the world according to McCormack's World Golf Rankings until 1982.
July 1983: Fifth Open Championship Victory
In July 1983, Tom Watson won his fifth Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, marking his last major victory.
1983: Ranked Second
In 1983, Tom Watson was ranked second behind Seve Ballesteros according to McCormack's World Golf Rankings.
July 1984: Winless Streak Continues
As of July 1984, Tom Watson had not won a PGA Tour event.
1984: Runner-Up Finish in British Open
After his runner-up finish in the 1984 British Open, Watson's performance began to decline.
1984: Runner-up Finish at The Open Championship
In 1984, Tom Watson finished as runner-up at The Open Championship.
1984: Runner-Up at The Masters and Open Championship
In 1984, Tom Watson finished runner-up at The Masters and was in contention at The Open Championship but bogeyed the 17th, resulting in a tie for 2nd place.
1984: Second Ranking Continues
In 1984, Tom Watson was again ranked second behind Seve Ballesteros according to McCormack's World Golf Rankings.
1985: Decline in Form
In 1985, Tom Watson's form declined, causing him to miss out on a place in the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
1986: Hawaiian Open
In 1986, Tom Watson led the Hawaiian Open after the third round, but finished in a tie for 3rd place after bogeying the 71st and 72nd holes.
1986: Top 10 Sony Ranking
In 1986, Tom Watson spent 32 weeks in the top 10 of the successor Sony Rankings.
1987: U.S. Open
In 1987, Tom Watson held a one-shot lead entering the final round of the U.S. Open at the Olympic Club, but lost to Scott Simpson by one stroke.
1987: Nabisco Championship Victory
In 1987, Tom Watson won the Nabisco Championship, ending a three-year winless streak on the PGA Tour.
1988: Second Place at NEC World Series of Golf
In 1988, Tom Watson finished 2nd at the NEC World Series of Golf after missing a 3-foot putt in a playoff against Mike Reid.
1989: Fourth Place at the Open Championship
In 1989, Tom Watson contended at the Open Championship at Royal Troon, ultimately finishing in 4th place, two strokes outside the playoff between Mark Calcavecchia, Wayne Grady, and Greg Norman.
1991: Third Place Finish at the Masters Tournament
At the 1991 Masters Tournament, Tom Watson held a share of the lead on the 18th tee in the final round at Augusta but finished with a double-bogey 6 to tie for 3rd place, two strokes behind the champion Ian Woosnam.
1991: Critical of Heckling at the Masters
In 1991, Tom Watson was critical of the heckling of his playing partner Ian Woosnam during the final round of the Masters, advocating for sportsmanship and decorum.
1993: Ryder Cup Victory as Captain
In 1993, Tom Watson captained the American side to victory in the Ryder Cup at The Belfry in England.
1994: The Open Championship returns to Turnberry
In 1994, the Open Championship returned to Turnberry, the site of Tom Watson's 1977 victory, where he tied for 11th place.
1996: Victory at the Memorial Tournament
In 1996, Tom Watson had a revival in his career, winning the Memorial Tournament.
1997: Divorce from Linda Rubin
In 1997, Tom Watson and Linda Rubin divorced.
1998: Last PGA Tour Victory at MasterCard Colonial
In 1998, Tom Watson secured the last of his 39 wins on the PGA Tour at the MasterCard Colonial at 48 years old.
1999: Joins Champions Tour
In 1999, Tom Watson joined the Champions Tour.
2000: Tiger Woods Wins Both U.S. Open and Open Championship
In 2000, Tiger Woods later matched Watson's feat of winning both the U.S. Open and Open Championship in the same year.
2003: Ben Curtis Wins Open Championship
In 2003, Ben Curtis won the Open Championship on his debut; Watson's 1975 win made him one of only four players since World War II to achieve this feat.
2003: Senior Open Championship Win at Turnberry
In 2003, Tom Watson revisited his 1977 Open Championship win at Turnberry with another win there in the Senior Open Championship.
2003: Senior British Open Championship Title
In 2003, Tom Watson won a Senior British Open Championship title.
2003: Shared Lead at U.S. Open
In 2003, at age 53, Tom Watson shared the opening-round lead at the U.S. Open by shooting a 65, with his caddy Bruce Edwards.
April 8, 2004: Bruce Edwards' Death
On April 8, 2004, Bruce Edwards, Tom Watson's long-time caddy, passed away after being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease.
2005: Senior Open Championship Victory
In 2005, Tom Watson had a victory in the Senior Open Championship.
2005: Senior British Open Championship Title
In 2005, Tom Watson won a Senior British Open Championship title.
2007: Senior Open Championship Victory
In 2007, Tom Watson had a victory in the Senior Open Championship.
2007: Senior British Open Championship Title
In 2007, Tom Watson won a Senior British Open Championship title.
2009: Runner-up Finish at The Open Championship
In 2009, Tom Watson finished as runner-up at The Open Championship.
2009: Exemption Extended for Final Open Appearance
Tom Watson's exemption for his 2009 Open finish was extended in 2015, giving him the opportunity to play at St. Andrews and make one final Open appearance.
2010: Comments on Prize Money
In 2010, Tom Watson expressed his opinion that excessive prize money can negatively impact some golfers' desire to improve.
2010: Comments on Ping-Eye 2 Wedges and Tiger Woods
In 2010, Tom Watson voiced his agreement with Lee Westwood regarding Ping-Eye 2 wedges and criticized Tiger Woods' behavior, urging him to show humility.
2010: Competed in the Masters Tournament
In April 2010, Tom Watson competed in the Masters Tournament, finishing with a share of eighteenth place.
2012: Watson reflects on 2009 Open Championship
In an interview in 2012, Tom Watson admitted that he was "distraught" at coming so close to becoming the oldest Major winner at the age of 59 and said that the experience in the 2009 Open Championship "tore his guts out".
2015: Final Open Appearance at St. Andrews
In 2015, Tom Watson's exemption for his 2009 Open finish was extended, allowing him a final Open appearance at St. Andrews, where he missed the cut.
April 2016: Final Masters Appearance
In April 2016, Tom Watson played in his final Masters Tournament, missing the cut by two strokes.
2018: Won Masters Tournament Par-3 contest
In 2018, Tom Watson won the Masters Tournament Par-3 contest at the age of 68, becoming the oldest ever to win the event.
July 2019: Final Competitive Event on British Soil
In July 2019, Tom Watson played his final competitive event on British soil, participating in the Senior British Open for the final time.
2019: Death of Hilary Watson
In 2019, Hilary Watson, Tom Watson's wife, passed away.
2022: Marriage and Separation from Leslie Anne Wade
In 2022, Tom Watson married Leslie Anne Wade, but they separated later that year.
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