Tom Watson (golfer)
No Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of victory Runner ( s ) -up
1 Jun 30 , 1974 Western Open 72-71-75-69=287 +3 2 strokes J. C. Snead , Tom Weiskopf
2 May 12 , 1975 Byron Nelson Golf Classic 72-63-69-65=269 −15 2 strokes Bob E. Smith
3 Jul 13 , 1975 The Open Championship 71-67-69-72=279 −9 Playoff Jack Newton
4 Jan 23 , 1977 Bing Crosby National Pro-Am 66-69-67-71=273 −15 1 stroke Tony Jacklin
5 Jan 30 , 1977 Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational 66-67-67-69=269 −19 5 strokes Larry Nelson , John Schroeder
6 Apr 10 , 1977 Masters Tournament 70-69-70-67=276 −12 2 strokes Jack Nicklaus
7 Jun 26 , 1977 Western Open ( 2 ) 70-69-75-69=283 −5 1 stroke Wally Armstrong , Johnny Miller
8 Jul 9 , 1977 The Open Championship ( 2 ) 68-70-65-65=268 −12 1 stroke Jack Nicklaus
9 Jan 8 , 1978 Joe Garagiola-Tucson Open 63-68-73-72=274 −14 3 strokes Bobby Wadkins
10 Jan 23 , 1978 Bing Crosby National Pro-Am ( 2 ) 66-74-71-69=280 −8 Playoff Ben Crenshaw
11 May 7 , 1978 Byron Nelson Golf Classic ( 2 ) 69-67-70-66=272 −8 1 stroke Lee Trevino
12 Aug 27 , 1978 Colgate Hall of Fame Classic 72-67-67-71=277 −7 1 stroke Hale Irwin , Tom Kite , Howard Twitty
13 Sep 24 , 1978 Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic 68-69-66-67=270 −18 3 strokes Ed Sneed
14 Apr 1 , 1979 Sea Pines Heritage Classic 65-65-69-71=270 −14 5 strokes Ed Sneed
15 Apr 22 , 1979 MONY Tournament of Champions 69-66-70-70=275 −13 6 strokes Bruce Lietzke , Jerry Pate
16 May 13 , 1979 Byron Nelson Golf Classic ( 3 ) 64-72-69-70=275 −5 Playoff Bill Rogers
17 May 27 , 1979 Memorial Tournament 73-69-72-71=285 −3 3 strokes Miller Barber
18 Aug 26 , 1979 Colgate Hall of Fame Classic ( 2 ) 70-68-65-69=272 −12 Playoff Johnny Miller
19 Jan 27 , 1980 Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational ( 2 ) 68-69-68-70=275 −13 Playoff D. A. Weibring
20 Feb 24 , 1980 Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open 69-66-70-71=276 −8 1 stroke Bob Gilder , Don January
Professional wins ( 70 ) -- PGA Tour wins ( 39 )
Legend Major championships ( 8 ) Tour Championships ( 1 ) Other PGA Tour ( 30 )
Thomas Sturges Watson (born September 4, 1949) is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour Champions, formerly on the PGA 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 his longevity: at nearly sixty years of age, and 26 years after his last major championship victory, he led after the second and third rounds of The Open Championship in 2009, but lost in a four-hole playoff. With a chance to win the tournament with par on the 72nd hole, he missed an 8-foot (2.4 m) putt, then lost to Stewart Cink in the playoff. 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 sixth on the list of total major championship victories, behind only Nicklaus, Woods, Walter Hagen, Hogan, and Player. Watson is also regarded as one of the greatest links players of all time, a claim backed up by his five Open Championship victories, his runner-up finishes at the 1984 Open Championship and 2009 Open Championship, and his three Senior British Open Championship titles in his mid-50s (2003, 2005, and 2007).