Tom Watson

Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)

Weight: 175 lb (79 kg)

Birthdate: September 4, 1949

College: Stanford University

Year turned pro: 1971

Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, USA

Country: USA

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Born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1949, Watson was to become one of the most familiar figures on a golf course in the 1970s and 1980s. During this time he was often ranked as the number one player in the world, and he achieved some impressive results. His impressive performances were not restricted to that era though. As recently as 2009 he astounded fellow professionals, commentators and fans alike when he led for much of the Open championship, only to eventually lose out in four-hole play-off. He did all of this at the age of almost 60.

At the peak of his form, Watson often found himself in fierce competition with Jack Nicklaus. Although both men always wanted to win, they always competed in an amicable manner which helped to increase their own personal popularity as well as that of the game as a whole.  Whether competing against Nicklaus or not, Watson had a very impressive career. His wins included a total of eight major championships, five them achieved at the Open championship, two at the Masters and one at the US Open. The only major title which Watson did not win was the PGA Championship. Nonetheless, he still ranks among the greats of the game, along with players such as Nicklaus, Ben Hogan and Tiger Woods.

There is no doubt that Watson is, and always will be, regarded as one of the best links players ever as seems to be attested by his five wins at the Open Championship. Aside from his personal success, Watson was also a member of the US Ryder Cup team on four occasions and captained them to a victory in 1993.

As of the end of 2014, Watson had achieved 39 wins on the PGA Tour, amassing total prize money of $11,068,849.