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Tom Watson
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EXEMPT STATUS: Top 31
on 2001 SENIOR TOUR Money List
FULL NAME: Thomas Sturges Watson
HEIGHT: 5-9
WEIGHT: 175
BIRTHDATE: September 4, 1949
BIRTHPLACE: Kansas City, MO
RESIDENCE: Stilwell, KS
FAMILY: Wife, Hilary; Meg (9/13/79), Michael Barrett
(12/15/82), stepchildren Kyle (9/23/86), Paige (4/22/89), Ross
(8/31/91)
EDUCATION: Stanford University (1971, Psychology)
SPECIAL INTERESTS: Current affairs, outdoor life
TURNED PROFESSIONAL: 1971
JOINED TOUR: 1999
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| PGA TOUR Victories |
| (34) 1974 Western Open. 1975 Byron Nelson Golf Classic.
1977 Bing Crosby National Pro-Am, Andy Williams-San Diego
Open Invitationa, Masters Tournament, Western Open. 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 Invitationa, Glen Campbell-Los
Angeles Open, MONY Tournament of Champions, Greater New
Orleans Open, Byron Nelson Golf Classic, World Series
of Golf. 1981 Masters Tournament, USF&G New Orleans Open,
Atlanta Classic. 1982 Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open,
Sea Pines Heritage, U.S. Open Championship. 1984 Seiko/Tucson
Match Play Championship, MONY Tournament of Champions,
Western Open. 1987 Nabisco Championship. 1996 Memorial
Tournament. 1998 MasterCard Colonial. |
| SENIOR TOUR Victories |
| (3) 1999 Bank One Championship. 2000 IR SENIOR TOUR
Championship. 2001 Senior PGA Championship. |
| International Victories |
| 1999 Wendy's Three-Tour Challenge (with Jack Nicklaus
& Hale Irwin), 1999 Diner's Club Matches (with Jack Nicklaus),
2000 Hyundai Team Matches (with Jack Nicklaus). |
| Other Victories |
| 1975, 1977, 1980, 1982 and 1983 British Open, 1980 and
1997 Dunlop Phoenix, 1984 Australian Open, 1992 Hong Kong
Open, 1994 Skins Game. |
| Current Year Charles Schwab Cup
Points and Positions |
| 399 (7th) |
| Current Year SENIOR PGA TOUR Money
and Positions |
| $445,683 (9) |
| Current Year SENIOR TOUR Best Finishes |
| 2--ACE Group Classic, SBC Senior Classic, Royal Caribbean
Classic; T10--Toshiba Senior Classic |
| Current Year SENIOR TOUR Best Round |
| 64 at Round 1, ACE Group Classic |
| Current Year SENIOR TOUR Highlights |
| Contended down the stretch at the rain-shortened Royal
Caribbean Classic before eventually tying for second along
with Isao Aoki and Bruce Fleisher, one stroke behind John
Jacobs. Took the lead briefly midway through the final
round, but lost his momentum with a three-putt bogey on
the par-4 15th hole at Crandon Park...Went head-to-head
down the stretch with Hale Irwin at The ACE Group Classic
before losing by one stroke. Went for the green in two
at the par-5 17th hole, but came up short in the water
and eventually made a bogey that proved to be the difference.
Made his first hole-in-one on the SENIOR TOUR and 13th
of his career in the opening round (16th hole - 6-iron,
153 yards)...Recorded third consecutive second after losing
in a playoff to Tom Kite at SBC Senior Classic. Chipped
in for eagle from 123 feet on the 54th hole to force Kite
to make a five-foot birdie putt to tie. Kite won with
a par on the second playoff hole. |
| Best 2001 PGA TOUR Finishes |
| T66--PGA Championship |
| 2001 Season PGA TOUR |
| Tournaments Entered--4; in money--1; Top-10 finishes--0 |
| Best 2001 SENIOR TOUR Finishes |
| 1--Senior PGA Championship; T2--Siebel Classic in Silicon
Valley; 4--SENIOR TOUR Championship; T8--MasterCard Championship,
FORD SENIOR PLAYERS Championship; T9--Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Match Play Champ; T10--NFL Golf Classic, 3M Championship |
| 2001 Season SENIOR TOUR |
| Tournaments Entered--13; in money--13; Top-10 finishes--8 |
| 2001 Season Highlights |
| PGA TOUR record string of consecutive years earning
at least $100,000 stopped at 26 (1974-present)...Played
in four events for second straight season, making his
only cut, T66, in the PGA Championship...Picked up a win
for third consecutive year on SENIOR TOUR at Senior PGA
Championship...Did not miss a cut in 13 starts, including
eight top-10s and earnings of just under $1 million. |
| 2001 Season Highlights |
| Made 13 starts for the second straight year and finished
17th on the money list with $986,547...Recorded eight
top-10 finishes and won his first senior major championship.
Triumphed at the Senior PGA Championship in New Jersey
in May. After opening with a 72, followed with rounds
of 69-66-67 to nip Jim Thorpe by one stroke at Ridgewood
Country Club...Contended at the inaugural Siebel Classic
in Silicon Valley in March, before finishing as a runner-up
along with Allen Doyle, five strokes behind Hale Irwin...Troubled
much of the early portion of the year with a strained
ligament in his right elbow that he injured while working
out just prior to The Masters. Was out of action from
mid-April until mid-May...Went over the $11 million mark
in all-time earnings at the Verizon Classic...Made four
starts on the PGA TOUR -- Masters Tournament (MC), WORLDCOM
CLASSIC (MC), British Open (MC) and PGA Championship (T66)...Inducted
into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame during the week
of the Siebel Classic in Silicon Valley. |
| Career Highlights |
| 2000: Went over the $1-million mark in season earnings
for the first time in his career with $1,146,361...Saved
his best for the last official event of the season, claiming
the IR SENIOR TOUR Championship and the subsequent $365,000
first prize. Was T3 after 54 holes, but fired a 6-under-par
66 on the final day for the victory. Held off a late charge
by John Jacobs for a one-stroke win and jumped from 20th
to 13th on the final money list. Win at Myrtle Beach made
him the first to claim season-ending events on both TOURs
(won '87 Nabisco Championship of Golf)...Also was a runner-up
four times, including the TD Waterhouse Championship,
near his home in Kansas City, where Dana Quigley spoiled
his bid for a win with a 12-foot birdie putt on the final
hole. Had battled his way back into contention at the
Tiffany Greens with a final-round 63, his low score of
the year...Lost twice in playoffs. Was one of four players
involved in the overtime session at the ACE Group Classic,
eventually falling to Lanny Wadkins...Along with Larry
Nelson, lost in a three-way playoff to Tom Kite at The
Countrywide Tradition...Also battled Larry Nelson until
the final hole at the Boone Valley Classic before finishing
solo second in St. Louis...Was under par in 35 of the
43 rounds he played and had 20 rounds in the 60s...Had
a run of 21 straight par/better rounds early in the year
(Bruno's Memorial Classic thru second round of FORD SENIOR
PLAYERS)...Made the cut in three of four appearances on
the PGA TOUR...T9 at the PGA Championship near Louisville,
the best performance by a senior in that event since Sam
Snead T3 in 1974. Matched his career-best round in a PGA
Championship when he posted a 65 on Saturday at Valhalla...Also
finished T27 at U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and T55 at the
British Open...Missed the cut at the Masters. 1999: Made
two appearances on the SENIOR TOUR after turning 50 in
September...Claimed his first SENIOR TOUR win in his second
start, the Bank One Championship in Dallas...At the time,
became the third-youngest player ever to win a SENIOR
TOUR event at 50 years, 15 days. Gil Morgan (50 yrs, 11
days/1996 Ralphs Senior Classic) and George Archer (50
yrs., 14 days/1989 Gatlin Brothers Southwest Classic).
Victory at Bent Tree made him the 10th of a record 11
first-time winners...Made debut on the SENIOR TOUR at
the Comfort Classic just six days after turning 50...Tied
for the lead after the first round with a 6-under-par
66, and followed with 69-75 for a T22...Prior to joining
the SENIOR TOUR, played 13 events on the PGA TOUR, winning
$141,410. A T16 at the Sony Open in Hawaii was his best
PGA TOUR finish. |
| Personal |
| Big fan of hometown Kansas City Royals...Active in Kansas
City area charitable endeavors, including Children's Mercy
Hospital and development of golf courses for junior players...In
1999, was made an honorary member of the Royal & Ancient
Golf Club of St. Andrews, joining fellow Americans Arnold
Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, former President George Bush and
the late Gene Sarazen. |
| PGA TOUR Playoff Record |
| 8-4 |
| SENIOR TOUR Playoff Record |
| 0-3 |
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