It’s a tragedy Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy, Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby, and Aaron Baddeley haven’t enough Peter Thomson in them.
Melbourne born-and-based, Thomson won four British Opens, and finished runner-up three times, in seven successive years – 1952 to 1958 – no golfer has come within cooee of matching that phenomenal performance since, in the one major. For the icing on the cake, Thomson won his fifth British Open in 1965.
And before the great Australian knocker surfaces chirping Thomson had no-one to beat – he had to contend with South Africa’s four-time champion Bobby Locke, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, the early stage of Jack Nicklaus’ career, and compatriot Kel Nagle, winner of the Centenary British Open, in 1960.
Thomson was an almost flawless golfer, his sweet swing held up under pressure with a strong short game, and he could putt. In short, he not only had outstanding ability, but the application to make it pay.
The current quintet has the ability, no doubt about that, but nowhere near the necessary application. They should have won a lot more tournaments, and especially majors.
Ogilvy won the 2006 US Open, but he would be the first to admit he came through the back door. The odds would be a million-to-one that Phil Mickelson, and Colin Montgomerie, two of the best in the field, would both double-bogey the 72nd hole to gift-wrap the title to the Australian, by a shot.
Making Thomson the Australian benchmark. To put his stellar career in perspective, only seven other Australians have won majors, totalling nine to Thomson’s five.
* Nagle’s 1960 British Open.
* David Graham – the 1979 USPGA, and 1980 US Open.
* Greg Norman – the 1986, and 1993 British Opens, but beaten in all four majors in play-offs – 1984 US Open (Fuzzy Zoeller), 1987 Masters (Larry Mize), 1989 British Open (Mark Calcavecchia), and the 1993 USPGA by Paul Azinger.
* Wayne Grady – the 1990 USPGA, beaten in the 1989 British Open play-off, by Calcavecchia.
* Ian Baker-Finch – the 1991 British Open.
* Steve Elkington – the 1995 USPGA.
* And Ogilvy.
This week will be the 75th chance for an Australian to don the coveted US Masters green jacket, for the first time.
* Norman’s been the closest with three seconds – 1986, 1987, and 1993 – the biggest disappointments of his career, notably the last where he led by six shots over Nick Faldo, but lost by five, the 11-shot turnaround a record at Augusta.
* Jack Newton finished second to Seve Ballesteros, in 1980.
* And Bruce Crampton was runner-up to Nicklaus, in 1972.
There will be six Australians in the elite field this week – the quintet and Jason Day on debut – with Mickelson the defending champion, seeking a fourth green jacket.
Scott has the best chance. Not long ago he was number three in the world, but Scott’s biggest problem is Scott. A switch to the belly putter has improved that department, now he has to concentrate on staying on the short grass at Augusta, anything wayward can be fatal. Current ranking 28.
Allenby is the best striker of the ball among the six Australians, but his putting borders on atrocious – been ranked as high as 9, now 30.
Ogilvy can beat anyone on his day, he has a magnificent array of shots, but those on days are far too far apart – was ranked 3, now 32.
Day could turn out to be a surprise packet, providing he’s not too over-awed in his first appearance. He doesn’t mess around, he’s a fast player, who can really putt – currently ranked 38 in only his second year on the USPGA tour.
Appleby’s one of five to crack the magic 60 barrier – his 59 last year was superb golf to win the Greenbrier Classic by a shot, and he was in a four-way play-off for the 2002 British Open, won by Ernie Els, so he knows how to contend – was ranked as high as 9, now 68.
And Baddeley, promising so much, and delivering so little. One of golf’s best putters, the rest of his game meanders between awesome to awful. He had the world at his feet in 1999 when he won the Australian Open as an amateur, beating Norman and Montgomerie, and backed that up by winning the 2000 Australian Open, his first as a pro. Since then he’s been hot on occasions, but predominately cold – highest ranking 18, currently 69.
For mine, Allenby’s the most capable of making a noise if his putter is hot, and providing Peter Thomson can use his ESP through the television set to make his co-Melbournian apply himself.
"It looked like it was gonna go for miles - and then it went nowhere!"
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