Peter Thomson, an Australian who won five British Opens and became the only player in the 20th century to win that major in three consecutive years, died Wednesday in Melbourne, Australia. He was 88.
His death was announced by Golf Australia, the sport’s governing body in that country. He had had Parkinson’s disease for more than four years, The Associated Press said.
At a time when Australians had made little impact on international golf, Thomson emerged as a leading player on links far from his homeland, winning the British Open each summer from 1954 to 1956 and again in 1958 and 1965.