Peter Thomson joins New Zealand hall of fame

Australian golfer Peter Thomson.

An Australian has been inducted into the New Zealand Golf hall of fame.

He is Peter Thomson who won the New Zealand Open a remarkable nine times. His induction came on the eve of last month’s 100th New Zealand Open.

Thomson was an outstanding golfer. He won the British Open five times. The first three of those wins came in succession from 1954-56 and he won again in 1958 and 1965.

Thomson’s nine wins in the New Zealand Open were spread over more than two decades. His wins came in 1950, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1965 and 1971.

It was because of Thomson’s wins in the New Zealand Open that helped put the tournament on the golf’s world map.

In 1958 Thomson brought Gary Player, Harold Henning and David Thomas to New Zealand with the field regarded at the time as the best to contest the championship.

Thomson was recognised internationally for his stellar career when he was taken into the World Golf's hall of fame in 1988.

Thomson’s record was:-

• Open champion, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958 and 1965

• New Zealand Open champion, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1965 and 1971

• Six US PGA Tour titles

• Twenty nine European Tour titles

• An additional 30 professional wins worldwide

• Eleven US senior tour titles