Best Golfer from Every State: Missouri Golf and Tom Watson

Missouri is a breeding ground for major champions, but Kansas City’s Tom Watson tops them all

The state of Missouri has a golfing pedigree far beyond its reputation. Five winners of a combined 17 men’s major championships were born within the state, four (Hale Irwin, Payne Stewart, Herman Keiser, and Horton Smith) rising to greatness within an obscure 70-mile stretch from Springfield to Joplin in the far southwest reaches. But to find the state’s undisputed champion, it is necessary to travel a few hundred miles north of Joplin up to the suburbs of Kansas City, where in September of 1949 Tom Watson was born.

Tom Watson is an eight-time major champion, giving him nearly half of the state’s historical total. Although a native of Missouri, he is something of a citizen of the world. He played college golf and earned his degree from Stanford, made his reputation as a five-time champion of the British Open, and now lives in Kansas.

A four-time state amateur champion, Watson graduated from Stanford in 1971 and joined the Tour, making his first big splash at the 1974 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, when he tied for fifth. Two weeks later he won his first professional tournament, beating J.C. Snead and Tom Weiskopf by two strokes at the Western Open.

When you look at all Tom Watson has done, it’s easy to see why he is the top Missouri Golf product.

His first major came at the 1975 Open at Carnoustie. Three strokes off Bobby Cole’s pace through three rounds, Watson closed with a Saturday afternoon 72 to finish at 9-under, tied with Australian Jack Newton. Their Sunday playoff was tied at even-par until Watson eagled the par 5 14th, holding on to defeat Newton by one stroke.

Watson enjoyed several great seasons in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but none may have been better than 1977. He won five tournaments that year, two of them majors. After winning the Bing Crosby and Andy Williams in back-to-back weeks in January, he shot 276 to win the Masters by two strokes over Jack Nicklaus.

After adding the Western Open in June, Watson won a second Open title at Turnberry, outlasting Jack Nicklaus in one of golf’s most memorable head-to-head battles. Tied for the lead and three strokes clear of the field through three rounds, he fell two behind on the final round’s second hole when he bogeyed while Nicklaus birdied. But Watson played the final 16 holes in 6-under par, catching Nicklaus with his fifth birdie of the day at the 15th hole and taking the lead with a birdie at the par 5 17th.

On the 18th, Watson stiffed his approach shot within two feet, forcing Nicklaus – who had driven into the rough – to make a birdie to have any chance. He slashed his recovery shot onto the green and holed a 35-foot birdie putt, only to watch Watson sink his own birdie putt for the victory.

Watson won 10 more tournaments in 1978 and 1979 and claimed his third major at the 1980 Open at Muirfield. He finished four strokes ahead of Lee Trevino at 13-under par. The 1981 Masters followed by two strokes over Jack Nicklaus, and between June of 1982 and July of 1983, Watson added his sixth through eighth majors, the 1982 U.S. and British Opens, and the 1983 Open title.

The 1982 title, at Troon, came when Watson held off Peter Oosterhuis with a closing 70 to win by one. On year later at Birkdale, Watson’s 70 was good enough to hold off closing rushes by Andy Bean and Hale Irwin by one stroke.

Joining the senior tour in 1999, Watson won 14 titles, six of them being majors.

He was a six-time PGA Tour Player of the Year, taking the honor annually from 1977 through 1980 and again in 1982 and 1984. A four-time Ryder Cupper, he captained the 1993 and 2014 teams. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1988.