Tom Watson (golfer)

Watson joined the PGA Tour in 1971. He hired Bruce Edwards to be his caddie for the first time at the 1973 St. Louis tournament held at Norwood Hills Country Club, and the two connected, with Edwards caddying for Watson at most events after that for a period of many years.[9]

Watson contended in a major championship for the first time at the U.S. Open in 1974 at Winged Foot, but he faded badly in the final round after having the 54-hole lead. Following this disappointment, Watson was approached in the locker room by legendary retired player Byron Nelson, a broadcaster at the event, who offered encouragement, insight and assistance. Nelson and Watson spoke briefly at that time, with Nelson saying he liked Watson's game and aggressiveness, and offered to help him improve. Watson, although disappointed by his weak finish, was flattered to receive Nelson's interest. However, the two men did not manage to get together to work on golf in depth until several months later, when Watson played in the Tour's Byron Nelson Classic in the Dallas area, and visited Nelson's nearby home. The two men would eventually develop a close and productive teacher-student relationship and friendship; Nelson had similarly mentored the young rising star Ken Venturi during the 1950s.[10][11]

Only two weeks after the Winged Foot collapse in 1974, Watson won his first Tour title at the Western Open near Chicago, coming from six shots back in the final round at Butler National.[12][13] With Nelson's guidance on swing mechanics and course management, and determined hard work, Watson's game advanced quickly, and he won his first major championship, the 1975 Open Championship, on his first appearance in the event in Britain. Watson holed a 20-foot putt for a birdie on the 72nd hole to tie Jack Newton. The following day Watson won an 18-hole playoff at Carnoustie by a stroke, carding a 71 to Newton's 72. Watson was able to gain the upper hand in the playoff after chipping in for an eagle at the 14th hole.[14] Watson is one of only four players since World War II to have won the Open Championship on their debut, the others being Ben Hogan (1953), Tony Lema (1964) and Ben Curtis (2003).[15]

Watson won his second major championship and his first green jacket as Masters champion in 1977 after a duel with Jack Nicklaus. During the final round, Watson stood on the 17th green tied with Nicklaus for the lead. Watson holed a 20-foot putt for a birdie to go one stroke ahead of Nicklaus. Watson's par on the 18th hole won him the Masters title by two strokes after Nicklaus had a bogey on the 18th.

Watson's 1977 Open Championship victory, at Turnberry in Scotland, was especially memorable, and is considered by many to be the finest tournament played in the second half of the 20th century. After two rounds, he and Jack Nicklaus were one shot out of the lead and paired for the third round. Both shot 65, ending the third round three shots clear of the field. Watson and Nicklaus were again paired for the final round. On the last day, the two were tied after 16 holes. Nicklaus missed a makeable birdie putt on 17, losing his share of the lead to Watson, who birdied 17. On the 18th, Nicklaus drove into the rough, while Watson drove the fairway. Watson's approach landed two feet from the flag, while Nicklaus, after a drive into deep rough and near a gorse plant, managed to get his approach 40 feet away. Nicklaus sank his birdie putt to finish with a 66, but Watson followed suit with his own birdie, finishing with a second straight 65 and his second Open, with a record score of 268 (12 under par). The two players finished well ahead of the other challengers (Hubert Green in third place was ten strokes behind Nicklaus, at 279), and shot the same score every round except for the final day, which was then played on Saturday.

In 1978, as defending Masters champion, Watson needed a par on the 18th hole of his final round to tie over 72 holes with Gary Player, who had shot a record-tying final round of 64. However, Watson missed out on a playoff by sending his approach shot to the 18th into the gallery and missing the 10-foot par putt he needed for a playoff. He finished tied for 2nd place at Augusta, one stroke behind Gary Player.[16] Watson had five PGA Tour victories in 1978, but he also had one of the biggest disappointments of his career in that year's PGA Championship in August at Oakmont. Watson had a five-shot lead after 54 holes, but lost the tournament in a 3-way sudden-death playoff to John Mahaffey. This would be the closest that Watson came to landing the one major title that eluded him.[17]

In 1979, Watson had a further five PGA Tour victories, including a five-shot victory in the Sea Pines Heritage Classic, which he won with a then tournament record 14-under par 270.[18] Watson again finished runner-up at the Masters in 1979, when he lost in a 3-way sudden-death playoff to Fuzzy Zoeller. This was the first sudden-death playoff at the Masters, with the previous playoff at Augusta in 1970 having taken place on Monday under an 18-hole format. Watson also finished 2nd in The Players Championship in 1979.

Watson had an outstanding year in 1980. A brilliant third round of 64 at Muirfield helped him to win his third Open Championship title in Britain by four strokes. He was the leading money winner on the PGA Tour for the fourth consecutive year, winning six tournaments in America. Watson showed tremendous consistency in 1980, with sixteen top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour that year.[19] In August 1980, after his sixth victory of the year in America, Watson said: "I love this game. I feel that dedication is the only way to improve. I've been more consistent this year than in the previous three years."[20]

In 1981, Watson won his second Masters title at Augusta by two strokes over Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller. Watson had a further two Tour victories in 1981 at the USF&G New Orleans Open and the Atlanta Classic.

The U.S. Open was the major that Watson most wanted to win. In 1982 at Pebble Beach, he was able to realize his dream after an engaging duel with Jack Nicklaus in one of the most memorable major championships of all time. Playing three groups ahead of Watson in the final round, Nicklaus charged into a share of the lead with five consecutive birdies. When Watson reached the par-3 17th hole the two were still tied, but with Nicklaus safely in the clubhouse at 4-under par 284. Watson hit his tee shot on the 17th into the rough just off the green, leaving an extremely difficult chip shot downhill on a very fast green. While being interviewed on national television and fully aware of Watson's perilous predicament, Nicklaus appeared confident he was on his way to an unprecedented fifth U.S. Open championship. Watson's chip shot, amazingly, hit the flag stick and fell into the cup, giving him a miraculous birdie and setting the stage for yet another win over Nicklaus. Watson went on to birdie the 18th as well, for a final margin of two shots.

The following month in July 1982 at Royal Troon in Scotland, Watson became only the third golfer since World War II to win the U.S. Open and Open Championship in the same year after Ben Hogan (1953) and Lee Trevino (1971) - a feat later matched by Tiger Woods (2000).[21] After the first two rounds of the 1982 Open Championship, Watson was seven shots behind the leader Bobby Clampett, whose commanding lead was reduced after a third round of 78. During the final round, Nick Price, who was playing in one of the groups behind Watson, gained the lead. Watson stood on the 18th tee of the final round two strokes behind Price. Watson waited patiently after his round as Price's lead evaporated, leaving Watson the Open winner by one stroke.[22]

In 1983, as defending U.S. Open champion at Oakmont, Watson shared the 54-hole lead with Seve Ballesteros. In the final round though, Watson missed a 6-foot putt for par on the 17th and finished in 2nd place, one stroke behind the winner Larry Nelson.[23] The following month in July 1983, Watson won his fifth Open Championship and the last of his eight majors at Royal Birkdale, his only Open victory on English soil. (His four other titles came in Scotland.)[24]

In 1984, Watson finished runner-up for the third time at the Masters, finishing two strokes behind the champion Ben Crenshaw. Watson had three Tour wins in 1984, including his third victory in the Western Open after a playoff against Greg Norman. A fortnight later in the 1984 Open Championship at St Andrews, Watson was in contention during the final holes to win a third consecutive Open and a sixth Open Championship overall to tie the record for the most Open wins by Harry Vardon. However, Watson bogeyed the par-4 "Road Hole" 17th and Seve Ballesteros birdied the 18th, resulting in a victory for Ballesteros and Watson finishing in a tie for 2nd place.[25]

After his runner-up finish in the 1984 British Open, Watson did not manage to win a PGA Tour event for the next three years until the 1987 Nabisco Championship. Watson went from being the PGA Tour money leader in 1984[26] to finishing 18th on the PGA Tour's money list in 1985.[26] As a result of a decline in form, Watson missed out on a place in the 1985 U.S. Ryder Cup team.

In the 1986 Hawaiian Open, Watson was the third-round leader and was aiming to end his winless streak since July 1984. However, Watson bogeyed the 71st and 72nd holes and finished in a tie for 3rd place, behind the winner Corey Pavin.[27]

In the 1987 U.S. Open, Watson had a one-shot lead going into the final round at the Olympic Club. Watson was a gallery favorite during the tournament. He had strong support from the spectators having played golf for Stanford University, 30 miles south of the Olympic Club in San Francisco.[28] He was aiming to win his ninth major championship, which would have tied him for major wins with Ben Hogan and Gary Player, but Watson lost the tournament by a stroke to Scott Simpson. In the final round, Simpson had three consecutive birdies on the back-nine to take the lead. Watson's 45-foot putt for a birdie on the 72nd hole which would have forced a playoff with Simpson was about two inches short.[29]

Watson (left) with President Ronald Reagan and Lee Trevino in 1988.

Watson's stellar play on the PGA Tour faded in the late 1980s when he began to have problems putting even though his tee-to-green game seemed to improve. During this period he had some near-misses in tournaments. Watson finished 2nd at the 1988 NEC World Series of Golf, missing a 3-foot putt in a playoff against Mike Reid.[30]

In 1989, Watson was in contention during the Open Championship at Royal Troon, but he finished in 4th place, two strokes outside the playoff between Mark Calcavecchia, Wayne Grady and Greg Norman.

At the 1991 Masters Tournament, Watson stood on the 18th tee in the final round at Augusta with a share of the lead but had a double-bogey 6 to finish in a tie for 3rd place, two strokes behind the champion Ian Woosnam.[31] It was Watson's 15th consecutive top-20 finish at The Masters, having finished in the top-10 of The Masters in 13 of the 15 years between 1977 and 1991.

In 1994, when The Open Championship returned to Turnberry, the site of his 1977 victory, Watson commented, "Sometimes you lose your desire through the years. Any golfer goes through that. When you play golf for a living, like anything in your life, you are never going to be constantly, at the top".[32] He finished tied for 11th at the Open Championship that year, but he had a revival in the late 1990s, winning the 1996 Memorial Tournament and gaining the last of his 39 wins on the PGA Tour at the 1998 MasterCard Colonial when he was 48 years old.

In 1997 Watson won the Japan Golf Tour's prestigious Dunlop Phoenix tournament for the second time. It was the last of his four victories in Japan.

In the 2003 U.S. Open, at age 53, he shared the opening-round lead by shooting a 65 with his long-time caddy Bruce Edwards carrying his clubs and giving advice. Edwards had been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease earlier in the year, and Watson contributed significant time and money that year with Bruce to raise money for research into finding a cure for motor neuron disease. Edwards died on April 8, 2004.

Watson was one of two players to play with Jack Nicklaus in the final two rounds of golf in Nicklaus' career, which ended at the 2005 Open Championship on the Old Course at St Andrews. Englishman Luke Donald was the third member of the group.

In the first round of the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry, Watson shot a 5-under 65, one stroke behind the leader Miguel Ángel Jiménez.[33] In the second round, he tied for the lead after making a huge putt on the 18th green. His score for the round was 70, 38 out and 32 back. This made Watson – at 59 years of age – the oldest man to have the lead after any round of a major. In addition, with a relatively low-scoring third round, one-over-par 71, he kept the lead outright by one shot, so also became the oldest player to lead a major going into the last round. He acknowledged after that 3rd round he was thinking of Bruce Edwards as he walked the 18th fairway.[34]

Watson finished regulation 72-hole play in the Open tied for the lead with Stewart Cink, with a cumulative score of −2. He needed a par on the 72nd hole to capture a sixth career Open Championship title, but his second shot on the 72nd hole went over the green. Then, from several yards behind the 18th green, Watson first putted up the slope and past the hole, then missed a second 8-foot putt by about 6 inches to the right of the cup. His bogey led to a four-hole aggregate playoff with Cink, running through the 5th, 6th, 17th, and 18th holes. With several errant shots not typical of the previous 72 holes, he lost the playoff by six strokes.[35]

The following April, Watson competed in the 2010 Masters Tournament. Watson shot an opening-round 67, one shot off the first-round lead held by fellow Champions Tour player Fred Couples. Watson subsequently posted rounds of 74, 73, and 73. His 72-hole, one-under-par total of 287 gave Watson a share of eighteenth place. Watson thus became only the second player in history, after Sam Snead, to post a top-20 finish in at least one major championship in five different decades. Watson holds the record for the longest time span between first and last playoffs on the PGA Tour. That time span is 34 years, 6 days. Watson won the 1975 Open Championship in an 18-hole playoff and 34 years later lost a playoff for the 2009 Open Championship.

Due to his performance in 2009 and early 2010, along with his 1982 U.S. Open victory at Pebble Beach, the USGA awarded Watson a special exemption to the 2010 U.S. Open. He finished the tournament tied for 29th.

In an interview in 2012, Watson admitted that he was "distraught" at coming so close to becoming the oldest Major winner at the age of 59 and said that the experience in the 2009 Open Championship "tore his guts out". Watson said of his approach shot to the green at the 72nd hole, when he needed a par to win the Open: "I was going right at the flag but with the uncertainty of links golf, maybe a gust of wind took it a bit further than it was supposed to. I felt extreme disappointment that night but the one good thing that came of that was the response of people around the world."[36]

For the 2015 Open Championship, Watson's exemption for his 2009 finish was extended to give him an opportunity to play at St. Andrews and make one final Open appearance. Watson won Open Championships at five different courses, but St. Andrews was not among them. He missed the cut and made an emotional walk across the Swilcan Bridge at twilight.[37] In April 2016, he played in his final Masters. After saying in the lead up to the event that he 'couldn't compete' anymore,[38] Watson missed the cut by two strokes.[39]

Despite no longer competing at the full Masters, Watson won the 2018 Masters Tournament Par-3 contest at the age of 68, the oldest ever to win the event.

In July 2019, Watson played his final competitive event on British soil, when he played in the Senior British Open for the final time.[40]

Watson is the only golfer to score a round of 67 or less in all 4 majors at least once in 5 different decades. His best round in the Masters is a 67. His first 67 came in 1977. Other 67s were scored in the 1980s, 1990s and 2010s. His most recent 67 at Augusta was his opening round in 2010. His US Open low score is a 65. He scored 65 in 1987 and 2003, 66 in 1993 and he first shot 67 in 1975. At the British Open, Watson's low score is a 64 in 1980. 65s were scored in 1977 (twice), 1994 and 2009 (all 65s at the Open were scored at Turnberry). Finally, at the PGA Championship, Watson's low score of the 1970s was a 66 in 1979. In the 1980s he scored a 67 in 1980, 1983, 1985, and 1989. His low PGA score is a 65 in 1993 & 2000.

Watson also sets a record for having a round of 65 or less in at least one of the majors in 4 different decades. 1970s: 1977 British Open (65 in rounds 3 and 4), 1980s: 1980 British Open (64 in round 3), 1990s: 1993 PGA Championship (65 in round 2), and 2000s: 2000 PGA Championship (65 in round 3).

Watson's 67 in the first round at the 2010 Masters also gives him a record to be the only person to have at least one round of 67 or less in any of the four majors in five different decades (1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s).

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Jun 30, 1974	Western Open	72-71-75-69=287	+3	2 strokes	J. C. Snead, Tom Weiskopf
2	May 12, 1975	Byron Nelson Golf Classic	72-63-69-65=269	−15	2 strokes	Bob E. Smith
3	Jul 13, 1975	The Open Championship	71-67-69-72=279	−9	Playoff	Jack Newton
4	Jan 23, 1977	Bing Crosby National Pro-Am	66-69-67-71=273	−15	1 stroke	Tony Jacklin
5	Jan 30, 1977	Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational	66-67-67-69=269	−19	5 strokes	Larry Nelson, John Schroeder
6	Apr 10, 1977	Masters Tournament	70-69-70-67=276	−12	2 strokes	Jack Nicklaus
7	Jun 26, 1977	Western Open (2)	70-69-75-69=283	−5	1 stroke	Wally Armstrong, Johnny Miller
8	Jul 9, 1977	The Open Championship (2)	68-70-65-65=268	−12	1 stroke	Jack Nicklaus
9	Jan 8, 1978	Joe Garagiola-Tucson Open	63-68-73-72=274	−14	3 strokes	Bobby Wadkins
10	Jan 23, 1978	Bing Crosby National Pro-Am (2)	66-74-71-69=280	−8	Playoff	Ben Crenshaw
11	May 7, 1978	Byron Nelson Golf Classic (2)	69-67-70-66=272	−8	1 stroke	Lee Trevino
12	Aug 27, 1978	Colgate Hall of Fame Classic	72-67-67-71=277	−7	1 stroke	Hale Irwin, Tom Kite, Howard Twitty
13	Sep 24, 1978	Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic	68-69-66-67=270	−18	3 strokes	Ed Sneed
14	Apr 1, 1979	Sea Pines Heritage Classic	65-65-69-71=270	−14	5 strokes	Ed Sneed
15	Apr 22, 1979	MONY Tournament of Champions	69-66-70-70=275	−13	6 strokes	Bruce Lietzke, Jerry Pate
16	May 13, 1979	Byron Nelson Golf Classic (3)	64-72-69-70=275	−5	Playoff	Bill Rogers
17	May 27, 1979	Memorial Tournament	73-69-72-71=285	−3	3 strokes	Miller Barber
18	Aug 26, 1979	Colgate Hall of Fame Classic (2)	70-68-65-69=272	−12	Playoff	Johnny Miller
19	Jan 27, 1980	Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational (2)	68-69-68-70=275	−13	Playoff	D. A. Weibring
20	Feb 24, 1980	Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open	69-66-70-71=276	−8	1 stroke	Bob Gilder, Don January
21	Apr 20, 1980	MONY Tournament of Champions (2)	65-66-72-73=276	−12	3 strokes	Jim Colbert
22	Apr 27, 1980	Greater New Orleans Open	66-68-66-73=273	−15	2 strokes	Lee Trevino
23	May 11, 1980	Byron Nelson Golf Classic (4)	64-70-69-71=274	−6	1 stroke	Bill Rogers
24	Jul 20, 1980	The Open Championship (3)	68-70-64-69=271	−13	4 strokes	Lee Trevino
25	Aug 24, 1980	World Series of Golf	65-75-65-65=270	−10	2 strokes	Raymond Floyd
26	Apr 12, 1981	Masters Tournament (2)	71-68-70-71=280	−8	2 strokes	Johnny Miller, Jack Nicklaus
27	Apr 26, 1981	USF&G New Orleans Open (2)	69-69-64-68=270	−18	2 strokes	Bruce Fleisher
28	Jun 7, 1981	Atlanta Classic	68-70-68-71=277	−11	Playoff	Tommy Valentine
29	Feb 21, 1982	Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open (2)	69-67-68-67=271	−13	Playoff	Johnny Miller
30	Mar 28, 1982	Sea Pines Heritage (2)	69-68-72-71=280	−4	Playoff	Frank Conner
31	Jun 20, 1982	U.S. Open	72-72-68-70=282	−6	2 strokes	Jack Nicklaus
32	Jul 18, 1982	The Open Championship (4)	69-71-74-70=284	−4	1 stroke	Peter Oosterhuis, Nick Price
33	Jul 17, 1983	The Open Championship (5)	67-68-70-70=275	−9	1 stroke	Andy Bean, Hale Irwin
34	Jan 8, 1984	Seiko-Tucson Match Play Championship	2 and 1			Gil Morgan
35	May 6, 1984	MONY Tournament of Champions (3)	69-71-67-67=274	−14	5 strokes	Bruce Lietzke
36	Jul 8, 1984	Western Open (3)	71-69-70-70=280	−8	Playoff	Greg Norman
37	Nov 1, 1987	Nabisco Championship	65-66-69-68=268	−12	2 strokes	Chip Beck
38	Jun 2, 1996	Memorial Tournament (2)	70-68-66-70=274	−14	2 strokes	David Duval
39	May 24, 1998	MasterCard Colonial	68-66-65-66=265	−15	2 strokes	Jim Furyk

PGA Tour playoff record (9–5)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent(s)	Result
1	1975	The Open Championship	Jack Newton	Won 18-hole playoff; Watson: −1 (71), Newton: E (72)
2	1978	Bing Crosby National Pro-Am	Ben Crenshaw	Won with par on second extra hole
3	1978	PGA Championship	John Mahaffey, Jerry Pate	Mahaffey won with birdie on second extra hole
4	1979	Masters Tournament	Ed Sneed, Fuzzy Zoeller	Zoeller won with birdie on second extra hole
5	1979	Byron Nelson Golf Classic	Bill Rogers	Won with birdie on first extra hole
6	1979	Colgate Hall of Fame Classic	Johnny Miller	Won with par on second extra hole
7	1980	Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational	D. A. Weibring	Won with par on first extra hole
8	1981	Byron Nelson Golf Classic	Bruce Lietzke	Lost to par on first extra hole
9	1981	Atlanta Classic	Tommy Valentine	Won with par on third extra hole
10	1982	Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open	Johnny Miller	Won with birdie on third extra hole
11	1982	Sea Pines Heritage Classic	Frank Conner	Won with par on third extra hole
12	1984	Western Open	Greg Norman	Won with birdie on third extra hole
13	1988	NEC World Series of Golf	Mike Reid	Lost to par on first extra hole
14	2009	The Open Championship	Stewart Cink	Lost four-hole aggregate playoff; Cink: −2 (4-3-4-3=14), Watson: +4 (5-3-7-5=20)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Jul 13, 1975	The Open Championship	71-67-69-72=279	−9	Playoff	Jack Newton
2	Apr 10, 1977	Masters Tournament	70-69-70-67=276	−12	2 strokes	Jack Nicklaus
3	Jul 9, 1977	The Open Championship (2)	68-70-65-65=268	−12	1 stroke	Jack Nicklaus
4	Jul 20, 1980	The Open Championship (3)	68-70-64-69=271	−13	4 strokes	Lee Trevino
5	Apr 12, 1981	Masters Tournament (2)	71-68-70-71=280	−8	2 strokes	Johnny Miller, Jack Nicklaus
6	Jun 20, 1982	U.S. Open	72-72-68-70=282	−6	2 strokes	Jack Nicklaus
7	Jul 18, 1982	The Open Championship (4)	69-71-74-70=284	−4	1 stroke	Peter Oosterhuis, Nick Price
8	Jul 17, 1983	The Open Championship (5)	67-68-70-70=275	−9	1 stroke	Andy Bean, Hale Irwin

European Tour playoff record (1–3)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent(s)	Result
1	1975	The Open Championship	Jack Newton	Won 18-hole playoff; Watson: −1 (71), Newton: E (72)
2	1978	PGA Championship	Jerry Pate, John Mahaffey	Mahaffey won with birdie on second extra hole
3	1979	Masters Tournament	Ed Sneed, Fuzzy Zoeller	Zoeller won with birdie on second extra hole
4	2009	The Open Championship	Stewart Cink	Lost four-hole aggregate playoff; Cink: −2 (4-3-4-3=14), Watson: +4 (5-3-7-5=20)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Dec 5, 1976	ABC Japan vs USA Golf Matches	71-66-67-73=277	−11	3 strokes	Isao Aoki
2	Nov 23, 1980	Dunlop Phoenix Tournament	68-74-73-67=282	−6	2 strokes	Mike Reid
3	Nov 4, 1984	Uchida Yoko Cup Japan vs USA Match (2)	67-68=135	−7	1 stroke	Mark O'Meara, Naomichi Ozaki
4	Nov 23, 1997	Dunlop Phoenix Tournament (2)	70-65-70-70=275	−9	2 strokes	Naomichi Ozaki

Japan Golf Tour playoff record (0–1)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent	Result
1	1983	Dunlop Phoenix Tournament	Chen Tze-ming	Lost to par on first extra hole

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Sep 19, 1999	Bank One Championship	67-67-62=196	−20	5 strokes	Bruce Summerhays
2	Nov 5, 2000	IR Senior Tour Championship	70-67-67-66=270	−18	1 stroke	John Jacobs
3	May 27, 2001	Senior PGA Championship	72-69-66-67=274	−14	1 stroke	Jim Thorpe
4	Oct 22, 2002	Senior Tour Championship at Gaillardia	74-67-66-67=274	−14	1 stroke	Gil Morgan
5	Jul 27, 2003	Senior British Open	66-67-66-64=263	−17	Playoff	Carl Mason
6	Aug 31, 2003	JELD-WEN Tradition	68-62-73-70=273	−15	1 stroke	Jim Ahern, Tom Kite
7	Jul 24, 2005	The Senior British Open Championship (2)	75-71-64-70=280	−4	Playoff	Des Smyth
8	Oct 30, 2005	Charles Schwab Cup Championship	69-70-69-64=272	−16	1 stroke	Jay Haas
9	Feb 18, 2007	Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am	70-69-70=209	−4	1 stroke	Andy Bean, Jay Haas
10	Jul 29, 2007	The Senior Open Championship (3)	70-71-70-73=284	E	1 stroke	Stewart Ginn, Mark O'Meara
11	Apr 20, 2008	Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am (2)	63-71-70=204	−9	1 stroke	Jay Haas, Scott Hoch
12	Apr 27, 2008	Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Andy North)	59-62-64=185	−31	1 stroke	Jeff Sluman and Craig Stadler
13	Jan 24, 2010	Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai	63-66-65=194	−22	1 stroke	Fred Couples
14	May 29, 2011	Senior PGA Championship (2)	70-70-68-70=278	−10	Playoff	David Eger

Champions Tour playoff record (3–8)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent(s)	Result
1	2000	Boone Valley Classic	José María Cañizares, Walter Hall, Lanny Wadkins	Wadkins won with par on third extra hole Hall and Watson eliminated by par on first hole
2	2000	The Countrywide Tradition	Tom Kite, Larry Nelson	Kite won with birdie on sixth extra hole Nelson eliminated by par on second hole
3	2002	SBC Senior Classic	Tom Kite	Lost to par on second extra hole
4	2002	U.S. Senior Open	Don Pooley	Lost to birdie on fifth extra hole after three-hole aggregate playoff; Pooley: E (4-4-4=12), Watson: E (4-4-4=12)
5	2003	Kinko's Classic of Austin	Hale Irwin	Lost to birdie on second extra hole
6	2003	Senior British Open	Carl Mason	Won with par on second extra hole
7	2004	ACE Group Classic	Gary Koch, Craig Stadler	Stadler won with birdie on first extra hole
8	2005	MasterCard Championship	Dana Quigley	Lost to par on third extra hole
9	2005	Bayer Advantage Classic	Gil Morgan, Dana Quigley	Quigley won with birdie on first extra hole
10	2005	The Senior British Open Championship	Des Smyth	Won with par on third extra hole
11	2011	Senior PGA Championship	David Eger	Won with birdie on first extra hole

• 1999 Diners Club Matches (with Jack Nicklaus)
• 2000 Hyundai Team Matches (with Jack Nicklaus)
• 2004 Wendy's Champions Skins Game
• 2005 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf – Raphael Division (with Andy North)
• 2006 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf – Raphael Division (with Andy North)
• 2007 Wendy's Champions Skins Game (with Jack Nicklaus), Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf – Raphael Division (with Andy North)
• 2010 Wendy's Champions Skins Game (with Jack Nicklaus)
• 2011 Wendy's Champions Skins Game (with Jack Nicklaus)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runner(s)-up
1975	The Open Championship	3 shot deficit	−9 (71-67-69-72=279)	Playoff1	Jack Newton
1977	Masters Tournament	Tied for lead	−12 (70-69-70-67=276)	2 strokes	Jack Nicklaus
1977	The Open Championship (2)	Tied for lead	−12 (68-70-65-65=268)	1 stroke	Jack Nicklaus
1980	The Open Championship (3)	4 shot lead	−13 (68-70-64-69=271)	4 strokes	Lee Trevino
1981	Masters Tournament (2)	1 shot lead	−8 (71-68-70-71=280)	2 strokes	Johnny Miller, Jack Nicklaus
1982	U.S. Open	Tied for lead	−6 (72-72-68-70=282)	2 strokes	Jack Nicklaus
1982	The Open Championship (4)	3 shot deficit	−4 (69-71-74-70=284)	1 stroke	Peter Oosterhuis, Nick Price
1983	The Open Championship (5)	1 shot lead	−9 (67-68-70-70=275)	1 stroke	Andy Bean, Hale Irwin

¹Defeated Newton in 18-hole playoff; Watson (71), Newton (72)

CUT = missed the halfway cut (3rd round cut in 1976 Open Championship)
"T" indicates a tie for a place.

• Most consecutive cuts made – 19 (1985 Open Championship – 1990 Masters)
• Longest streak of top-10s – 7 (1982 Masters – 1983 Open Championship)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runner(s)-up
2001	Senior PGA Championship	Tied for lead	−14 (72-69-66-67=274)	1 stroke	Jim Thorpe
2003	The Senior Open Championship	3 shot deficit	−17 (66-67-66-64=263)	Playoff1	Carl Mason
2003	JELD-WEN Tradition	1 shot deficit	−15 (68-62-73-70=273)	1 stroke	Jim Ahern, Tom Kite, Gil Morgan
2005	The Senior Open Championship (2)	1 shot lead	−4 (75-71-64-70=280)	Playoff2	Des Smyth
2007	The Senior Open Championship (3)	1 shot deficit	E (70-71-70-73=284)	1 stroke	Stewart Ginn, Mark O'Meara
2011	Senior PGA Championship (2)	1 shot deficit	−10 (70-70-68-70=278)	Playoff3	David Eger

¹Defeated Mason in a playoff with par at the second extra hole.
²Defeated Smyth in a playoff with par at the third extra hole.
³Defeated Eger in a playoff with birdie at the first extra hole.

Results not in chronological order before 2017.

Note: The Senior British Open was not a Champions Tour major until 2003.

CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place