Tom Watson celebrates his chip-in birdie on No. 17 at the 1982 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. (Phil Sheldon/Popperfoto/Getty Images)
1. Tom Watson
PGA Tour victories in 1980s: 21 (of 39 total)
Major titles in 1980s: five (of eight total)
After cementing his status as a star in the 1970s, Watson took it to another level in the early ’80s. His aggressive style and stellar short game propelled him to seven PGA victories in 1980, three in ’81, four in ’82, one in a slow ’83 and another three in ’84. He won once more in 1987, then added two victories in the ’90s.
He seemed to come alive most at the British Open, winning that event five times in all. For the 1980s, he beat Lee Trevino by four shots at the 1980 British at Muirfield, topped Nick Price and Peter Oosterhuis by a shot in ’82 at Royal Troon and held off Andy Bean and Hale Irwin by a shot in ’83 at Royal Birkdale.
He won his second career Masters in 1981, beating Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller by two shots. And in 1982 at Pebble Beach, Watson chipped in from behind the green on the 71sthole to break free from Nicklaus and went on to a two-shot victory for his sole U.S. Open title.
For the decade, he was the Player of the year in ’80, ’82 and ’84, and he won the money list in ’80 and ’84. A surprisingly balky putter ended his dominance in the late ’80s, but Watson would go on to win 14 times on what is now the PGA Tour Champions. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1988.
