Tommy Aaron Explained

Tommy Aaron
Fullname:	Thomas Dean Aaron
Birth Date:	22 February 1937
Birth Place:	Gainesville, Georgia, U.S.
Weight:	180lb
Residence:	Gainesville, Georgia, U.S.
College:	University of Florida
Yearpro:	1960
Extour:	PGA Tour Champions Tour
Prowins:	9
Pgawins:	3
Champwins:	1
Otherwins:	5
Majorwins:	1
Masters:	Won: 1973
Usopen:	T29: 1975
Open:	T50: 1970
Pga:	T2: 1972
Usamateur:	2nd: 1958
Britamateur:	R256: 1959
Award1:	Senior PGA Tour Comeback Player of the Year
Year1:	1992

Thomas Dean Aaron (born February 22, 1937) is an American former professional golfer who was a member of the PGA Tour during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Aaron is best known for winning the 1973 Masters Tournament. He is also known for an error in the 1968 Masters Tournament, when he entered a 4 instead of a 3 on Roberto De Vicenzo's scorecard, which kept De Vicenzo out of a playoff for the tournament.^[1]

Early years

Thomas Dean Aaron was born on February 22, 1937, in Gainesville, Georgia.^[2] He began playing golf at age 12 and won two Georgia Amateur titles, two Southeastern Amateur events and two Georgia Open crowns, despite not having a golf course in his hometown.

College career

Aaron attended the University of Florida, where he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order Fraternity (Beta Zeta Chapter). While he was a Florida student, he played for the Florida Gators men's golf team from 1956 to 1959, was a member of the Gators' 1956 Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship team, and won the individual SEC championship in 1957 and 1958.^[3] He lost the U.S. Amateur final to Charles Coe in 1958, was a member of the 1959 Walker Cup team, and won the Western Amateur in 1960. He was recognized as an All-American in 1958 and 1959.^[4] Aaron graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1960, and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."^[5]

Professional career

Aaron turned pro in 1960. His first professional victory came at the 1969 Canadian Open. Although the event is historically considered a PGA Tour event, it was not that year.^[6] ^[7] ^[8] ^[9] ^[10] ^[11] The following year he gained his first PGA Tour victory at the Atlanta Classic. In 1972, he won the Trophée Lancôme in France. Aaron's best money year was 1972, when he finished in ninth place on the PGA Tour money list.

Aaron won the Masters Tournament in 1973, which was his one major championship. He also finished in the top ten at the Masters from 1967 to 1970. His only other top ten major championship finishes came at the PGA Championship in 1965 and 1972. In 2000, he made the cut at the Masters at the age of 63, breaking a record previously held by Gary Player.

Aaron played for the U.S. team in the Ryder Cup in 1969 and 1973, and had a record of one win, one tie and four losses.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Aaron played on the Senior PGA Tour, winning $3,646,302. The 1992 Kaanapali Classic was his last professional win.

Aaron was a student of golf instructor Manuel de la Torre.

Aaron is also known for being the playing partner of Argentinian Roberto De Vicenzo for the final round of the 1968 Masters Tournament. On the seventeenth hole, Aaron incorrectly recorded a par 4 on De Vicenzo's scorecard, when his partner had actually scored a birdie 3 for the hole. Because De Vicenzo signed the scorecard without correcting the error, PGA rules required him to stand by the incorrect, higher score. Instead of a De Vicenzo–Bob Goalby playoff for the green jacket, Goalby won the tournament outright due to the technicality.

Ironically, Aaron's 4th round playing partner at the 1973 Masters, Johnny Miller, recorded a higher score when keeping Aaron's card. Aaron caught the mistake.^[12]

Aaron was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1980,^[13] and the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in 1989.^[2]

Amateur wins (8)

1957 SEC Championship (individual), Georgia Amateur
1958 SEC Championship (individual), Southeastern Amateur
1959 Sunnehanna Amateur
1960 Western Amateur, Georgia Amateur, Southeastern Amateur

Professional wins (9)

PGA Tour wins (2)

Legend
Major championships (1)
Other PGA Tour (1)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	May 24, 1970	Atlanta Classic	−13 (68-68-70-69=275)	3 strokes	Dan Sikes
2	Apr 9, 1973	Masters Tournament	−5 (68-73-74-68=283)	1 stroke	J. C. Snead

PGA Tour playoff record (0–4)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent(s)	Result
1	1963	Memphis Open Invitational	Tony Lema	Lost to par on first extra hole
2	1963	Cleveland Open Invitational	Tony Lema, Arnold Palmer	Palmer won 18-hole playoff; Palmer: −4 (67), Aaron: −1 (70), Lema: −1 (70)
3	1972	Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open	George Archer, Dave Hill	Archer won 18-hole playoff; Archer: −5 (66), Aaron: −3 (68), Hill: −3 (68)
4	1972	Greater Greensboro Open	George Archer	Lost to par on second extra hole

Other wins (6)

1957 Georgia Open (as an amateur)
1960 Georgia Open
1969 Canadian Open
1972 Trophée Lancôme, ABC Japan vs USA Golf Matches
1975 Georgia Open

Senior PGA Tour wins (1)

Senior PGA Tour playoff record (0–2)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent(s)	Result
1	1992	Vintage ARCO Invitational	Jim Colbert, Mike Hill	Hill won with birdie on first extra hole
2	1992	Murata Reunion Pro-Am	George Archer	Lost to birdie on third extra hole

Major championships

Results timeline

Amateur

Tournament	1958	1959	1960
Masters Tournament		CUT	T25
U.S. Open
The Open Championship
U.S. Amateur	2	R16	R64
The Amateur Championship		R256

Professional

Tournament	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969
Masters Tournament		T11	T13	T8	T7	T8
U.S. Open			T30			T40
The Open Championship
PGA Championship	T21	T8	T22	T20	T26	T57

Tournament	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979
Masters Tournament	T5	T22	CUT	1	CUT	T38	42	T35	36	T28
U.S. Open	T46		T55	T45	CUT	T29	T47
The Open Championship	T50			CUT
PGA Championship	T45	CUT	T2	T44	T55	CUT	T38	CUT		T46

Tournament	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989
The Masters	CUT	48	T36	CUT	CUT	CUT	CUT	T50	CUT	T38
U.S. Open
The Open Championship
PGA Championship

Tournament	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1996	1997	1998	1999
Masters Tournament	CUT	T49	T54	CUT	CUT	CUT	CUT	CUT	CUT
U.S. Open
The Open Championship
PGA Championship

Tournament	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Masters Tournament	57	CUT	CUT	CUT	CUT	CUT
U.S. Open
The Open Championship
PGA Championship

CUT = missed the halfway cut
WD = withdrew
R256, R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place.

Source for The Masters: www.masters.com

Source for U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur: USGA Championship Database

Source for The British Open: www.opengolf.com

Source for PGA Championship: PGA Championship Media Guide

Source for 1959 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 26, 1959, p. 6.

Results in senior majors

Results may not be in chronological order

Tournament	1987	1988	1989
Senior PGA Championship	DNP	T13	T27
U.S. Senior Open	T19	T32	DNP
The Tradition	NYF	NYF	T22
Senior Players Championship	T45	T54	DNP

Tournament	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999
Senior PGA Championship	T55	T31	T39	73	T15	CUT	T25	DNP	CUT	WD
U.S. Senior Open	CUT	T29	T49	T13	T45	T29	T51	CUT	DNP	CUT
The Tradition	T55	T12	4	T17	T41	T52	T50	61	DNP	DNP
Senior Players Championship	T33	T52	T5	T33	T32	T23	T24	76	T73	T48

Tournament	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Senior PGA Championship	DNP	CUT	CUT	T67	DQ	CUT	CUT
Senior British Open Championship	align="center"	-	align="center"	-	align="center"	-	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
U.S. Senior Open	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
The Tradition	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Senior Players Championship	T69	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP

Note: The Senior British Open Championship did not become a major until 2003.
NYF = Tournament not yet founded
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the halfway cut
WD = withdrew
DQ = disqualified
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10.

U.S. national team appearances