At the age of 24, Thomson pipped Bobby Locke, Dai Rees and Syd Scott by a single stroke to make history at Royal Birkdale as the first Australian Champion Golfer.

Thomson, who had finished sixth on his Open debut in 1951 before claiming runner-up honours in each of the next two years, was already regarded as one of the brightest young talents around.

Yet few could have anticipated just how dominant he would prove in the years that followed.