Golf world pays tribute to Peter Thomson and Hubert Green

Players have been paying tribute following the deaths of Peter Thomson and Hubert Green.

Thomson, who died aged 88 having suffered from Parkinson's disease for more than four years, won The Open five times, with his first triumph coming in 1954.

Jordan Spieth led the tributes for the Australian: "Obviously I am very saddened by his passing, but what a legacy he has left. He looked like someone who was so proud of the Open Championship, someone who singled that tournament out as a speciality and his game certainly showed that.

"I remember seeing one picture of him hugging the Claret Jug so close to his face with a smile of pure joy. You don't see that, even in major championships, of guys with trophies, but you could see how much that tournament meant to him. Certainly he is one of, if not the, most masterful links players to play the game."

Two-time major champion Green, who was best known for defying a death threat to win the 1977 US Open, also passed away aged 71.

Green was a dominant force during the 1970s and 1980s when he won 19 times on the PGA Tour, including at the 1977 US Open and 1985 PGA Championship. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2007.

He died from complications after a lengthy battle with throat cancer.

"Hubert Green was an incredible competitor whose tenacity on the course defined his playing career," USGA executive director Mike Davis said in a statement.

"His 1977 US Open win under extreme circumstances was the definition of grit and perseverance - the true mark of a champion. We are saddened to lose him among an elite group within our US Open circle."