Thomson was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his contribution to golf in 1979. In 2001, he also became an Officer of the Order of Australia for his contributions as a player, administrator and for the services he provided the community.
Devastated fans have flocked to Twitter to farewell the Australian sporting legend.
He is survived by his wife, Mary, son, Andrew, daughters Deirdre, Pan and Fiona and their spouses. He was also a grandfather to 11 grandchildren and a great-grandfather to four great-grandchildren.
Our thoughts are with family at this difficult time.