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1956 Masters Tournament

The 1956 Masters Tournament was the 20th Masters Tournament, held April 5–8 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

1956 Masters Tournament
Front cover of the 1956 Masters Guide
Tournament information
DatesApril 5–8, 1956
LocationAugusta, Georgia
33°30′11″N 82°01′12″W / 33.503°N 82.020°W / 33.503; -82.020
Course(s)Augusta National Golf Club
Organized byAugusta National Golf Club
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par72
Length6,965 yards (6,369 m)[1]
Field84 players
CutNone
Winner's share$6,000
Champion
United States Jack Burke Jr.
289 (+1)
Location map
Augusta National is located in the United States
Augusta National
Augusta National
Location in the United States
Augusta National is located in Georgia
Augusta National
Augusta National
Location in Georgia
← 1955
1957 →

Jack Burke Jr. won his first major championship and only Masters, one stroke ahead of amateur Ken Venturi. It was the final Masters played without a 36-hole cut. CBS televised the third and fourth rounds of the tournament for the first time, and has done so every year since.

Burke shot a 71 (−1) on Sunday, one of only two players to break par in the final round; he rallied from a tournament record eight shots back to pass Venturi, who had led the entire tournament.[2][3] Then a 24-year-old amateur, Venturi opened with a first round 66 (−6), the best round to date at the Masters by an amateur.[4] But on Sunday, he shot a 42 (+6) on the final nine holes to card a disappointing 80 (+8).[1][5] Burke's 289, along with Sam Snead in 1954 and Zach Johnson in 2007, remains the highest winning total in Masters history.

Burke was late arriving at the course for his final round on Sunday after going to church and had only fifteen minutes to warm up.[6] He won a second (and final) major title in late July at the PGA Championship, in its penultimate edition as a match play competition.

Field

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1. Masters champions

Jimmy Demaret, Claude Harmon, Ben Hogan (2,4,6,9,10), Cary Middlecoff (2,7,9,10,12), Byron Nelson (2,6,9), Henry Picard (6), Gene Sarazen (2,4,6), Horton Smith, Sam Snead (4,6,7,9,10), Craig Wood

2. U.S. Open champions

Julius Boros (9,10), Billy Burke, Johnny Farrell, Jack Fleck (10), Ed Furgol (9), Lawson Little (3,5), Tony Manero, Lloyd Mangrum (9), Fred McLeod, Sam Parks Jr., George Sargent, Lew Worsham (12)

3. U.S. Amateur champions

Dick Chapman (5,a), Gene Littler (9,10), Billy Maxwell (9), Arnold Palmer (9,10), Skee Riegel (9), Sam Urzetta, Harvie Ward (5,8,9,10,11,a)

4. British Open champions

Jock Hutchison (6), Denny Shute (6)

5. British Amateur champions

Joe Conrad (8,9,a), Frank Stranahan (9,10)

6. PGA champions

Walter Burkemo (9), Doug Ford (7,10,12), Vic Ghezzi, Chick Harbert (7), Johnny Revolta, Jim Turnesa

7. Members of the U.S. 1955 Ryder Cup team

Jerry Barber, Tommy Bolt (9,10,12), Jack Burke Jr. (9,10,12), Ted Kroll

8. Members of the U.S. 1955 Walker Cup team

Rex Baxter (a), William C. Campbell (a), Don Cherry (a), Bruce Cudd (a), Jimmy Jackson (a), Ed Meister (a), Dale Morey (a), Billy Joe Patton (a)

  • Dick Yost (a) did not play. Baxter and Meister were reserves for the team.
9. Top 24 players and ties from the 1955 Masters Tournament

Pete Cooper, Jay Hebert, Dick Mayer, Johnny Palmer, Bob Rosburg (10), Mike Souchak (10)

10. Top 24 players and ties from the 1955 U.S. Open

Bob Harris, Fred Hawkins (12), Bud Holscher, Walker Inman, Shelley Mayfield (12), Al Mengert, George Schneiter, Ernie Vossler, Art Wall Jr.

11. 1955 U.S. Amateur quarter-finalists

Bill Booe (a), Joe Campbell (a), Ed Hopkins (a), Bill Hyndman (a), Charles Kunkle (a), Jim McCoy (a), Hillman Robbins (9,a)

12. 1955 PGA Championship quarter-finalists

Don Fairfield

13. One player, either amateur or professional, not already qualified, selected by a ballot of ex-Masters champions

Ken Venturi (a)

14. One amateur, not already qualified, selected by a ballot of ex-U.S. Amateur champions

Don Bisplinghoff (a)

15. One professional, not already qualified, selected by a ballot of ex-U.S. Open champions

Fred Haas

16. Two players, not already qualified, from a points list based on finishes in the winter part of the 1956 PGA Tour

Dow Finsterwald, Lionel Hebert

17. Foreign invitations

Al Balding, Henry Cotton (4), Roberto De Vicenzo, Stan Leonard (9), Moe Norman (a)

  • Numbers in brackets indicate categories that the player would have qualified under had they been American.

Round summaries

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First round

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Thursday, April 5, 1956

Place Player Score To par
1   Ken Venturi (a) 66 −6
2   Cary Middlecoff 67 −5
T3   Tommy Bolt 68 −4
  Shelley Mayfield
5   Ben Hogan 69 −3
T6   Doug Ford 70 −2
  Bob Rosburg
  Billy Joe Patton (a)
T9   Jerry Barber 71 −1
  Fred Hawkins

Second round

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Friday, April 6, 1956

Place Player Score To par
1   Ken Venturi (a) 66-69=135 −9
2   Cary Middlecoff 67-72=139 −5
T3   Tommy Bolt 68-74=142 −2
  Pete Cooper 72-70=142
  Doug Ford 70-72=142
  Shelley Mayfield 68-74=142
T7   Jack Burke Jr. 72-71=143 −1
  Jerry Barber 71-72=143
T9   Fred Hawkins 71-73=144 E
  Bob Rosburg 70-74=144

Third round

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Saturday, April 7, 1956

Place Player Score To par
1   Ken Venturi (a) 66-69-75=210 −6
2   Cary Middlecoff 67-72-75=214 −2
3   Doug Ford 70-72-75=217 +1
T4   Jack Burke Jr. 72-71-75=218 +2
  Lloyd Mangrum 72-74-72=218
T6   Jerry Barber 71-72-76=219 +3
  Pete Cooper 72-70-77=219
T8   Tommy Bolt 68-74-78=220 +4
  Fred Hawkins 71-73-76=220
  Mike Souchak 73-73-74=220

Final round

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Sunday, April 8, 1956

Final leaderboard

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Champion
Silver Cup winner (low amateur)
(a) = amateur
(c) = past champion
Top 10
Place Player Score To par Money (US$)
1   Jack Burke Jr. 72-71-75-71=289 +1 6,000
2   Ken Venturi (a) 66-69-75-80=290 +2 0
3   Cary Middlecoff (c) 67-72-75-77=291 +3 3,750
T4   Lloyd Mangrum 72-74-72-74=292 +4 2,325
  Sam Snead (c) 73-76-72-71=292
T6   Jerry Barber 71-72-76-75=294 +6 1,350
  Doug Ford 70-72-75-77=294
T8   Tommy Bolt 68-74-78-76=296 +8 975
  Ben Hogan (c) 69-78-74-75=296
  Shelley Mayfield 68-74-80-74=296

Sources:[7][8]

Scorecard

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Hole  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Par 4 5 4 3 4 3 4 5 4 4 4 3 5 4 5 3 4 4
  Burke +2 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +2 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +1 +1
  Venturi −5 −5 −5 −5 −5 −5 −5 −5 −4 −3 −2 −1 −1 E +1 +1 +2 +2
  Middlecoff −3 −4 −4 −3 −1 −1 +1 +1 E +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +3 +3

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par

Eagle Birdie Bogey Double bogey

Source:[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Jack Burke Surprise Winner of Masters Golf". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. April 9, 1956. p. 18. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
  2. ^ "Venturi folds, steady Burke wins Masters". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. April 9, 1956. p. 4, part 2.
  3. ^ Drum, Bob (April 9, 1956). "Burke Master as Venturi folds". Pittsburgh Press. p. 24.
  4. ^ "Ken Venturi leads Masters with amateur record of 66". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. April 6, 1956. p. 16.
  5. ^ Wind, Herbert Warren (April 16, 1956). "And Then—Jackie Burke Took Charge". Sports Illustrated. p. 28. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
  6. ^ "Pros Baffled By 'Lost' Par". Pittsburgh Press. April 9, 1956. p. 24.
  7. ^ "Masters – Past Winners & Results". Augusta National Inc. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  8. ^ "Past results – Masters tournament". PGA Tour. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  9. ^ "Cards of the leaders". St. Petersburg Times. Florida. Associated Press. April 9, 1956. p. 16.
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