1961 Masters Tournament

1961 Masters Tournament
Tournament information
Dates April 6–10, 1961
Location Augusta, Georgia
Course(s) Augusta National Golf Club
Organized by Augusta National Golf Club
Tour(s) PGA Tour
Statistics
Par 72
Length 6,980 yards (6,383 m)[1]
Field 88 players, 41 after cut
Cut 149 (+5)
Prize fund $109,100
Winner's share $20,000
Champion
South Africa Gary Player
280 (−8)
«1960
1962»
Augusta 
Location in the United States

The 1961 Masters Tournament was the 25th Masters Tournament, held April 6–10 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

Due to heavy rains and flooding of several greens, Sunday's final round was halted before 4 p.m. and the scores were erased, even though ten players had completed their rounds. Third round leader Gary Player was even par through eleven holes, and defending champion Arnold Palmer was two-under through nine. The entire round was replayed the next day.[2][3]

In the final round on Monday, Player defeated Palmer and amateur Charles Coe by one stroke to become the first international champion at the Masters.[4][5] Player made an up and down from the bunker on the final hole but thought he had lost the tournament, after carding a disappointing 40 (+4) on the back nine. In the final pairing with a one-shot lead, Palmer needed a par on the final hole for the win. From the fairway, his approach shot also landed in the bunker right of the green. With a poor lie, Palmer's bunker shot went past the hole and off the green and down a hillock.[6] Using his putter from off the green, he failed to get the fourth shot close, then missed the 15-foot (4.6 m) bogey putt which would have forced a playoff.[7][8]

It was the first of three green jackets for Player, age 25, and the second of his nine major titles. His other wins at Augusta came over a decade later in 1974 and 1978. Jack Nicklaus, 21, recorded the first of his 22 top-10 finishes at the Masters, his last as an amateur. He tied for seventh, but the low amateur honors went to Coe. Nicklaus regained the U.S. Amateur title in September at Pebble Beach and turned professional in November.

A field of 88 players entered the tournament and 41 of them made the cut at five-over-par (149).

Amateur Deane Beman won the Par 3 contest with a score of 22; he turned pro in 1967 and later became the second commissioner of the PGA Tour, from 1974 to 1994.

Past champions in the field

Made the cut

Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 R3 R4 Total To par Finish
Arnold Palmer  United States 1958, 1960 68 69 73 71 281 −7 T2
Jack Burke, Jr.  United States 1956 76 70 68 73 287 −1 T7
Sam Snead  United States 1949, 1952, 1954 74 73 69 73 289 +1 T15
Doug Ford United States 1957 71 76 78 73 298 +10 T32
Ben Hogan  United States 1951, 1953 74 73 72 79 298 +10 T32
Byron Nelson  United States 1937, 1942 71 72 78 77 298 +10 T32

Missed the cut

Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 Total To par
Cary Middlecoff  United States 1955 75 75 150 +6
Jimmy Demaret  United States 1940, 1947, 1950 75 78 153 +9
Gene Sarazen  United States 1935 79 77 156 +12
Claude Harmon United States 1948 76 81 157 +13
Craig Wood  United States 1941 80 80 160 +16
Herman Keiser  United States 1946 81 81 162 +18
Horton Smith  United States 1934, 1936 86 83 169 +25

Source[9][10][11]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, April 6, 1961

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
T1 Arnold Palmer  United States 68 −4
Bob Rosburg  United States
3 Gary Player South Africa South Africa 69 −3
4 Jack Nicklaus (a)  United States 70 −2
T5 Doug Ford  United States 71 −1
Paul Harney  United States
Byron Nelson  United States
Johnny Pott  United States
T9 Tommy Bolt  United States 72 E
Billy Casper  United States
Charles Coe (a)  United States
Jay Hebert  United States
Stan Leonard  Canada
Gene Littler  United States
Ken Venturi  United States

Source[12]

Second round

Friday, April 7, 1961

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
T1 Arnold Palmer  United States 68-69=137 −7
Gary Player South Africa South Africa 69-68=137
3 Bob Rosburg  United States 68-73=141 −3
4 Don January  United States 74-68=142 −2
T5 Tommy Bolt  United States 72-71=143 −1
Walter Burkemo  United States 74-69=143
Charles Coe (a)  United States 72-71=143
Lionel Hebert  United States 74-69=143
Ted Kroll  United States 73-70=143
Byron Nelson  United States 71-72=143
Ken Venturi  United States 72-71=143

Source[9][10][11]

Third round

Saturday, April 8, 1961

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1 Gary Player South Africa South Africa 69-68-69=206 −10
2 Arnold Palmer  United States 68-69-73=210 −6
T3 Charles Coe (a)  United States 72-71-69=212 −4
Paul Harney  United States 71-73-68=212
5 Bill Collins  United States 74-72-67=213 −3
T6 Jack Burke Jr.  United States 76-70-68=214 −2
Don January  United States 74-68-72=214
Bob Rosburg  United States 68-73-73=214
T9 Ted Kroll  United States 73-70-72=215 −1
Jack Nicklaus (a)  United States 70-75-70=215
Doug Sanders  United States 76-71-68=215
Ken Venturi  United States 72-71-72=215

Source:[13]

Final round

Sunday, April 9, 1961
Monday, April 10, 1961

Play on Sunday was washed out due to heavy rain and wind shortly after 4 pm and all scores were erased; the final round was replayed on Monday.[2][3] Although Player was the leader after 54 holes, he finished his round nearly an hour ahead of Palmer's double-bogey at the final hole.

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney ($)
1 Gary Player South Africa South Africa 69-68-69-74=280 −8 20,000
T2 Charles Coe (a)  United States 72-71-69-69=281 −7 0
Arnold Palmer  United States 68-69-73-71=281 12,000
T4 Tommy Bolt  United States 72-71-74-68=285 −3 7,000
Don January  United States 74-68-72-71=285
6 Paul Harney  United States 71-73-68-74=286 −2 4,800
T7 Jack Burke, Jr.  United States 76-70-68-73=287 −1 3,200
Billy Casper  United States 72-77-69-69=287
Bill Collins  United States 74-72-67-74=287
Jack Nicklaus (a)  United States 70-75-70-72=287 0

Source:[4][5][8]

Scorecard

Hole  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18 
Par454343454 443545344
South Africa Player −11−12−12−12−12−12−12−12−12−11−11−11−9−9−8−8−8−8
United States Palmer −6−7−7−7−7−8−8−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−7
United States Coe −4−5−5−6−6−5−5−5−5−5−4−4−5−6−7−7−7−7

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par

References

  1. ↑ "Player, Palmer tie for Masters lead". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. April 8, 1961. p. 1-part 2.
  2. 1 2 "Rain washes out Masters; finish today". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. April 10, 1961. p. 2-part 2.
  3. 1 2 Bartlett, Charles (April 10, 1961). "Masters washed out by rain". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, part 4.
  4. 1 2 Bartlett, Charles (April 11, 1961). "Palmer flops on 18th, Player takes Masters". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, part 3.
  5. 1 2 "Player wins Masters (280)". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. April 11, 1961. p. 3-part 2.
  6. ↑ Bisher, Furman (April 11, 1961). "Palmer played it like a duffer". Miami News. p. 1C.
  7. ↑ Wright, Alfred (April 17, 1961). "A duel golfers will never forget". Sports Illustrated. p. 18.
  8. 1 2 Gundelfinger, Phil (April 11, 1961). "Player wins as Palmer blows lead". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1.
  9. 1 2 "Second-round Masters golf scores". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. April 8, 1961. p. 14.
  10. 1 2 "Masters golf tourney scores". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). Associated Press. April 8, 1961. p. 8.
  11. 1 2 Bartlett, Charles (April 8, 1961). "Gary Player catches Palmer at 137". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, part 5.
  12. ↑ Gundelfinger, Phil (April 7, 1961). "Palmer, Rosburg fire 68s, lead Masters". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 20.
  13. ↑ Bartlett, Charles (April 9, 1961). "Player pulls ahead of Palmer in Masters golf". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 1, part 2.

External links

Coordinates: 33°30′11″N 82°01′12″W / 33.503°N 82.020°W / 33.503; -82.020

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