1955 Masters Tournament
Tournament information
DatesApril 7–10, 1955
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
Length6,950 yards (6,355 m)[1]
Field78 players
CutNone
Prize fund$25,000
Winner's share$5,000
Champion
United States Cary Middlecoff
279 (−9)
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

The 1955 Masters Tournament was the 19th Masters Tournament, held April 7–10 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. It was the last one before CBS began televising the tournament the following year.

Cary Middlecoff shot a 65 in the second round, including a then-record 31 on the first nine, to win his only Masters, seven strokes ahead of runner-up Ben Hogan,[2][3] and the second of his three major championships.

After a third round at even-par 72, Middlecoff entered the final round with a four shot lead over Hogan, the champion in 1951 and 1953.[4][5] The victory margin of seven strokes was a tournament record for ten years, until Jack Nicklaus won by nine strokes over Arnold Palmer and Gary Player in 1965, later increased to twelve in 1997 by Tiger Woods. The previous record was five strokes, set in 1948 by Claude Harmon and tied by Hogan in 1953. The runner-up finish was Hogan's fourth at the Masters.

Arnold Palmer, a professional for less than a year, finished tied for tenth in his first Masters.[6]

The Sarazen Bridge, approaching the left side of the 15th green, was dedicated on Wednesday to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Gene Sarazen's double eagle in 1935.[7][8][9] Included was a contest to duplicate the 232-yard (212 m) shot, with the closest by Fred Haas at 4 feet 1 inch (1.24 m) away.[10]

Course

HoleNameYardsParHoleNameYardsPar
1White Pine400410Camellia4704
2Woodbine555511Dogwood4454
3Flowering Peach355412Golden Bell1553
4Palm220313Azalea4705
5Magnolia450414Spanish Dagger4204
6Juniper190315Firethorn5055
7Pampas365416Redbud1903
8Yellow Jasmine520517Nandina4004
9Carolina Cherry420418Holly4204
Out3,47536In3,47536
Source:[1]Total6,95072

^ Holes 1, 2, 4, 11, and 14 were later renamed.

Field

1. Masters champions

Claude Harmon (10), Ben Hogan (2,4,6,9,10), Herman Keiser, Byron Nelson (2,6,9), Henry Picard (6), Gene Sarazen (2,4,6), Horton Smith, Sam Snead (4,6,9,10,12), Craig Wood (2)

2. U.S. Open champions

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

3. U.S. Amateur champions

Ted Bishop (a), Dick Chapman (5,9,10,a), Charles Coe (9,a), Gene Littler (9,10), Billy Maxwell, Arnold Palmer (11), Skee Riegel (9), Jess Sweetser (5,a), Bud Ward

4. British Open champions

Jock Hutchison (6), Denny Shute (6)

5. British Amateur champions

Frank Stranahan, Robert Sweeny Jr. (11,a), Harvie Ward (8,9,a)

6. PGA champions

Walter Burkemo (9,12), Vic Ghezzi, Chick Harbert (9,12), Chandler Harper, Johnny Revolta, Jim Turnesa

7. Members of the U.S. 1955 Ryder Cup team
  • Team not selected in time for inclusion
8. Members of the U.S. 1955 Walker Cup team

Rex Baxter (a), William C. Campbell (10,a), Don Cherry (11,a), Joe Conrad (a), Bruce Cudd (a), Jimmy Jackson (a), Ed Meister (11,a), Dale Morey (11,a), Billy Joe Patton (9,10,a), Hillman Robbins (a)

  • Dick Yost (a) did not play. Baxter, Meister and Robbins were reserves for the team.
9. Top 24 players and ties from the 1954 Masters Tournament

Jerry Barber (12), Al Besselink, Tommy Bolt (10,12), Jack Burke Jr. (10), Pete Cooper, Marty Furgol (10), Jay Hebert (10), Ed Oliver, Bob Rosburg, Earl Stewart, Bob Toski (10)

10. Top 24 players and ties from the 1954 U.S. Open

Max Evans, Leland Gibson, Fred Haas, Dick Mayer, Shelley Mayfield (12), Al Mengert, Johnny Weitzel

11. 1954 U.S. Amateur quarter-finalists

Ted Lenczyk (a), Davis Love Jr. (a)

  • Ed Martin (a) did not play.
12. 1954 PGA Championship quarter-finalists
13. One amateur, not already qualified, selected by a ballot of ex-U.S. Amateur champions

Bill Goodloe (a)

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

Johnny Palmer

15. Two players, not already qualified, from a points list based on finishes in the winter part of the 1955 PGA Tour

Mike Souchak, Bo Wininger[11]

16. Foreign invitations

Pat Fletcher, Rudy Horvath (10), Stan Leonard, Peter Thomson (4,9)

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

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, April 7, 1955

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1United States Jack Burke Jr.67−5
T2United States Julius Boros71−1
United States Mike Souchak
T4United States Cary Middlecoff72E
United States Byron Nelson
United States Bob Rosburg
United States Sam Snead
T8United States Walter Burkemo73+1
United States Pete Cooper
United States Ben Hogan
United States Skee Riegel

Source:[12]

Second round

Friday, April 8, 1955

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1United States Cary Middlecoff72-65=137−7
2United States Ben Hogan73-68=141−3
T3United States Jack Burke Jr.67-76=143−1
United States Sam Snead72-71=143
5United States Bob Rosburg72-72=144E
6United States Mike Souchak71-74=145+1
T7United States Tommy Bolt76-70=146+2
United States Julius Boros71-75=146
United States Walter Burkemo73-73=146
United States Pete Cooper73-73=146
United States Ed Furgol74-72=146
United States Skee Riegel73-73=146
United States Harvie Ward (a)77-69=146

Source:[13]

Third round

Saturday, April 9, 1955

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1United States Cary Middlecoff72-65-72=209−7
2United States Ben Hogan73-68-72=213−3
3United States Jack Burke Jr.67-76-71=214−2
4United States Bob Rosburg72-72-72=216E
T5United States Sam Snead72-71-74=217+1
United States Mike Souchak71-74-72=217
T7United States Julius Boros71-75-72=218+2
United States Walter Burkemo73-73-72=218
Canada Stan Leonard77-73-68=218
T10United States Lloyd Mangrum74-73-72=219+3
United States Skee Riegel73-73-73=219

Source:[4][5]

Final round

Sunday, April 10, 1955

Final leaderboard

Champion
Silver Cup winner (low amateur)
(a) = amateur
(c) = past champion
Top 10
PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney (US$)
1United States Cary Middlecoff72-65-72-70=279−95,000
2United States Ben Hogan (c)73-68-72-73=286−23,125
3United States Sam Snead (c)72-71-74-70=287−12,125
T4United States Julius Boros71-75-72-71=289+11,333
United States Bob Rosburg72-72-72-73=289
United States Mike Souchak71-74-72-72=289
7United States Lloyd Mangrum74-73-72-72=291+3875
T8Canada Stan Leonard77-73-68-74=292+4813
United States Harvie Ward (a)77-69-75-71=2920
T10United States Dick Mayer78-72-72-71=293+5696
United States Byron Nelson (c)72-75-74-72=293
United States Arnold Palmer76-76-72-69=293

Sources:[14][15]

Scorecard

Hole  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18 
Par454343454443545344
United States Middlecoff−7−8−8−8−7−8−9−9−9−7−7−8−8−8−9−9−8−9
United States Hogan−3−3−3−3−2−2−2−3−3−2−1−1−2−2−2−2−2−2
United States SneadEEEEE+1+1+1+1+1+1+1EE−1−1−1−1
United States Boros+2+2+2+2+3+3+4+4+4+4+4+4+3+3+2+1+1+1
United States Rosburg+1+1+1+2+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+2+3+1+1+1+1
United States Souchak+1EEEEEE−1EEEE+1+1E+1+1+1
United States Burke−1−1−1−1−1−1−1−1−1EE+1+5+5+5+5+6+6

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par

Eagle Birdie Bogey Double bogey Triple bogey +

References

  1. 1 2 Wind, Herbert Warren (April 4, 1955). "The Augusta National: a hole by hole study". Sports Illustrated. p. 20.
  2. ↑ Bartlett, Charles (April 11, 1955). "Middlecoff's 279 wins Masters golf". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, part 4.
  3. ↑ Wind, Herbert Warren (April 18, 1955). "The Doc shows the Masters how". Sports Illustrated. p. 58.
  4. 1 2 Bartlett, Charles (April 10, 1955). "Middlecoff's 209 holds Masters lead; 18 to go". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 1, part 2.
  5. 1 2 Fullerton, Hugh Jr. (April 10, 1955). "Careful Cary's 72 holds Ben 4 back". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. p. 1, sports.
  6. ↑ "Middlecoff wins Masters with 279". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. April 11, 1955. p. 22.
  7. ↑ "Special day for golfdom's Squire". Chicago Daily Tribune. United Press photo. April 7, 1955. p. 1, sec. 6.
  8. ↑ Bartlett, Charles (April 7, 1955). "That historic double eagle". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, sec. 6.
  9. ↑ "The Sarazen Bridge". masters.com. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Haas closest to Sarazen's double eagle". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. April 7, 1955. p. 18.
  11. ↑ "Wininger closes Masters field". The Pittsburgh Press. April 4, 1955. p. 23.
  12. ↑ Bartlett, Charles (April 8, 1955). "Burke's 67 leads Masters; Snead has 72". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, part 4.
  13. ↑ Bartlett, Charles (April 9, 1955). "Middlecoff's 137 takes lead in Masters". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, part 3.
  14. ↑ "Masters – Past Winners & Results". Augusta National Inc. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Past results – Masters tournament". PGA Tour. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.