1955 Masters Tournament

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.

1955 Masters Tournament
Tournament information
DatesApril 7–10, 1955
LocationAugusta, Georgia
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
Cary Middlecoff
279 (−9)
Location Map
Augusta National
Location in the United States
Augusta National
Location in Georgia

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
Main article: Augusta National Golf Club
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

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Jack Burke Jr. United States67−5
T2Julius Boros United States71−1
Mike Souchak United States
T4Cary Middlecoff United States72E
Byron Nelson United States
Bob Rosburg United States
Sam Snead United States
T8Walter Burkemo United States73+1
Pete Cooper United States
Ben Hogan United States
Skee Riegel United States

Source:[12]

Second round

Friday, April 8, 1955

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Cary Middlecoff United States72-65=137−7
2Ben Hogan United States73-68=141−3
T3Jack Burke Jr. United States67-76=143−1
Sam Snead United States72-71=143
5Bob Rosburg United States72-72=144E
6Mike Souchak United States71-74=145+1
T7Tommy Bolt United States76-70=146+2
Julius Boros United States71-75=146
Walter Burkemo United States73-73=146
Pete Cooper United States73-73=146
Ed Furgol United States74-72=146
Skee Riegel United States73-73=146
Harvie Ward (a) United States77-69=146

Source:[13]

Third round

Saturday, April 9, 1955

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Cary Middlecoff United States72-65-72=209−7
2Ben Hogan United States73-68-72=213−3
3Jack Burke Jr. United States67-76-71=214−2
4Bob Rosburg United States72-72-72=216E
T5Sam Snead United States72-71-74=217+1
Mike Souchak United States71-74-72=217
T7Julius Boros United States71-75-72=218+2
Walter Burkemo United States73-73-72=218
Stan Leonard Canada77-73-68=218
T10Lloyd Mangrum United States74-73-72=219+3
Skee Riegel United States73-73-73=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$)
1 Cary Middlecoff72-65-72-70=279−95,000
2 Ben Hogan (c)73-68-72-73=286−23,125
3 Sam Snead (c)72-71-74-70=287−12,125
T4 Julius Boros71-75-72-71=289+11,333
Bob Rosburg72-72-72-73=289
Mike Souchak71-74-72-72=289
7 Lloyd Mangrum74-73-72-72=291+3875
T8 Stan Leonard77-73-68-74=292+4813
Harvie Ward (a)77-69-75-71=2920
T10 Dick Mayer78-72-72-71=293+5696
Byron Nelson (c)72-75-74-72=293
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
Middlecoff−7−8−8−8−7−8−9−9−9−7−7−8−8−8−9−9−8−9
Hogan−3−3−3−3−2−2−2−3−3−2−1−1−2−2−2−2−2−2
SneadEEEEE+1+1+1+1+1+1+1EE−1−1−1−1
Boros+2+2+2+2+3+3+4+4+4+4+4+4+3+3+2+1+1+1
Rosburg+1+1+1+2+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+2+3+1+1+1+1
Souchak+1EEEEEE−1EEEE+1+1E+1+1+1
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. 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. Bartlett, Charles (April 10, 1955). "Middlecoff's 209 holds Masters lead; 18 to go". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 1, part 2.
  5. 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.
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