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1959 Masters Tournament

Coordinates: 33°30′11″N 82°01′12″W / 33.503°N 82.020°W / 33.503; -82.020
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1959 Masters Tournament
Front cover of the 1959 Masters Guide
Tournament information
DatesApril 2–5, 1959
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
Length6,980 yards (6,383 m)[1]
Field87 players, 42 after cut
Cut149 (+5)
Prize fund$76,100
Winner's share$15,000
Champion
United States Art Wall Jr.
284 (−4)
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
← 1958
1960 →

The 1959 Masters Tournament was the 23rd Masters Tournament, held April 2–5 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Art Wall Jr. shot a final round of 66 (−6), with birdies on five of the last six holes, for his only major title, one stroke ahead of runner-up Cary Middlecoff, the 1955 champion.[2][3][4] Wall started the final round six strokes behind the leaders, in a tie for thirteenth place.[5]

Defending champion Arnold Palmer was a third round co-leader,[1][5] but a triple-bogey at the par-3 12th led to a 74 and a third-place finish, two strokes back.[6][7][8] The purse in 1959 was a record $76,100 with a winner's share of $15,000 to Wall. The estimated gallery for the final round on Sunday was 30,000 spectators.[3][4]

Nineteen-year-old Jack Nicklaus made his Masters debut with 76-74 (150) and missed the cut by one stroke. He played in 45 Masters, the first three as an amateur, and only missed one cut (1967) in the next 34 Masters tournaments. Nicklaus won a record six green jackets and was runner-up four times in his 22 top-10 finishes.

Field

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1. Masters champions

Jack Burke Jr. (4,10,11), Jimmy Demaret (8), Doug Ford (4,8,11), Claude Harmon (8), Ben Hogan (2,3,4,8,9), Herman Keiser, Cary Middlecoff (2,8), Byron Nelson (2,4,8), Arnold Palmer (8), Henry Picard (4), Gene Sarazen (2,3,4), Horton Smith, Sam Snead (3,4,8,10), Craig Wood (2)

The following categories only apply to Americans
2. U.S. Open champions

Tommy Bolt (9,10,11), Julius Boros (9,10), Billy Burke, Chick Evans (5,a), Jack Fleck, Ed Furgol (11), Tony Manero, Lloyd Mangrum, Dick Mayer (11), Fred McLeod, Sam Parks Jr., Lew Worsham

3. The Open champions

Jock Hutchison (4), Denny Shute (4)

4. PGA champions

Walter Burkemo (9), Dow Finsterwald (8,10,11), Vic Ghezzi, Chick Harbert (8), Chandler Harper, Lionel Hebert (11), Johnny Revolta, Jim Turnesa

5. U.S. Amateur and Amateur champions

Dick Chapman (a), Charles Coe (6,7,8,9,a), Robert Sweeny Jr. (a)

6. Selections for the 1959 U.S. Walker Cup team

Tommy Aaron (7,a), Deane Beman (7,a), William C. Campbell (a), Bill Hyndman (a), Chuck Kocsis (7,a), Jack Nicklaus (a), Billy Joe Patton (8,a), Bud Taylor (7,a), Ward Wettlaufer (a)

  • Campbell and Kocsis were reserves for the team. Harvie Ward did not play.
7. 1958 U.S. Amateur quarter-finalists

Dick Foote (a), Roger McManus (a), Jack Westland (a)

8. Top 24 players and ties from the 1958 Masters Tournament

Billy Casper (9,10), Fred Hawkins (11), Jay Hebert (9,10), Ted Kroll (11), Billy Maxwell, Al Mengert, Phil Rodgers (a), Mike Souchak (10), Ken Venturi, Art Wall Jr. (11), Bo Wininger

9. Top 16 players and ties from the 1958 U.S. Open

Marty Furgol, Bob Goetz, Tommy Jacobs, Don January, Gene Littler, Dick Metz, Bob Rosburg, Frank Stranahan

10. Top eight players and ties from 1958 PGA Championship

Buster Cupit, Ed Oliver

11. Members of the U.S. 1957 Ryder Cup team
12. One player, either amateur or professional, not already qualified, selected by a ballot of ex-Masters champions

Ernie Vossler

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

George Bayer

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

Don Cherry (a)

15. Two players, not already qualified, from a points list based on finishes in the winter part of the 1959 PGA Tour

Paul Harney, John McMullin

16. Winner of the 1958 Canadian Open

Wes Ellis

17. Foreign invitations

Bruce Castator (a), Bruce Crampton, Stan Leonard (8), Henry Martell, Ángel Miguel, Gary Player (9), Dave Thomas, Peter Thomson (3,8), Retief Waltman

  • 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 2, 1959

Place Player Score To par
1 Canada Stan Leonard 69 −3
T2 United States Jack Burke Jr. 71 −1
United States Chandler Harper
United States Arnold Palmer
T5 United States Tommy Bolt 72 E
United States Jay Hebert
United States Gene Littler
Spain Ángel Miguel
Australia Peter Thomson
T10 United States Ben Hogan 73 +1
United States Bill Hyndman (a)
United States Chuck Kocsis (a)
United States Billy Maxwell
United States Dick Mayer
South Africa Gary Player
United States Mike Souchak
Wales Dave Thomas
United States Art Wall Jr.

Source:[9]

Second round

[edit]

Friday, April 3, 1959

Place Player Score To par
1 United States Arnold Palmer 71-70=141 −3
2 Canada Stan Leonard 69-74=143 −1
T3 United States Julius Boros 75-69=144 E
United States Paul Harney 75-69=144
United States Billy Maxwell 73-71=144
Spain Ángel Miguel 72-72=144
United States Ed Oliver 75-69=144
United States Mike Souchak 73-71=144
Wales Dave Thomas 73-71=144
T10 United States Walter Burkemo 75-70=145 +1
United States Jack Fleck 74-71=145
United States Chandler Harper 71-74=145
United States Jay Hebert 72-73=145
United States Bill Hyndman (a) 73-72=145
United States Cary Middlecoff 74-71=145
United States Billy Joe Patton (a) 75-70=145
United States Bo Wininger 75-70=145

Source:[10][11]

Third round

[edit]

Saturday, April 4, 1959

Place Player Score To par
T1 Canada Stan Leonard 69-74-69=212 −4
United States Arnold Palmer 71-70-71=212
3 United States Cary Middlecoff 74-71-68=213 −3
4 United States Charles Coe (a) 74-74-67=215 −1
T5 United States Walter Burkemo 75-70-71=216 E
United States Fred Hawkins 77-71-68=216
United States Jack Fleck 74-71-71=216
United States Billy Maxwell 73-71-72=216
United States Billy Joe Patton (a) 75-70-71=216
T10 United States Jay Hebert 72-73-72=217 +1
United States Ed Oliver 75-69-73=217
United States Bo Wininger 75-70-72=217

Source:[5]

Final round

[edit]

Sunday, April 5, 1959

Final leaderboard

[edit]
Champion
Silver Cup winner (low amateur)
(a) = amateur
(c) = past champion
Top 10
Place Player Score To par Money (US$)
1 United States Art Wall Jr. 73-74-71-66=284 −4 15,000
2 United States Cary Middlecoff (c) 74-71-68-72=285 −3 7,500
3 United States Arnold Palmer (c) 71-70-71-74=286 −2 4,500
T4 Canada Stan Leonard 69-74-69-75=287 −1 2,625
United States Dick Mayer 73-75-71-68=287
6 United States Charles Coe (a) 74-74-67-73=288 E 0
7 United States Fred Hawkins 77-71-68-73=289 +1 2,100
T8 United States Julius Boros 75-69-74-72=290 +2 1,740
United States Jay Hebert 72-73-72-73=290
United States Gene Littler 72-75-72-71=290
United States Billy Maxwell 73-71-72-74=290
United States Billy Joe Patton (a) 75-70-71-74=290 0
South Africa Gary Player 73-75-71-71=290 1,740

Sources:[12][13]

Scorecard

[edit]
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
United States Wall +1 E E E E E +1 E E +1 +1 +1 E −1 −2 −2 −3 −4
United States Middlecoff −3 −2 −2 −1 −1 −1 −1 −2 −2 −2 −1 −1 −2 −1 −3 −3 −3 −3
United States Palmer −4 −4 −4 −4 −4 −3 −3 −4 −4 −4 −4 −1 −2 −2 −3 −3 −2 −2
Canada Leonard −4 −4 −4 −3 −3 −3 −2 −2 −1 −1 −1 −1 −2 −2 −2 −2 −1 −1

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par

Eagle Birdie Bogey Double bogey Triple bogey+

References

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  1. ^ a b "Stan Leonard blasts out 69 to tie for first in Masters". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. April 5, 1959. p. 1-sports.
  2. ^ "Wall rallies, takes Masters on 284". Chicago Daily Tribune. April 6, 1959. p. 1, part 4.
  3. ^ a b "Wall birdies 5 of final 6; wins Masters in epic finish". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. April 6, 1959. p. 10.
  4. ^ a b "Birdies on five of last six holes give Art Wall a 66, Masters title". Milwaukee Journal. New York Times News Service. April 6, 1959. p. 10.
  5. ^ a b c Bartlett, Charles (April 5, 1959). "Leonard's 69 ties Palmer after 3d round of Masters". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 1, part 2.
  6. ^ Brown, Gwilym (April 13, 1959). "Wall was wondrous". Sports Illustrated. p. 16.
  7. ^ Gundelfinger, Phil (April 6, 1959). "Wall's sensational rally takes Masters". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 26.
  8. ^ Petersen, Leo H. (April 6, 1959). "Sensational closing round of 66 gives Art Wall Masters tourney title". Youngstown Vindicator. Ohio. UPI. p. 17.
  9. ^ Bartlett, Charles (April 3, 1959). "Leonard leads Masters with 69". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, part 4.
  10. ^ "Masters score card". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. April 4, 1959. p. 10.
  11. ^ Bartlett, Charles (April 4, 1959). "Palmer's 141 captures Masters lead". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, part 7.
  12. ^ "Masters – Past Winners & Results". Augusta National Inc. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  13. ^ "Past results – Masters tournament". PGA Tour. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
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