1959 Masters Tournament

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]

1959 Masters Tournament
Tournament information
DatesApril 2–5, 1959
LocationAugusta, Georgia
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
Art Wall, Jr.
284 (−4)
Augusta 
Location in the United States

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
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.

Nationalities in the field
North America (81)South America (0)Europe (2)Oceania (2)Asia (0)Africa (2)
 Canada (3) Wales (1) Australia (2) South Africa (2)
 United States (78) Spain (1)

Past champions in the field

Made the cut
PlayerCountryYear(s) wonR1R2R3R4TotalTo parFinish
Cary Middlecoff United States195574716872285-32
Arnold Palmer United States195871707174286-23
Sam Snead United States1949, 1952, 195474737274293+5T22
Doug Ford United States195776737372294+6T25
Ben Hogan United States1951, 195373747672295+7T30
Jack Burke, Jr. United States195671777672296+8T34
Byron Nelson United States1937, 19427573WD

Missed the cut
PlayerCountryYear(s) wonR1R2TotalTo par
Claude Harmon United States19487477151+7
Henry Picard United States19387776153+9
Herman Keiser United States19467877155+11
Gene Sarazen United States19357779156+12
Jimmy Demaret United States1940, 1947, 19507884162+18
Craig Wood United States19418381164+20
Horton Smith United States1934, 19368383166+22

Source[9][10]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, April 2, 1959

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Stan Leonard Canada69−3
T2Jack Burke, Jr. United States71−1
Chandler Harper United States
Arnold Palmer United States
T5Tommy Bolt United States72E
Jay Hebert United States
Gene Littler United States
Ángel Miguel Spain
Peter Thomson Australia
T10Ben Hogan United States73+1
Bill Hyndman (a) United States
Chuck Kocsis (a) United States
Billy Maxwell United States
Dick Mayer United States
Gary Player South Africa
Mike Souchak United States
Dave Thomas Wales
Art Wall, Jr. United States

Source:[11]

Second round

Friday, April 3, 1959

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Arnold Palmer United States71-70=141−3
2Stan Leonard Canada69-74=143−1
T3Julius Boros United States75-69=144E
Paul Harney United States75-69=144
Billy Maxwell United States73-71=144
Ángel Miguel Spain72-72=144
Ed Oliver United States75-69=144
Mike Souchak United States73-71=144
Dave Thomas Wales73-71=144
T10Walter Burkemo United States75-70=145+1
Jack Fleck United States74-71=145
Chandler Harper United States71-74=145
Jay Hebert United States72-73=145
Bill Hyndman (a) United States73-72=145
Cary Middlecoff United States74-71=145
Billy Joe Patton (a) United States75-70=145
Bo Wininger United States75-70=145

Source:[9][10]

Third round

Saturday, April 4, 1959

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
T1Stan Leonard Canada69-74-69=212−4
Arnold Palmer United States71-70-71=212
3Cary Middlecoff United States74-71-68=213−3
4Charles Coe (a) United States74-74-67=215−1
T5Walter Burkemo United States75-70-71=216E
Fred Hawkins United States77-71-68=216
Jack Fleck United States74-71-71=216
Billy Maxwell United States73-71-72=216
Billy Joe Patton (a) United States75-70-71=216
T10Jay Hebert United States72-73-72=217+1
Ed Oliver United States75-69-73=217
Bo Wininger United States75-70-72=217

Source:[5]

Final round

Sunday, April 5, 1959

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney ($)
1Art Wall, Jr. United States73-74-71-66=284−415,000
2Cary Middlecoff United States74-71-68-72=285−37,500
3Arnold Palmer United States71-70-71-74=286−24,500
T4Stan Leonard Canada69-74-69-75=287−12,625
Dick Mayer United States73-75-71-68=287
6Charles Coe (a) United States74-74-67-73=288E0
7Fred Hawkins United States77-71-68-73=289+12,100
T8Julius Boros United States75-69-74-72=290+21,740
Jay Hebert United States72-73-72-73=290
Gene Littler United States72-75-72-71=290
Billy Maxwell United States73-71-72-74=290
Billy Joe Patton (a) United States75-70-71-74=2900
Gary Player South Africa73-75-71-71=2901,740

Source:[2]

Scorecard

Final round

Hole12345678910111213141516178
Par454343454443545344
Wall+1EEEEE+1EE+1+1+1E−1−2−2−3−4
Middlecoff−3−2−2−1−1−1−1−2−2−2−1−1−2−1−3−3−3−3
Palmer−4−4−4−4−4−3−3−4−4−4−4−1−2−2−3−3−2−2
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
  1. "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. "Wall birdies 5 of final 6; wins Masters in epic finish". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. April 6, 1959. p. 10.
  4. "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. 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. "Masters score card". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. April 4, 1959. p. 10.
  10. Bartlett, Charles (April 4, 1959). "Palmer's 141 captures Masters lead". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, part 7.
  11. Bartlett, Charles (April 3, 1959). "Leonard leads Masters with 69". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, part 4.

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