| 1956 Masters | |
Has an amateur ever won The Masters? No, although three times an amateur finished solo second or tied for second. The 1956 Masters is one of those times, and is the best-known, because the amateur who finished second was Ken Venturi.
But Jack Burke Jr. was. Burke, who began the final round eight strokes behind Venturi, shot a 71, while Venturi struggled to an 80. That 9-stroke difference turned out to be the difference in the tournament, as Burke won by one over Venturi.
The 8-stroke final-round deficit that Burke made up makes this the biggest come-from-behind win in Masters history. But the tough scoring conditions also make Burke's 1-over 289 total the highest winning score in Masters history, tied with Sam Snead's total in the 1954 Masters.
The 1956 Masters was the last one without a cut.
1956 Masters Scores
Results from the 1956 Masters golf tournament played at the par-72 Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. (a-amateur):
| Jack Burke Jr. | 72-71-75-71--289 | $6,000 |
| a-Ken Venturi | 66-69-75-80--290 | |
| Cary Middlecoff | 67-72-75-77--291 | $3,750 |
| Lloyd Mangrum | 72-74-72-74--292 | $2,397 |
| Sam Snead | 73-76-72-71--292 | $2,397 |
| Jerry Barber | 71-72-76-75--294 | $1,350 |
| Doug Ford | 70-72-75-77--294 | $1,350 |
| Tommy Bolt | 68-74-78-76--296 | $976 |
| Ben Hogan | 69-78-74-75--296 | $976 |
| Shelley Mayfield | 68-74-80-74--296 | $976 |
| Johnny Palmer | 76-74-74-73--297 | $825 |
| Pete Cooper | 72-70-77-79--298 | $735 |
| Gene Littler | 73-77-74-74--298 | $735 |
| a-Billy Joe Patton | 70-76-79-73--298 | |
| Sam Urzetta | 73-75-76-74--298 | $735 |
| Bob Rosburg | 70-74-81-74--299 | $675 |
| Walt Burkemo | 72-74-78-76--300 | $650 |
| Roberto De Vicenzo | 75-72-78-75--300 | $650 |
| a-Hillman Robbins | 73-73-78-76--300 | |
| Mike Souchak | 73-73-74-80--300 | $650 |
| Arnold Palmer | 73-75-74-79--301 | $615 |
| Frank Stranahan | 72-75-79-76--302 | $615 |
| Jim Turnesa | 74-74-74-80--302 | $615 |
| Julius Boros | 73-78-72-80--303 | $480 |
| Dow Finsterwald | 74-73-79-77--303 | $480 |
| Ed Furgol | 74-75-78-76--303 | $480 |
| Stan Leonard | 75-75-79-74--303 | $480 |
| Al Mengert | 74-72-79-78--303 | $480 |
| Al Balding | 75-78-77-74--304 | $300 |
| Vic Ghezzi | 74-77-77-76--304 | $300 |
| Fred Haas Jr. | 78-72-75-79--304 | $300 |
| Fred Hawkins | 71-73-76-84--304 | $300 |
| Walter Inman | 73-75-74-82--304 | $300 |
| Jimmy Demaret | 73-75-76-81--305 | $300 |
| Billy Maxwell | 75-75-81-74--305 | $300 |
| Art Wall Jr. | 75-80-75-75--305 | $300 |
| a-Harvie Ward Jr. | 76-70-81-78--305 | |
| Lew Worsham | 74-72-80-79--305 | $300 |
| Byron Nelson | 73-75-78-80--306 | $300 |
| Chick Harbert | 73-76-78-80--307 | $300 |
| Bob Harris | 73-79-77-78--307 | $300 |
| Skee Riegel | 72-79-76-80--307 | $300 |
| a-Bill Campbell | 77-78-77-76--308 | |
| Jack Fleck | 74-77-76-81--308 | $300 |
| Dick Mayer | 75-74-81-78--308 | $300 |
| a-Rex Baxter Jr. | 76-79-79-75--309 | |
| Claude Harmon | 77-79-76-77--309 | $300 |
| Henry Picard | 75-76-82-76--309 | $300 |
| Bud Holscher | 73-81-80-76--310 | $300 |
| Gene Sarazen | 77-75-78-80--310 | $300 |
| a-James Jackson | 77-74-76-84--311 | |
| Ted Kroll | 75-75-79-82--311 | $300 |
| a-Bruce Cudd | 78-77-84-74--313 | |
| Jay Hebert | 74-76-82-81--313 | $300 |
| Bill Hyndman | 79-77-77-80--313 | $300 |
| a-Joe Campbell | 77-80-78-79--314 | |
| a-Edwark Hopkins Jr. | 76-76-82-80--314 | |
| a-Don Bisplinghoff | 77-80-81-78--316 | |
| Don Fairfield | 78-75-77-86--316 | $300 |
| a-Ed Meister Jr. | 78-78-84-76--316 | |
| a-Joe Conrad | 76-79-81-81--317 | |
| Lionel Hebert | 77-77-80-83--317 | $300 |
| Ernie Vossler | 78-79-83-77--317 | $300 |
| George Schneiter | 77-80-82-79--318 | $300 |
| a-Dick Chapman | 79-82-82-76--319 | |
| a-Dale Morey | 83-75-83-78--319 | |
| Sam Parks Jr. | 80-82-76-81--319 | $300 |
| Henry Cotton | 77-83-81-80--321 | $300 |
| a-James McCoy | 77-81-81-82--321 | |
| Craig Wood | 76-80-78-88--322 | $300 |
| Denny Shute | 82-79-89-74--324 | $300 |
| a-Don Cherry | 79-81-81-84--325 | |
| Lawson Little | 77-81-85-82--325 | $300 |
| a-William Boce | 82-80-87-77--326 | |
| Johnny Revolta | 84-81-79-84--328 | $300 |
| Horton Smith | 86-84-84-82--336 | $300 |
| a-Charles Kunkle | 78-82-85-95--340 |
1955 Masters | 1957 Masters
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