| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 5–8, 1956 |
| Location | Augusta, Georgia 33°30′11″N 82°01′12″W / 33.503°N 82.020°W |
| Course(s) | Augusta National Golf Club |
| Organized by | Augusta National Golf Club |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 6,965 yards (6,369 m)[1] |
| Field | 84 players |
| Cut | None |
| Winner's share | $6,000 |
| Champion | |
 Jack Burke Jr. | |
| 289 (+1) | |
| Location map | |
  Augusta National Location in the United States  Augusta National Location in Georgia | |
The 1956 Masters Tournament was the 20th Masters Tournament, held April 5–8 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.
Jack Burke Jr. won his first major championship and only Masters, one stroke ahead of amateur Ken Venturi. It was the final Masters played without a 36-hole cut. CBS televised the third and fourth rounds of the tournament for the first time, and has done so every year since.
Burke shot a 71 (−1) on Sunday, one of only two players to break par in the final round; he rallied from a tournament record eight shots back to pass Venturi, who had led the entire tournament.[2][3] Then a 24-year-old amateur, Venturi opened with a first round 66 (−6), the best round to date at the Masters by an amateur.[4] But on Sunday, he shot a 42 (+6) on the final nine holes to card a disappointing 80 (+8).[1][5] Burke's 289, along with Sam Snead in 1954 and Zach Johnson in 2007, remains the highest winning total in Masters history.
Burke was late arriving at the course for his final round on Sunday after going to church and had only fifteen minutes to warm up.[6] He won a second (and final) major title in late July at the PGA Championship, in its penultimate edition as a match play competition.
- ^ a b "Jack Burke Surprise Winner of Masters Golf". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. April 9, 1956. p. 18. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
- ^ "Venturi folds, steady Burke wins Masters". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. April 9, 1956. p. 4, part 2.
- ^ Drum, Bob (April 9, 1956). "Burke Master as Venturi folds". Pittsburgh Press. p. 24.
- ^ "Ken Venturi leads Masters with amateur record of 66". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. April 6, 1956. p. 16.
- ^ Wind, Herbert Warren (April 16, 1956). "And Then—Jackie Burke Took Charge". Sports Illustrated. p. 28. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
- ^ "Pros Baffled By 'Lost' Par". Pittsburgh Press. April 9, 1956. p. 24.