Amateurs have made some memorable runs at the Masters.
Amateurs have always been a major part of the Masters.
From the Amateur Dinner to the Crow’s Nest and Silver Cup, amateurs at the Masters are a focal point of the week at Augusta National Golf Club. They have made some memorable runs throughout the history of the event, including Sam Bennett in 2023, eventually finishing T-14.
Although an amateur has never won the Masters, 11 have finished inside the top 10, including three runner-up finishes. The best finish this century was Ryan Moore is 2005 at T-11 and Casey Wittenberg in 2004 at T-13.
Venturi’s gold medal for low amateur from the 1956 Masters is being auctioned off by his wife, Kathleen, on The Golf Auction site.
Ken Venturi was one of the most successful amateurs in Masters history. Not only did he take low amateur honors in the 1956 Masters, he carried a four-stroke lead into the final round over Cary Middlecoff.
He held on for a runner-up spot, shooting a 290, one stroke behind Jack Burke Jr., who started the round eight strokes behind Venturi.
Now, 64 years later, Venturi’s gold medal for low amateur is being auctioned off by his wife, Kathleen, on The Golf Auction site. The medal is part of the Ken Venturi collection being auctioned off, including some of his trophies he collected throughout his career.
Along with the Ken Venturi collection, other items being auctioned include a 1971 used PGA Championship scorecard, signed by Jack Nicklaus, Mark Calcavecchi’s 1989 Ryder Cup USA Team red/white/blue shirt and President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s personal 1950′s used set of Robert T. Jones Jr. irons and woods.
Venturi, who turned pro in 1956, went on to a 35-year long broadcasting career, including 14 Masters for CBS. He died in 2013.
Ken Venturi drives off from 14th tee during the final round of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta, Ga., on April 6, 1956.
Venturi was also the runner-up at the 1960 Masters. Many fans will remember the controversy surrounding playing partner Arnold Palmer’s embedded ball on No. 12. Palmer’s drop shot propelled him to a one-shot victory over the amateur.
Items can be bid on at thegolfauction.com, and the auction is open until Sunday at 9 p.m. Proceeds from the auction will go to the PGA of America’s charitable foundation, the PGA REACH.
“Bidding has been great,” said Kenley Matheny, president of The Golf Auction. “We’ve seen a lot of people come back and bid that haven’t in years.”
