Throughout the many years I have penned this column, I have often referred to the three eras of golf in America. The first era ran through the end of World War I. Scots brought the game to these shores, the grandfathers of American golf architecture started building the great traditional courses, and amateurs such as Francis Ouimet and Chick Evans reigned supreme by winning the United States Open against the top European professionals of the day.
The second era of American golfer marked the beginning of the pro golfer as a star as well as the haphazard beginning of what would come to be known at the PGA Tour. Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen were the first true professionals of note and fit in perfectly with Babe Ruth, Red Grange and the other greats of the Roaring ?20s. As their careers began to downslide, a new trio of greats, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead and Byron Nelson, took center stage.
By then the four majors were in place and other events such as the Los Angeles Open, the Western Open, the Texas Open, the North-South, the Greater Greensboro Open and the Canadian Open were regular stopping points on a 25-circuit tour. There still wasn”t a lot of money to be made in golf and the top players doubled as the head pros at exclusive East Coast country clubs, where they worked during the offseason.
Finally, there is the modern era. It began at a time when golf professionals were as highly paid as the team sports stars of the day such as Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Johnny Unitas and Wilt Chamberlain. Television was a new phenomenon and it brought the vagaries of golf into the households of everyday Americans. Now Joe Lunchbucket could watch golf from such remote locations as Augusta, Pebble Beach and Hawaii.
To put a specific beginning upon the modern era of golf, one needs to simply look back to exactly 50 years ago this week and to the playing of the 1958 Masters. It marked the start of the new era as well as the conclusion of the Hogan-Snead-Nelson triumvirate”s impact upon the game.
Arnold Palmer won the 1958 Masters by one shot over past champion Doug Ford and career journeyman Fred Hawkins. One stroke farther back was San Franciscan Ken Venturi, who almost won the 1956 Masters as an amateur. Palmer was 28 years of age when he captured that first green jacket, was a past U.S. Amateur champion, was the start of the new breed of college golfers as he had attended Wake Forest University, and had been a professional on tour for four years.
Prior to winning his first major at August National in 1958, Palmer had all the career makings of a rising star. During his rookie year of 1955, he won the Canadian Open, which was a big-deal event in those days. The following year he won twice and in 1957 he took home four titles, the most on the PGA Tour that year. Going into the 1958 Masters, Palmer had added an early season victory at the St. Petersburg Open during the PGA Tour”s Florida swing. He was the hottest player on a tour that featured the likes of Ford, Lionel Hebert, Dick Mayer and Bobby Locke, all major championship winners in 1957.
Palmer got through three rounds of the Masters tied for the lead at 5-under-par along with Snead. Strange to say, but in those days tournaments didn”t necessarily pair the leaders together and they didn”t go off last. Snead teed off several groups ahead of Palmer and promptly fell out of contention. He would go on to shoot 79 and finish solo 13th, one stroke ahead of Jimmy Demaret, Ben Hogan and Mike Souchak.
Paired with Venturi during round four, Palmer found himself tied with Venturi through 11 holes. On the par-3 12th hole, the heart of Amen Corner and a term that was first used in print by Herbert Warren Wind that year, Palmer hit his shot long. It embedded just beyond the back fringe.
Palmer asked for relief from his own pitch mark. For a reason still unknown to most knowledgeable golf fans, the rules official refused. So Palmer played his shot and topped it. A three-putt moments later added up to a double-bogey five.
Venturi had the lead ? momentarily. A chagrined Palmer decided to challenge the rules decision and play a second ball, one outside the parameters of the embedded mark. Palmer nudged his chip close and tapped in for a par. Palmer hoped the Masters” rules committee would rule favorably on his second-ball appeal.
Arnold Palmer”s first major charge was about to begin. He eagled the par-5 13th and upon reaching the 15th tee, he was told his second ball on the 12th hole would count. Palmer closed his fourth round with a 1-over-par 73 to finish all four rounds at 4-under 284.
However, Palmer had to sweat out potential final-hole heroics by Fred Hawkins and Doug Ford, both of whom had makeable putts of less than 15 feet on the 18th. Both barely missed and finished one stroke out of the winner”s circle. Venturi three-putted the final three holes and finished one stroke farther back at 2-under 286.
Byron Nelson, who had retired from competitive golf a decade earlier, finished tied for 20th place with an up-and-coming youngster, Billy Casper. Old-timer Gene Sarazen missed the cut as did amateur golfer and crooner Don Cherry.
A new era of golf had its beginnings that week in Augusta in 1958. Arnold Palmer had the first of his four green jackets and the first of his seven major titles.
And to think, it was 50 years ago today ?
