The 1955 Masters Tournament was the 19th Masters Tournament, held April 7–10 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. It was the last one before CBS began televising the tournament the following year.

Cary Middlecoff shot a 65 in the second round, including a then-record 31 on the first nine, to win his only Masters, seven strokes ahead of runner-up Ben Hogan, and the second of his three major championships.

After a third round at even-par 72, Middlecoff entered the final round with a four shot lead over Hogan, the champion in 1951 and 1953. The victory margin of seven strokes was a tournament record for ten years, until Jack Nicklaus won by nine strokes over Arnold Palmer and Gary Player in 1965, later increased to twelve in 1997 by Tiger Woods. The previous record was five strokes, set in 1948 by Claude Harmon and tied by Hogan in 1953. The runner-up finish was Hogan's fourth at the Masters.

Arnold Palmer, a professional for less than a year, finished tied for tenth in his first Masters.

The Sarazen Bridge, approaching the left side of the 15th green, was dedicated on Wednesday to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Gene Sarazen's double eagle in 1935. Included was a contest to duplicate the shot, with the closest by Fred Haas at away.

Course

HoleNameYardsPar HoleNameYardsPar1White Pine4004 10Camellia47042Woodbine555511Dogwood44543Flowering Peach355412Golden Bell15534Palm220313Azalea47055Magnolia450414Spanish Dagger42046Juniper190315Firethorn50557Pampas365416Redbud19038Yellow Jasmine520517Nandina40049Carolina Cherry420418Holly4204Out3,47536In3,47536Source:Total6,95072 ^ Holes 1, 2, 4, 11, and 14 were later renamed.

Field 1. Masters champions Claude Harmon (10), Ben Hogan (2,4,6,9,10), Herman Keiser, Byron Nelson (2,6,9), Henry Picard (6), Gene Sarazen (2,4,6), Horton Smith, Sam Snead (4,6,9,10,12), Craig Wood (2) Jimmy Demaret and Ralph Guldahl (2) did not play.

2. U.S. Open champions Julius Boros (9,10), Billy Burke, Johnny Farrell, Ed Furgol (10), Lawson Little (3,5), Tony Manero, Lloyd Mangrum (9,10), Fred McLeod, Cary Middlecoff (9,10,12), Sam Parks Jr., Lew Worsham (9,10)

3. U.S. Amateur champions Ted Bishop (a), Dick Chapman (5,9,10,a), Charles Coe (9,a), Gene Littler (9,10), Billy Maxwell, Arnold Palmer (11), Skee Riegel (9), Jess Sweetser (5,a), Bud Ward

4. British Open champions Jock Hutchison (6), Denny Shute (6)

5. British Amateur champions Frank Stranahan, Robert Sweeny Jr. (11,a), Harvie Ward (8,9,a)

6. PGA champions Walter Burkemo (9,12), Vic Ghezzi, Chick Harbert (9,12), Chandler Harper, Johnny Revolta, Jim Turnesa

7. Members of the U.S. 1955 Ryder Cup team Team not selected in time for inclusion

8. Members of the U.S. 1955 Walker Cup team Rex Baxter (a), William C. Campbell (10,a), Don Cherry (11,a), Joe Conrad (a), Bruce Cudd (a), Jimmy Jackson (a), Ed Meister (11,a), Dale Morey (11,a), Billy Joe Patton (9,10,a), Hillman Robbins (a)

Dick Yost (a) did not play. Baxter, Meister and Robbins were reserves for the team.

9. Top 24 players and ties from the 1954 Masters Tournament Jerry Barber (12), Al Besselink, Tommy Bolt (10,12), Jack Burke Jr. (10), Pete Cooper, Marty Furgol (10), Jay Hebert (10), Ed Oliver, Bob Rosburg, Earl Stewart, Bob Toski (10)

Dutch Harrison and Ken Venturi (a) did not play.

10. Top 24 players and ties from the 1954 U.S. Open Max Evans, Leland Gibson, Fred Haas, Dick Mayer, Shelley Mayfield (12), Al Mengert, Johnny Weitzel

11. 1954 U.S. Amateur quarter-finalists Ted Lenczyk (a), Davis Love Jr. (a)

Ed Martin (a) did not play.

12. 1954 PGA Championship quarter-finalists

13. One amateur, not already qualified, selected by a ballot of ex-U.S. Amateur champions Bill Goodloe (a)

14. One professional, not already qualified, selected by a ballot of ex-U.S. Open champions Johnny Palmer

15. Two players, not already qualified, from a points list based on finishes in the winter part of the 1955 PGA Tour Mike Souchak, Bo Wininger

16. Foreign invitations Pat Fletcher, Rudy Horvath (10), Stan Leonard, Peter Thomson (4,9)

Numbers in brackets indicate categories that the player would have qualified under had they been American.

Round summaries

First round Thursday, April 7, 1955 PlacePlayerScoreTo par1 Jack Burke Jr. 67 −5 T2 Julius Boros 71 −1 Mike Souchak T4 Cary Middlecoff 72 E Byron Nelson Bob Rosburg Sam Snead T8 Walter Burkemo 73 +1 Pete Cooper Ben Hogan Skee Riegel Source:

Second round Friday, April 8, 1955 PlacePlayerScoreTo par1 Cary Middlecoff 72-65=137 −72 Ben Hogan 73-68=141 −3 T3 Jack Burke Jr. 67-76=143 −1 Sam Snead 72-71=143 5 Bob Rosburg 72-72=144 E 6 Mike Souchak 71-74=145 +1 T7 Tommy Bolt 76-70=146 +2 Julius Boros 71-75=146 Walter Burkemo 73-73=146 Pete Cooper 73-73=146 Ed Furgol 74-72=146 Skee Riegel 73-73=146 Harvie Ward (a) 77-69=146 Source:

Third round Saturday, April 9, 1955 PlacePlayerScoreTo par1 Cary Middlecoff 72-65-72=209 −72 Ben Hogan 73-68-72=213 −3 3 Jack Burke Jr. 67-76-71=214 −2 4 Bob Rosburg 72-72-72=216 E T5 Sam Snead 72-71-74=217 +1 Mike Souchak 71-74-72=217T7 Julius Boros 71-75-72=218 +2 Walter Burkemo 73-73-72=218 Stan Leonard 77-73-68=218 T10 Lloyd Mangrum 74-73-72=219 +3 Skee Riegel 73-73-73=219 Source:

Final round Sunday, April 10, 1955

Final leaderboard Champion Silver Cup winner (low amateur)(a) = amateur(c) = past champion Top 10PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney (US$)1 Cary Middlecoff 72-65-72-70=279 −9 5,0002 Ben Hogan (c) 73-68-72-73=286 −2 3,1253 Sam Snead (c) 72-71-74-70=287 −1 2,125T4 Julius Boros 71-75-72-71=289 +1 1,333 Bob Rosburg 72-72-72-73=289 Mike Souchak 71-74-72-72=2897 Lloyd Mangrum 74-73-72-72=291 +3 875T8 Stan Leonard 77-73-68-74=292 +4 813 Harvie Ward (a) 77-69-75-71=292 0T10 Dick Mayer 78-72-72-71=293 +5 696 Byron Nelson (c) 72-75-74-72=293 Arnold Palmer 76-76-72-69=293 Leaderboard below the top 10PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)T13 Jack Burke Jr. 67-76-71-80=294 +6 594 Skee Riegel 73-73-73-75=294T15 Walter Burkemo 73-73-72-77=295 +7 563 Jay Hebert 75-74-74-72=295 Frank Stranahan 77-76-71-71=295T18 Joe Conrad (a) 77-71-74-75=297 +9 0 Billy Maxwell 77-72-77-71=297 525 Johnny Palmer 77-73-72-75=297 Peter Thomson 74-73-74-76=297T22 Tommy Bolt 76-70-77-75=298 +10 513 Gene Littler 75-72-76-75=298T24 Pete Cooper 73-73-78-75=299 +11 500 Ed Furgol 74-72-78-75=299 Hillman Robbins (a) 77-76-74-72=299 027 Max Evans 76-75-75-76=302 +14 500T28 Bill Goodloe (a) 74-73-81-75=303 +15 0 Claude Harmon (c) 77-75-78-73=303 250T30 Don Cherry (a) 79-75-78-72=304 +16 0 Bud Ward 77-73-77-77=304 250T32 Charles Coe (a) 74-77-76-78=305 +17 0 Pat Fletcher 76-75-77-77=305 250 Chick Harbert 76-80-73-76=305 Al Mengert 79-71-78-77=305T36 Billy Burke 75-78-77-76=306 +18 250 William C. Campbell (a) 77-73-80-76=306 0 Bruce Cudd (a) 75-74-79-78=306 Shelley Mayfield 77-73-80-76=306 250 Denny Shute 78-71-77-80=306T41 Henry Picard (c) 78-79-75-75=307 +19 250 Bob Toski 78-71-79-79=307T43 Marty Furgol 79-74-79-76=308 +20 250 Leland Gibson 81-75-75-77=308 Rudy Horvath 79-77-76-76=308 Jimmy Jackson (a) 79-75-77-77=308 0 Earl Stewart 78-80-72-78=308 25048 Jim Turnesa 77-75-79-78=309 +21 250T49 Billy Joe Patton (a) 79-76-77-78=310 +22 0 Johnny Revolta 75-78-79-78=310 250 Johnny Weitzel 78-80-78-74=310 Lew Worsham 80-75-79-76=310T53 Dick Chapman (a) 74-79-73-85=311 +23 0 Vic Ghezzi 78-79-77-77=311 250 Ed Oliver 77-76-81-77=311T56 Jerry Barber 75-77-77-83=312 +24 250 Herman Keiser (c) 82-79-75-76=31258 Rex Baxter (a) 74-76-80-83=313 +25 0T59 Ted Lenczyk (a) 77-80-77-81=315 +27 Horton Smith (c) 81-81-79-74=315 25061 Sam Parks Jr. 80-80-78-78=316 +28 25062 Craig Wood (c) 81-81-79-76=317 +29 250T63 Al Besselink 80-75-80-83=318 +30 250 Dale Morey (a) 82-77-81-78=318 065 Lawson Little 81-77-77-84=319 +31 25066 Bo Wininger 81-74-81-84=320 +32 25067 Ed Meister (a) 86-87-74-77=324 +36 068 Davis Love Jr. (a) 82-85-83-77=327 +39WD Ted Bishop (a) 79-76-80=235 +19 Fred Haas 75-77=152 +8 Chandler Harper 77-79=156 +12 Gene Sarazen (c) 83-80=163 +19 Johnny Farrell 81-84=165 +21 Jess Sweetser (a) 79 +7 Jock Hutchison 83 +11 Tony Manero 87 +15 Fred McLeod 91 +19 Robert Sweeny Jr. (a)

Sources:

Scorecard Hole  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18 Par454343454 443545344 Middlecoff −7−8−8−8−7−8−9−9−9−7−7−8−8−8−9−9−8−9 Hogan −3−3−3−3−2−2−2−3−3−2−1−1−2−2−2−2−2−2 Snead EEEEE+1+1+1+1+1+1+1EE−1−1−1−1 Boros +2+2+2+2+3+3+4+4+4+4+4+4+3+3+2+1+1+1 Rosburg +1+1+1+2+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+2+3+1+1+1+1 Souchak +1EEEEEE−1EEEE+1+1E+1+1+1 Burke −1−1−1−1−1−1−1−1−1EE+1+5+5+5+5+6+6 Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par {|class="wikitable" span = 50 style="font-size:85%; |- | style="background:Red; width:10px;"| |Eagle | style="background:Pink; width:10px;"| |Birdie | style="background:PaleGreen; width:10px;"| |Bogey | style="background:Green; width:10px;"| |Double bogey | style="background:Olive; width:10px;"| |Triple bogey +

References

External links Masters.com – past winners and results Augusta.com – 1955 Masters leaderboard and scorecards