1959 Masters Tournament

The 1959 Masters Tournament was the 23rd Masters Tournament, held April 2–5 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Art Wall Jr. shot a final round of 66 (−6), with birdies on five of the last six holes, for his only major title, one stroke ahead of runner-up Cary Middlecoff, the 1955 champion. Wall started the final round six strokes behind the leaders, in a tie for thirteenth place.

Defending champion Arnold Palmer was a third round co-leader, but a triple-bogey at the par-3 12th led to a 74 and a third-place finish, two strokes back. The purse in 1959 was a record $76,100 with a winner's share of $15,000 to Wall. The estimated gallery for the final round on Sunday was 30,000 spectators.

Nineteen-year-old Jack Nicklaus made his Masters debut with 76-74 (150) and missed the cut by one stroke. He played in 45 Masters, the first three as an amateur, and only missed one cut (1967) in the next 34 Masters tournaments. Nicklaus won a record six green jackets and was runner-up four times in his 22 top-10 finishes.

Field
Jack Burke Jr. (4,10,11), Jimmy Demaret (8), Doug Ford (4,8,11), Claude Harmon (8), Ben Hogan (2,3,4,8,9), Herman Keiser, Cary Middlecoff (2,8), Byron Nelson (2,4,8), Arnold Palmer (8), Henry Picard (4), Gene Sarazen (2,3,4), Horton Smith, Sam Snead (3,4,8,10), Craig Wood (2)
 * 1. Masters champions
 * Ralph Guldahl (2) did not play.


 * The following categories only apply to Americans

Tommy Bolt (9,10,11), Julius Boros (9,10), Billy Burke, Chick Evans (5,a), Jack Fleck, Ed Furgol (11), Tony Manero, Lloyd Mangrum, Dick Mayer (11), Fred McLeod, Sam Parks Jr., Lew Worsham
 * 2. U.S. Open champions

Jock Hutchison (4), Denny Shute (4)
 * 3. The Open champions

Walter Burkemo (9), Dow Finsterwald (8,10,11), Vic Ghezzi, Chick Harbert (8), Chandler Harper, Lionel Hebert (11), Johnny Revolta, Jim Turnesa
 * 4. PGA champions

Dick Chapman (a), Charles Coe (6,7,8,9,a), Robert Sweeny Jr. (a)
 * 5. U.S. Amateur and Amateur champions

Tommy Aaron (7,a), Deane Beman (7,a), William C. Campbell (a), Bill Hyndman (a), Chuck Kocsis (7,a), Jack Nicklaus (a), Billy Joe Patton (8,a), Bud Taylor (7,a), Ward Wettlaufer (a)
 * 6. Selections for the 1959 U.S. Walker Cup team


 * Campbell and Kocsis were reserves for the team. Harvie Ward did not play.

Dick Foote (a), Roger McManus (a), Jack Westland (a)
 * 7. 1958 U.S. Amateur quarter-finalists

Billy Casper (9,10), Fred Hawkins (11), Jay Hebert (9,10), Ted Kroll (11), Billy Maxwell, Al Mengert, Phil Rodgers (a), Mike Souchak (10), Ken Venturi, Art Wall Jr. (11), Bo Wininger
 * 8. Top 24 players and ties from the 1958 Masters Tournament

Marty Furgol, Bob Goetz, Tommy Jacobs, Don January, Gene Littler, Dick Metz, Bob Rosburg, Frank Stranahan
 * 9. Top 16 players and ties from the 1958 U.S. Open

Buster Cupit, Ed Oliver
 * 10. Top eight players and ties from 1958 PGA Championship


 * 11. Members of the U.S. 1957 Ryder Cup team

Ernie Vossler
 * 12. One player, either amateur or professional, not already qualified, selected by a ballot of ex-Masters champions

George Bayer
 * 13. One professional, not already qualified, selected by a ballot of ex-U.S. Open champions

Don Cherry (a)
 * 14. One amateur, not already qualified, selected by a ballot of ex-U.S. Amateur champions

Paul Harney, John McMullin
 * 15. Two players, not already qualified, from a points list based on finishes in the winter part of the 1959 PGA Tour

Wes Ellis
 * 16. Winner of the 1958 Canadian Open

Bruce Castator (a), Bruce Crampton, Stan Leonard (8), Henry Martell, Ángel Miguel, Gary Player (9), Dave Thomas, Peter Thomson (3,8), Retief Waltman
 * 17. Foreign invitations


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

First round
Thursday, April 2, 1959 Source:

Second round
Friday, April 3, 1959 Source:

Third round
Saturday, April 4, 1959 Source:

Final round
Sunday, April 5, 1959

Final leaderboard
Sources:

Scorecard
Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par
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