1962 Masters Tournament

The 1962 Masters Tournament was the 26th Masters Tournament, held April 5–9 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Arnold Palmer won the third of his four Masters titles in the tournament's first three-way playoff. It was the fifth of his seven major titles.

The other two in the 18-hole Monday playoff were also major championship winners: defending champion Gary Player and Dow Finsterwald, winner of the PGA Championship in 1958. Out in 37 and down three strokes to Player at the turn, Palmer shot a 31 on the back nine for 68, while Player shot a 71 and Finsterwald a 77. In the lead after three rounds, Palmer was five-over for his final round after a double bogey at the 10th hole. After five pars, he birdied 16 and 17 to get into the Monday playoff with a 75 (+3). The gallery for the playoff was estimated at 16,000 spectators.

Henry Picard, the 1938 champion, made his final cut at Augusta at age 55. Jack Nicklaus, 22, tied for 15th in his fourth appearance, the first as a professional. He won the next major, the U.S. Open, in a playoff over Palmer at Oakmont near Pittsburgh.

With near misses in 1959 and 1961, Palmer said that it could have been his fifth consecutive title at Augusta.

The 36-hole cut was increased this year to include the low 44 plus ties and anyone within 10 shots of the lead (previously it was the low 40 plus ties). 110 players entered the tournament and 52 made the cut at 149 (+5).

Bruce Crampton won the third Par 3 contest with a score of 22.

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


 * The following categories only apply to Americans

Tommy Bolt (8), Julius Boros, Billy Burke, Billy Casper (8,11), Jack Fleck, Ed Furgol, Gene Littler (8,9,10,11), Tony Manero, Lloyd Mangrum, Dick Mayer (8), Fred McLeod, Sam Parks Jr., Lew Worsham (8)
 * 2. U.S. Open champions

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

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

Deane Beman (6,8,a), Dick Chapman (a), Charles Coe (6,8,a), Ed Updegraff (a)
 * 5. U.S. Amateur and Amateur champions

Gene Andrews (a), Don Cherry (a), Bob Cochran (a), Robert W. Gardner (8,a), Bill Hyndman (a), Billy Joe Patton (a), Charlie Smith (7,a)
 * 6. Members of the 1961 U.S. Walker Cup team


 * Bud Taylor did not play. Patton was first reserve for the team. Nicklaus had turned professional but qualified under other categories.

Sam Carmichael (a), Gene Francis (a), Marion Methvin (a), Richard Norville (a), Dudley Wysong (a)
 * 7. 1961 U.S. Amateur quarter-finalists

Bill Collins (11), Paul Harney, Fred Hawkins, Don January (10), Ted Kroll (10), Jack Nicklaus (9), Johnny Pott (10), Doug Sanders (9,10), Ken Venturi
 * 8. Top 24 players and ties from the 1961 Masters Tournament

Jacky Cupit, Gardner Dickinson, Dave Douglas, Al Geiberger, Bob Goalby, Eric Monti, Mike Souchak (11)
 * 9. Top 16 players and ties from the 1961 U.S. Open

Wes Ellis
 * 10. Top eight players and ties from 1961 PGA Championship


 * 11. Members of the U.S. 1961 Ryder Cup team

George Bayer, Gay Brewer
 * 12. Two players selected for meritorious records on the fall part of the 1961 PGA Tour

Dave Marr
 * 13. One player, either amateur or professional, not already qualified, selected by a ballot of ex-Masters champions

Billy Maxwell
 * 14. One professional, not already qualified, selected by a ballot of ex-U.S. Open champions

R. H. Sikes (a)
 * 15. One amateur, not already qualified, selected by a ballot of ex-U.S. Amateur champions

Dave Ragan, Phil Rodgers
 * 16. Two players, not already qualified, from a points list based on finishes in the winter part of the 1962 PGA Tour

Ben Arda, Al Balding, David Blair (a), Antonio Cerdá (8), Bob Charles, Gary Cowan (a), Bruce Crampton, Fidel de Luca, Roberto De Vicenzo (8), Gerard de Wit, Bruce Devlin, Juan Antonio Estrada (a), José Maria Gonzalez, Mário Gonzalez, Tom Haliburton, Harold Henning, Denis Hutchinson, Stan Leonard (8), Sebastián Miguel, Ángel Miguel, Kel Nagle (3), Frank Phillips, Chi-Chi Rodríguez, Leopoldo Ruiz, Miguel Sala, Syd Scott, Norman Von Nida, Brian Wilkes
 * 17. Foreign invitations


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

First round
Thursday, April 5, 1962 Source

Second round
Friday, April 6, 1962 Source

Third round
Saturday, April 7, 1962

Final round
Sunday, April 8, 1962

Final leaderboard
Sources:

Scorecard
Final round Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par
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Playoff
Monday, April 9, 1962 Source:

Scorecard
Source: