1946 Masters Tournament Results

The Masters resumed in 1946 following a 3-year break due to World War II. Therefore, it was the 10th Masters played, 12 years after the first one; and it was the first Masters Tournament since 1942. The champion survived not only a final-round challenge from Ben Hogan, but also a final-hole three-putt.

Winner: Herman Keiser, 282

Where it was played: Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia

Tournament dates: April 4-7, 1946

Leader after first round: Chick Harbert and Herman Keiser, 69

Leader after second round: Herman Keiser, 137

Leader after third round: Herman Keiser, 208

What Happened In the 1946 Masters Tournament

World War II canceled The Masters in 1943, 1944 and 1945. The winner of the 1946 Masters was Herman Keiser, who himself spent most of the years of 1942-45 in the United States Navy during the war.

Keiser took a 5-shot lead into the final round, then barely survived. Keiser shot 74, while Ben Hogan made a run at the lead with a 70. But Keiser three-putted the final hole, which dropped him into a tie for the lead with Hogan, who was playing a couple groups behind Keiser.

Hogan had not yet won a major championship at this point, although he had 30 PGA Tour wins. When Hogan reached the 72nd green, he was still tied with Keiser. He needed a birdie to win and a par would get him into a playoff. But then Hogan, just like Keiser earlier, three-putted. He missed a two-foot par putt, and that miss made Herman Keiser the winner. (For the rest of his life, Keiser thought Augusta National members had tried to sabotage him in the final two rounds.)

The victory was the only major championship win for Keiser, who won five times total on the PGA Tour during his career. Hogan, by the way, did get his first win a major a few months later at the 1946 PGA Championship.

Future three-time major winner and 1955 Masters champ Cary Middlecoff played the tournament for the first time and finished tied for 12th place as low amateur.

1946 Masters Final Scores

Herman Keiser 69-68-71-74—282
Ben Hogan 74-70-69-70—283
Bob Hamilton 75-69-71-72—287
Jimmy Demaret 75-70-71-73—289
Jim Ferrier 74-72-68-75—289
Ky Laffoon 74-73-70-72—289
Chick Harbert 69-75-76-70—290
Clayton Heafner 74-69-71-76—290
Byron Nelson 72-73-71-74—290
Sam Snead 74-75-70-71—290
Jim Foulis 75-70-72-74—291
Vic Ghezzi 71-79-67-76—293
a-Cary Middlecoff 72-76-71-74—293
George Schneiter 73-73-72-75—293
Fred Haas Jr. 71-75-68-80—294
Johnny Bulla 72-76-73-74—295
Lloyd Mangrum 76-75-72-72—295
Claude Harmon 76-75-74-71—296
Chandler Harper 74-76-73-74—297
a-Frank Stranahan 76-74-73-75—298
Lawson Little 74-74-78-73—299
Toney Penna 71-73-80-75—299
Felix Serafin 76-75-79-69—299
Horton Smith 78-77-75-69—299
Herman Barron 74-73-74-79—300
Henry Picard 79-73-71-77—300
Denny Shute 79-77-71-73—300
Jimmy Thomson 72-70-79-79—300
Gene Kunes 76-72-77-76—301
Harold McSpaden 75-74-75-77—301
Al Zimmerman 76-76-74-75—301
Ed Dudley 76-76-76-74—302
Bobby Jones 75-72-77-78—302
Dick Metz 77-75-71-79—302
Johnny Palmer 76-75-77-74—302
Al Watrous 80-76-72-74—302
Dutch Harrison 75-77-75-76—303
Ed Oliver 79-73-71-80—303
Jim Turnesa 73-78-71-81—303
Sam Byrd 75-79-71-79—304
a-Dick Chapman 77-77-73-79—306
Ralph Hutchison 79-78-75-74—306
Leland Gibson 78-80-75-75—308
Rod Munday 78-77-76-78—309
Buck White 77-82-76-75—310
Billy Burke 80-80-77-75—312
a-Bob Cochran 81-76-76-80—313
Ralph Guldahl 85-76-78-76—315
Jimmy Hines 79-80-77-80—316
a-Charlie Yates 78-79-78-86—321

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1942 Masters - 1947 Masters

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