1955 Masters Tournament Winner and Scores

Dr. Cary Middlecoff, a practicing dentist, drilled the field in winning the 1955 Masters, the 19th one played. Middlecoff ran away with the championship, winning by a then-record seven strokes over runner-up Ben Hogan. This was also the first Masters played by Arnold Palmer.

Winner: Cary Middlecoff, 279

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

Tournament dates: April 7-10, 1955

Leader after first round: Jack Burke Jr., 67

Leader after second round: Cary Middlecoff, 137

Leader after third round: Cary Middlecoff, 209

What Happened at the 1955 Masters Tournament

Cary Middlecoff took control of the 1955 Masters in the second round, when he carded a 65, and then cruised to the victory. His 7-stroke margin of victory was a new tournament record, one that lasted until the 1965 Masters. The 31 that Middlecoff scored on the front nine during that second-round 65 was also a Masters Tournament record at the time.

Middlecoff had a 72 in Round 3 to lead by four, then stretched his margin with a 70 in the final round. He won 40 times on the PGA Tour, including three majors, and this was the middle victory among those three majors. It was the 30th of those 40 wins. Middlecoff had previously won the 1949 U.S. Open and went on to win the 1956 U.S. Open.

Sam Snead and Ben Hogan had alternated winning the previous four Masters, and Hogan was the runner-up here with Snead in third place. Hogan, who began the final round in second place, four shots behind Middlecoff, shot 73 in Round 4 and Snead 70. For Hogan, it was his fourth runner-up finish in The Masters, which established a new record, later tied, for second-places finishes in this major.

The year marked the tournament debut of Arnold Palmer. Palmer was 25 years old and winless on the PGA Tour — but he got win No. 1 just a few months later in the Canadian Open. Palmer finished in a tie for 10th in the 1955 Masters, and went on to become the Masters' first 4-time winner.

Davis Love Jr., the father of Davis Love III, played this Masters as an amateur and finished last. This was the last year the Masters was not televised. The Sarazen Bridge was dedicated this year, the first of the now-famous Augusta National bridges to be dedicated. It was the 20th anniversary of Sarazen's famous double eagle and victory in the 1935 Masters.

1955 Masters Final Scores

Cary Middlecoff 72-65-72-70—279
Ben Hogan 73-68-72-73—286
Sam Snead 72-71-74-70—287
Julius Boros 71-75-72-71—289
Bob Rosburg 72-72-72-73—289
Mike Souchak 71-74-72-72—289
Lloyd Mangrum 74-73-72-72—291
Stan Leonard 77-73-68-74—292
a-Harvie Ward Jr. 77-69-75-71—292
Dick Mayer 78-72-72-71—293
Byron Nelson 72-75-74-72—293
Arnold Palmer 76-76-72-69—293
Jack Burke Jr. 67-76-71-80—294
Skee Riegel 73-73-73-75—294
Walt Burkemo 73-73-72-77—295
Jay Hebert 75-74-74-72—295
Frank Stranahan 77-76-71-71—295
a-Joe Conrad 77-71-74-75—297
Billy Maxwell 77-72-77-71—297
Johnny Palmer 77-73-72-75—297
Peter Thomson 74-73-74-76—297
Tommy Bolt 76-70-77-75—298
Gene Littler 75-72-76-75—298
Pete Cooper 73-73-78-75—299
Ed Furgol 74-72-78-75—299
a-Hillman Robbins 77-76-74-72—299
Max Evans 76-75-75-76—302
a-William Goodloe Jr. 74-73-81-75—303
Claude Harmon 77-75-78-73—303
a-Don Cherry 79-75-78-72—304
Marvin Ward 77-73-77-77—304
a-Charlie Coe 74-77-76-78—305
Pat Fletcher 76-75-77-77—305
Chick Harbert 76-80-73-76—305
Al Mengert 79-71-78-77—305
Billy Burke 75-78-77-76—306
a-Bill Campbell 77-73-80-76—306
a-Bruce Cudd 75-74-79-78—306
Shelley Mayfield 77-73-80-76—306
Denny Shute 78-71-77-80—306
Henry Picard 78-79-75-75—307
Bob Toski 78-71-79-79—307
Marty Furgol 79-74-79-76—308
Leland Gibson 81-75-75-77—308
Rudy Horvath 79-77-76-76—308
a-James Jackson 79-75-77-77—308
Earl Stewart 78-80-72-78—308
Jim Turnesa 77-75-79-78—309
a-Billy Joe Patton 79-76-77-78—310
Johnny Revolta 75-78-79-78—310
John Weitzel 78-80-78-74—310
Lew Worsham 80-75-79-76—310
a-Dick Chapman 74-79-73-85—311
Vic Ghezzi 78-79-77-77—311
Ed Oliver 77-76-81-77—311
Jerry Barber 75-77-77-83—312
Herman Keiser 82-79-75-76—312
a-Rex Baxter Jr. 74-76-80-83—313
a-Ted Lenczyk 77-80-77-81—315
Horton Smith 81-81-79-74—315
Sam Parks Jr. 80-80-78-78—316
Craig Wood 81-81-79-76—317
Al Besselink 80-75-80-83—318
a-Dale Morey 82-77-81-78—318
Lawson Little 81-77-77-84—319
Bo Wininger 81-74-81-84—320
a-Ed Meister Jr. 86-87-74-77—324
a-Davis Love Jr. 82-85-83-77—327

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