1948 Masters Tournament Winner and Scores
The 1948 Masters Tournament was the 12th time the event was played, and it was claimed by a club pro whose last name has become synonymous with "golf instructor." He even matched the tournament scoring record that stood for another five years.
Winner: Claude Harmon, 279
Where it was played: Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia
Tournament dates: April 8-11, 1948
Leader after first round: Lloyd Mangrum, 69
Leader after second round: Harry Todd, 139
Leader after third round: Claude Harmon, 209
What Happened at the 1948 Masters Tournament
Club professional Claude Harmon was the winner of the 1948 Masters, shooting four rounds of 70 or lower. Harmon's margin of victory was five strokes over Cary Middlecoff, so not only did a club pro win, he won going away.Harmon was no ordinary club pro, however. He was the club pro at Winged Foot for many years, and he played in many majors, posting one other Top 10 finish in The Masters, and two Top 10 finishes in the U.S. Open. He was the father of teaching pros Butch Harmon, Billy Harmon, Craig Harmon and Dick Harmon, all famous in their profession; and grandfather of Claude Harmon III, another famous golf instructor.
Harmon's 279 total tied the then-tournament scoring record, originally established by Ralph Guldahl in 1939. That record stood until Ben Hogan lowered it at the 1953 Masters. The 5-stroke winning margin was also a tournament record, and, like the stroke total, one broken by Hogan in 1953.
The 1948 Masters is also remembered for being the last time tournament co-founder Bobby Jones played in the event. Jones, age 46, finished in 48th place. Jones played in The Masters 12 times, with a best finish of a tie for 13th in 1934, the inaugural tournament.
English great Henry Cotton played The Masters for the first time this year (the first of only three times he entered) and tied for 25th. Future PGA Championship winner and television broadcaster Bob Rosburg, still an amateur, played in his first major here and was 52nd.
1948 Masters Final Scores
| Claude Harmon | 70-70-69-70—279 |
| Cary Middlecoff | 74-71-69-70—284 |
| Chick Harbert | 71-70-70-76—287 |
| Jim Ferrier | 71-71-75-71—288 |
| Lloyd Mangrum | 69-73-75-71—288 |
| Ed Furgol | 70-72-73-74—289 |
| Ben Hogan | 70-71-77-71—289 |
| Byron Nelson | 71-73-72-74—290 |
| Harry Todd | 72-67-80-71—290 |
| Herman Keiser | 70-72-76-73—291 |
| Bobby Locke | 71-71-74-75—291 |
| Dick Metz | 71-72-75-73—291 |
| Johnny Bulla | 74-72-76-71—293 |
| Dutch Harrison | 73-77-73-70—293 |
| a-Skee Riegel | 71-74-73-75—293 |
| Al Smith | 73-73-74-74—294 |
| Sam Snead | 74-75-72-73—294 |
| Jimmy Demaret | 73-72-78-72—295 |
| Ed Dudley | 73-76-75-71—295 |
| Vic Ghezzi | 75-73-73-74—295 |
| Fred Haas Jr. | 75-75-76-69—295 |
| Bob Hamilton | 72-72-76-75—295 |
| Art Bell | 71-74-74-77—296 |
| Gene Sarazen | 77-74-73-72—296 |
| Herman Barron | 73-77-71-76—297 |
| Henry Cotton | 72-73-75-77—297 |
| Henry Picard | 73-73-74-77—297 |
| Johnny Palmer | 75-73-76-74—298 |
| Ellsworth Vines | 76-71-77-74—298 |
| a-Bud Ward | 74-74-77-74—299 |
| Lew Worsham | 74-78-71-76—299 |
| Denny Shute | 74-73-76-77—300 |
| Harold "Jug" McSpaden | 77-75-76-73—301 |
| Horton Smith | 78-73-76-75—302 |
| Skip Alexander | 77-73-77-76—303 |
| Ralph Guldahl | 75-78-75-75—303 |
| Ky Laffoon | 74-75-76-78—303 |
| a-Jimmy McHale | 78-73-77-75—303 |
| Felice Torza | 75-73-76-79—303 |
| a-Dick Chapman | 74-76-77-77—304 |
| Chick Harper | 76-76-77-75—304 |
| Lawson Little | 73-77-76-78—304 |
| Billy Burke | 75-75-76-79—305 |
| Leland Gibson | 72-77-79-77—305 |
| Craig Wood | 77-80-77-71—305 |
| Toney Penna | 77-78-75-77—307 |
| Sam Byrd | 84-75-75-76—310 |
| Johnny Farrell | 74-80-78-79—311 |
| Bill Nary | 74-79-86-74—313 |
| Bobby Jones | 76-81-79-79—315 |
| a-Fred Kammer | 78-75-77-86—316 |
| a-Harvie Ward Jr. | 78-78-81-79—316 |
| a-Bob Rosburg | 79-81-80-78—318 |
| a-Jack Selby | 81-76-84-80—321 |
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1947 Masters - 1949 Masters