1959 Masters Tournament Winner and Scores
This year was the 25th anniversary of the first Masters, but the 1959 Masters was the 23rd time the tournament was played (due to years skipped during World War II). What was considered one of the greatest final rounds in Masters history to this point was played by the winner.
Winner: Art Wall Jr., 284
Where it was played: Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia
Tournament dates: April 2-5, 1959
Leader after first round: Stan Leonard, 69
Leader after second round: Arnold Palmer, 141
Leader after third round: Arnold Palmer and Stan Leonard, 212
What Happened in the 1959 Masters Tournament
The year 1959 was a pretty good year for Art Wall: He led the PGA Tour in money, in scoring average, and was named Player of the Year. One of the reasons for all those things was Wall's victory in the 1959 Masters.It was Wall's only major championship victory, one of 14 PGA Tour wins for Wall. He earned this Masters victory, too, firing a 66 in the final round — making birdies on five of the last six holes — to edge Cary Middlecoff by one stroke.
Stan Leonard and Arnold Palmer, the defending champion, were the third-round leaders, and Wall was six strokes behind them, in 13th place. But Palmer shot 74 in the final round and slipped to third place. Leonard, from Canada and attempting to become The Masters' first international winner, shot 75 and tied for fourth place.
Wall was 2-under on the front nine, then bogeyed the 10th hole. But starting on the 13th hole, Wall went birdie-birdie-birdie-par-birdie-birdie. That bravura finish gave Wall his 66 and, with no other top contenders breaking par, his very own Green Jacket.
The 1959 Masters also marked a significant debut: It was the first Masters played by Jack Nicklaus. Nicklaus, age 19 and playing as an amateur, shot 76-74 and missed the cut by one stroke.
1959 Masters Final Scores
| Art Wall Jr. | 73-74-71-66—284 |
| Cary Middlecoff | 74-71-68-72—285 |
| Arnold Palmer | 71-70-71-74—286 |
| Stan Leonard | 69-74-69-75—287 |
| Dick Mayer | 73-75-71-68—287 |
| a-Charlie Coe | 74-74-67-73—288 |
| Fred Hawkins | 77-71-68-73—289 |
| Julius Boros | 75-69-74-72—290 |
| Jay Hebert | 72-73-72-73—290 |
| Gene Littler | 72-75-72-71—290 |
| Billy Maxwell | 73-71-72-74—290 |
| a-Billy Joe Patton | 75-70-71-74—290 |
| Gary Player | 73-75-71-71—290 |
| Chick Harbert | 74-72-74-71—291 |
| Chandler Harper | 71-74-74-72—291 |
| Ted Kroll | 76-71-73-71—291 |
| Ed Oliver | 75-69-73-74—291 |
| Dow Finsterwald | 79-68-73-72—292 |
| Jack Fleck | 74-71-71-76—292 |
| a-Bill Hyndman | 73-72-76-71—292 |
| Bo Wininger | 75-70-72-75—292 |
| Walt Burkemo | 75-70-71-77—293 |
| a-Chuck Kocsis | 73-75-70-75—293 |
| Sam Snead | 74-73-72-74—293 |
| a-Don Cherry | 77-71-75-71—294 |
| Doug Ford | 76-73-73-72—294 |
| Paul Harney | 75-69-77-73—294 |
| Angel Miguel | 72-72-76-74—294 |
| Mike Souchak | 73-71-74-76—294 |
| Tommy Bolt | 72-75-72-76—295 |
| Ben Hogan | 73-74-76-72—295 |
| Bob Rosburg | 75-74-73-73—295 |
| Dave Thomas | 73-71-77-74—295 |
| Jack Burke Jr. | 71-77-76-72—296 |
| Frank Stranahan | 74-72-73-77—296 |
| Don January | 74-75-70-78—297 |
| Marty Furgol | 74-74-74-76—298 |
| Ernie Vossler | 74-74-75-76—299 |
| Lionel Hebert | 77-72-76-75—300 |
| George Bayer | 74-75-77-77—303 |
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1958 Masters - 1960 Masters