1965 Masters: Nicklaus Dominates 'Big 3'
Winner: Jack Nicklaus, 271
Where it was played: Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia
Tournament dates: April 8-11, 1965
Leader after first round: Gary Player, 65
Leader after second round: Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, 138
Leader after third round: Jack Nicklaus, 202
Notable Notes: The "Big 3"— Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player — shared the 36-hole lead at the 1965 Masters, but then Nicklaus ran away from the other two to a record-breaking victory.
Nicklaus' 64 in the third round opened a 5-stroke edge over Player, and Nicklaus wound up winning by nine over Player and Palmer. Nicklaus' margin of victory and 271 total were both tournament records at the time. (His 271 lowered Ben Hogan's previous scoring record by three strokes).
The way Nicklaus overpowered Augusta National and the field led Bobby Jones to famously remark afterward, "Nicklaus played a game with which I am not familiar."
Final Scores
| Jack Nicklaus | 67-71-64-69—271 |
| Arnold Palmer | 70-68-72-70—280 |
| Gary Player | 65-73-69-73—280 |
| Mason Rudolph | 70-75-66-72—283 |
| Dan Sikes | 67-72-71-75—285 |
| Gene Littler | 71-74-67-74—286 |
| Ramon Sota | 71-73-70-72—286 |
| Frank Beard | 68-77-72-70—287 |
| Tommy Bolt | 69-78-69-71—287 |
| George Knudson | 72-73-69-74—288 |
| Tommy Aaron | 67-74-71-77—289 |
| Bruce Crampton | 72-72-74-71—289 |
| Paul Harney | 74-74-71-70—289 |
| Doug Sanders | 69-72-74-74—289 |
| George Bayer | 69-74-75-72—290 |
| Bruce Devlin | 71-76-73-70—290 |
| Wes Ellis | 69-76-72-73—290 |
| Tommy Jacobs | 71-74-72-73—290 |
| Kel Nagle | 75-70-74-71—290 |
| Byron Nelson | 70-74-72-74—290 |
| Dow Finsterwald | 72-75-72-72—291 |
| Ben Hogan | 71-75-71-74—291 |
| Tony Lema | 67-73-77-74—291 |
| Terry Dill | 72-73-75-72—292 |
| Al Geiberger | 75-72-74-71—292 |
| Bernard Hunt | 71-74-74-74—293 |
| Tomoo Ishii | 74-74-70-75—293 |
| Billy Maxwell | 74-72-76-71—293 |
| Tom Nieporte | 71-73-75-74—293 |
| Bo Wininger | 70-72-75-76—293 |
| Doug Ford | 74-74-73-73—294 |
| a-Downing Gray | 72-74-73-75—294 |
| Dave Ragan | 73-74-73-74—294 |
| Bert Weaver | 72-75-72-75—294 |
| Billy Casper | 72-72-71-80—295 |
| Jimmy Demaret | 71-75-76-73—295 |
| Bobby Nichols | 73-71-75-76—295 |
| Mike Souchak | 74-74-72-75—295 |
| a-Don Allen | 70-77-74-75—296 |
| Chen Ching-Po | 71-77-77-71—296 |
| Bob Goalby | 71-75-75-75—296 |
| a-Bill Hyndman | 73-73-75-76—297 |
| Jack McGowan | 73-75-77-72—297 |
| Johnny Pott | 74-74-73-76—297 |
| Bob Charles | 72-74-76-77—299 |
| Art Wall Jr. | 71-76-77-75—299 |
| a-Richard Davies | 70-78-78-76—302 |
| a-John Hopkins | 70-78-78-77—303 |
| a-Deane Beman | 74-72-79-79—304 |
