Mason Rudolph (golfer)
Edgar Mason Rudolph (May 23, 1934 – April 18, 2011)[1] was an American professional golfer who won five times on the PGA Tour.
Mason Rudolph | |
---|---|
Personal information | |
Full name | Edgar Mason Rudolph |
Born | Clarksville, Tennessee | May 23, 1934
Died | April 18, 2011 76) Tuscaloosa, Alabama | (aged
Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
Weight | 180 lb (82 kg; 13 st) |
Nationality | |
Career | |
Turned professional | 1958 |
Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions Tour |
Professional wins | 13 |
Number of wins by tour | |
PGA Tour | 5 |
Other | 8 |
Best results in major championships | |
Masters Tournament | 4th: 1965 |
PGA Championship | T3: 1973 |
U.S. Open | T8: 1966 |
The Open Championship | DNP |
Early years and amateur career
Rudolph was born in Clarksville, Tennessee. He won the U.S. Junior Amateur in 1950.[2] In 1956, he won the Western Amateur and the Tennessee State Open (as an amateur). He played on the 1957 Walker Cup team.[3][4]
Professional career
Rudolph turned professional in 1958; he joined the PGA Tour in 1959 and was Rookie of the Year. He won five official PGA Tour events during his career. Rudolph also won the Tennessee State Open five times as a pro (1959, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1972). He played on the 1971 Ryder Cup team.[3]
In December 1960, Rudolph took part in a controversial match against Sam Snead. Snead decided to deliberately lose the televised match during its final holes after he discovered he had too many golf clubs (more than 14) in his bag on the 12th hole of the match, which would have disqualified him in the match. After the match was over, Snead said he did not disqualify himself in order to not spoil the show.[5]
Honors and awards
Rudolph was inducted as a charter member of the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame in 1990.[3] A 9-hole, regulation-length golf course in his hometown is named for him.[6] A men's and a women's collegiate golf tournament also bears his name.
Professional wins (13)
PGA Tour wins (5)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sep 27, 1959 | Golden Gate Championship | −9 (67-72-67-69=275) | 2 strokes | |
2 | Oct 27, 1963 | Fig Garden Village Open Invitational | −13 (66-67-71-71=275) | 3 strokes | |
3 | Mar 2, 1964 | Greater New Orleans Open Invitational | −5 (68-70-70-75=283) | 1 stroke | |
4 | Aug 14, 1966 | Thunderbird Classic | −10 (69-70-70-69=278) | 1 stroke | |
5 | Sep 27, 1970 | Green Island Open Invitational | −6 (75-68-67-64=274) | 2 strokes |
PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1963 | Portland Open Invitational | Lost to eagle on first extra hole |
Other wins (8)
- 1956 Tennessee Open (as an amateur)
- 1959 Tennessee Open
- 1962 Haig & Haig Scotch Foursome (with Kathy Whitworth)
- 1963 Tennessee Open
- 1964 Tennessee Open
- 1966 Tennessee Open
- 1969 Tennessee PGA Championship
- 1972 Tennessee Open
Results in major championships
Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | CUT | |||||||||
U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | ||||||||
PGA Championship |
Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | CUT | T28 | T15 | T18 | 4 | CUT | T10 | T14 | 11 | |
U.S. Open | CUT | T45 | T28 | T27 | T34 | T11 | T8 | T38 | CUT | CUT |
PGA Championship | T22 | T37 | T23 | 4 | T20 | T22 | T28 | T17 | CUT |
Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | CUT | CUT | T14 | CUT | |
U.S. Open | T27 | T42 | T40 | CUT | CUT |
PGA Championship | T10 | T57 | T36 | T3 | T51 |
Note: Rudolph never played in The Open Championship.
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Summary
Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 8 |
U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 10 |
The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 14 | 13 |
Totals | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 45 | 31 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 14 (1960 PGA – 1965 PGA)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (1964 PGA – 1965 Masters)
U.S. national team appearances
Amateur
- Walker Cup: 1957 (winners)
Professional
References
- "Mason Rudolph, 1959 Rookie of the Year, passes away". PGA Tour. April 19, 2011. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
- "1950 U.S. Junior Amateur". USGA. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
- "Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame bio". Archived from the original on November 23, 2010. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- "1957 Walker Cup Match". USGA. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
- "Sponsor Cancels After Snead TV Golf Incident". The Victoria Advocate. Victoria, Texas. Associated Press. April 9, 1960. p. 9.
- "Mason Rudolph Golf Course". Retrieved August 4, 2010.
External links
- Mason Rudolph at the PGA Tour official site