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 nameEdgar Mason Rudolph
Born(1934-05-23)May 23, 1934
Clarksville, Tennessee
DiedApril 18, 2011(2011-04-18) (aged 76)
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight180 lb (82 kg; 13 st)
Nationality United States
Career
Turned professional1958
Former tour(s)PGA Tour
Champions Tour
Professional wins13
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour5
Other8
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament4th: 1965
PGA ChampionshipT3: 1973
U.S. OpenT8: 1966
The Open ChampionshipDNP

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 Dow Finsterwald, Bob Goalby
2 Oct 27, 1963 Fig Garden Village Open Invitational −13 (66-67-71-71=275) 3 strokes Tommy Aaron, Al Geiberger
3 Mar 2, 1964 Greater New Orleans Open Invitational −5 (68-70-70-75=283) 1 stroke Jack Nicklaus, Chi-Chi Rodríguez,
Glenn Stuart
4 Aug 14, 1966 Thunderbird Classic −10 (69-70-70-69=278) 1 stroke Jack Nicklaus
5 Sep 27, 1970 Green Island Open Invitational −6 (75-68-67-64=274) 2 strokes Chris Blocker

PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 1963 Portland Open Invitational George Knudson Lost to eagle on first extra hole

Other wins (8)

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.

  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Summary
TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts made
Masters Tournament000127148
U.S. Open0000121710
The Open Championship00000000
PGA Championship0012381413
Totals00136174531
  • 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

Professional

See also

References
  1. "Mason Rudolph, 1959 Rookie of the Year, passes away". PGA Tour. April 19, 2011. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  2. "1950 U.S. Junior Amateur". USGA. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
  3. "Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame bio". Archived from the original on November 23, 2010. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
  4. "1957 Walker Cup Match". USGA. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
  5. "Sponsor Cancels After Snead TV Golf Incident". The Victoria Advocate. Victoria, Texas. Associated Press. April 9, 1960. p. 9.
  6. "Mason Rudolph Golf Course". Retrieved August 4, 2010.
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