The 1961 Masters Tournament was the 25th Masters Tournament, held April6–10 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

Due to heavy rains and flooding of several greens, Sunday's final round was halted before 4p.m. and the scores were erased, even though ten players had completed their rounds. Third round leader Gary Player was even par through eleven holes, and defending champion Arnold Palmer was two-under through nine. The entire round was replayed the next day.

In the final round on Monday, Player defeated Palmer and amateur Charles Coe by one stroke to become the first international champion at the Masters. Player made an up and down from the bunker on the final hole but thought he had lost the tournament, after carding a disappointing 40(+4) on the back nine. In the final pairing with a one-shot lead, Palmer needed a par on the final hole for the win. From the fairway, his approach shot also landed in the bunker right of the green. With a poor lie, Palmer's bunker shot went past the hole and off the green and down a hillock. Using his putter from off the green, he failed to get the fourth shot close, then missed the bogey putt which would have forced a playoff.

It was the first of three green jackets for Player, age25, and the second of his nine major titles. His other wins at Augusta came over a decade later in 1974 and 1978. Jack Nicklaus, 21, recorded the first of his 22top-10 finishes at the Masters, his last as an amateur. He tied for seventh, but the low amateur honors went to Coe. Nicklaus regained the U.S. Amateur title in September at Pebble Beach and turned professional in November.

A field of 88players entered the tournament and 41 of them made the cut at five-over-par (149).

Amateur Deane Beman won the Par3 Contest with a score of 22; he turned pro in 1967 and later became the second commissioner of the PGA Tour, from 1974 to 1994.

Field 1. Masters champions Jack Burke Jr. (4,8,11), Jimmy Demaret, Doug Ford (4,10,11), Claude Harmon (8), Ben Hogan (2,3,4,8,9), Herman Keiser, Cary Middlecoff (2,11), Byron Nelson (2,4), Arnold Palmer (2,8,9,10), Gene Sarazen (2,3,4), Horton Smith, Sam Snead (3,4,8,10,11), Craig Wood (2) Ralph Guldahl (2), Henry Picard (4), and Art Wall Jr. (11) did not play.

The following categories only apply to Americans

2. U.S. Open champions Tommy Bolt (8), Julius Boros (8,9,11), Billy Burke, Billy Casper (8,9), Jack Fleck (9), Ed Furgol, Tony Manero, Lloyd Mangrum, Dick Mayer, Fred McLeod, Sam Parks Jr., Lew Worsham

3. The Open champions Jock Hutchison (4), Denny Shute (4)

4. PGA champions Walter Burkemo, Dow Finsterwald (8,9,11), Vic Ghezzi, Chick Harbert, Chandler Harper, Jay Hebert (10,11), Lionel Hebert (8), Johnny Revolta, Bob Rosburg (8,11), Jim Turnesa

5. U.S. Amateur and Amateur champions Deane Beman (6,7,a), Dick Chapman (a), Charles Coe (6,a), Jack Nicklaus (6,8,9,a), Robert Sweeny Jr. (a)

6. Members of the 1959 U.S. Walker Cup team William C. Campbell (a), Bill Hyndman (7,a), Chuck Kocsis (a), Billy Joe Patton (8,a), Bud Taylor (8,a), Ward Wettlaufer (a)

Tommy Aaron had turned professional. Campbell and Kocsis were reserves for the team. Harvie Ward did not play.

7. 1960 U.S. Amateur quarter-finalists John Farquhar (a), Robert W. Gardner (a), Charles Lewis III (a), Steve Spray (a), Claude Wild (a)

8. Top 24 players and ties from the 1960 Masters Tournament Fred Hawkins, Don January (10), Ted Kroll (9), Mike Souchak (9,11), Ken Venturi

Ed Oliver did not play.

9. Top 16 players and ties from the 1960 U.S. Open Jerry Barber, George Bayer, Don Cherry (a), Paul Harney, Bob Harris, Dutch Harrison, Johnny Pott

10. Top eight players and ties from 1960 PGA Championship Wes Ellis, Doug Sanders

Jim Ferrier (4) did not play

11. Members of the U.S. 1959 Ryder Cup team

12. One player, either amateur or professional, not already qualified, selected by a ballot of ex-Masters champions Gene Littler

13. One professional, not already qualified, selected by a ballot of ex-U.S. Open champions Bob Goalby

14. One amateur, not already qualified, selected by a ballot of ex-U.S. Amateur champions Bob Cochran (a)

15. Two players, not already qualified, from a points list based on finishes in the winter part of the 1961 PGA Tour Bill Collins, Mason Rudolph

16. Foreign invitations Keith Alexander (a), Al Balding, Phil Brownlee (a), Antonio Cerdá, Bruce Crampton (8), Roberto De Vicenzo, Mário Gonzalez, Bill Kerr, Stan Leonard (8), Sebastián Miguel, Ángel Miguel, Kel Nagle (3), Gary Player (3,8), Chi-Chi Rodríguez, Miguel Sala, Peter Thomson (3)

Numbers in brackets indicate categories that the player would have qualified under had they been American.

Round summaries

First round Thursday, April 6, 1961

PlacePlayerScoreTo parT1 Arnold Palmer 68 −4 Bob Rosburg 3 Gary Player 69 −3 4 Jack Nicklaus (a) 70 −2 T5 Doug Ford 71 −1 Paul Harney Byron Nelson Johnny Pott T9 Tommy Bolt 72 E Billy Casper Charles Coe (a) Jay Hebert Stan Leonard Gene Littler Ken Venturi Source

Second round Friday, April 7, 1961

PlacePlayerScoreTo parT1 Arnold Palmer 68-69=137 −7 Gary Player 69-68=137 3 Bob Rosburg 68-73=141 −3 4 Don January 74-68=142 −2 T5 Tommy Bolt 72-71=143 −1 Walter Burkemo 74-69=143 Charles Coe (a) 72-71=143 Lionel Hebert 74-69=143 Ted Kroll 73-70=143 Byron Nelson 71-72=143 Ken Venturi 72-71=143 Source

Third round Saturday, April 8, 1961

PlacePlayerScoreTo par1 Gary Player 69-68-69=206 −10 2 Arnold Palmer 68-69-73=210 −6 T3 Charles Coe (a) 72-71-69=212 −4 Paul Harney 71-73-68=212 5 Bill Collins 74-72-67=213 −3 T6 Jack Burke Jr. 76-70-68=214 −2 Don January 74-68-72=214 Bob Rosburg 68-73-73=214T9 Ted Kroll 73-70-72=215 −1 Jack Nicklaus (a) 70-75-70=215 Doug Sanders 76-71-68=215 Ken Venturi 72-71-72=215 Source:

Final round Sunday, April 9, 1961 Monday, April 10, 1961

Summary Play on Sunday was washed out due to heavy rain and wind shortly after 4 pm and all scores were erased; the final round was replayed on Monday. Although Player was the leader after 54 holes, he finished his round nearly an hour ahead of Palmer's double-bogey at the final hole.

Final leaderboard Champion Silver Cup winner (low amateur)(a) = amateur(c) = past champion Top 10PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney (US$)1 Gary Player 69-68-69-74=280 −8 20,000T2 Charles Coe (a) 72-71-69-69=281 −7 0 Arnold Palmer (c) 68-69-73-71=281 12,000T4 Tommy Bolt 72-71-74-68=285 −3 7,000 Don January 74-68-72-71=2856 Paul Harney 71-73-68-74=286 −2 4,800T7 Jack Burke Jr. (c) 76-70-68-73=287 −1 3,200 Billy Casper 72-77-69-69=287 Bill Collins 74-72-67-74=287 Jack Nicklaus (a) 70-75-70-72=287 0 Leaderboard below the top 10PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)T11 Walter Burkemo 74-69-73-72=288 E 1,667 Robert W. Gardner (a) 74-71-72-71=288 0 Doug Sanders 76-71-68-73=288 1,667 Ken Venturi 72-71-72-73=288T15 Stan Leonard 72-74-71-72=289 +1 1,300 Gene Littler 72-73-72-72=289 Bob Rosburg 68-73-73-75=289 Sam Snead (c) 74-73-69-73=289T19 Dick Mayer 76-72-70-73=291 +3 1,133 Johnny Pott 71-75-72-73=291 Peter Thomson 73-76-68-74=291T22 Roberto De Vicenzo 73-74-71-74=292 +4 1,000 Lew Worsham 74-71-73-74=292T24 Antonio Cerdá 73-73-72-75=293 +5 1,000 Fred Hawkins 74-75-72-72=293 Ted Kroll 73-70-72-78=29327 Al Balding 74-74-70-76=294 +6 1,000T28 Mason Rudolph 77-69-72-77=295 +7 500 Mike Souchak 75-72-75-73=295T30 Jay Hebert 72-75-69-80=296 +8 500 Lionel Hebert 74-69-74-79=296T32 Doug Ford (c) 71-76-78-73=298 +10 500 Ben Hogan (c) 74-73-72-79=298 Byron Nelson (c) 71-72-78-77=29835 Chick Harbert 74-73-76-76=299 +11 50036 Bob Goalby 74-73-76-77=300 +12 50037 Jerry Barber 74-72-78-77=301 +13 50038 Miguel Sala 74-75-78-81=308 +20 500CUT Deane Beman (a) 73-77=150 +6 Chuck Kocsis (a) 77-73=150 Charles Lewis III (a) 74-76=150 Cary Middlecoff (c) 75-75=150 Ángel Miguel 75-75=150 Chi-Chi Rodríguez 77-73=150 Jim Turnesa 80-70=150 George Bayer 77-74=151 +7 Julius Boros 75-76=151 Robert Sweeny Jr. (a) 74-77=151 Keith Alexander (a) 76-76=152 +8 Dow Finsterwald 73-79=152 Mário Gonzalez 76-76=152 Sebastián Miguel 74-78=152 Bud Taylor (a) 74-78=152 Don Cherry (a) 79-74=153 +9 Bruce Crampton 80-73=153 Jimmy Demaret (c) 75-78=153 Bill Kerr 75-78=153 Kel Nagle 75-78=153 Billy Joe Patton (a) 78-75=153 Bill Hyndman (a) 74-80=154 +10 Lloyd Mangrum 80-75=155 +11 Sam Parks Jr. 80-75=155 Ed Furgol 75-81=156 +12 Gene Sarazen (c) 79-77=156 William C. Campbell (a) 76-81=157 +13 Vic Ghezzi 74-83=157 Claude Harmon (c) 76-81=157 Bob Harris 79-78=157 Phil Brownlee (a) 79-79=158 +14 Dick Chapman (a) 80-79=159 +15 Steve Spray (a) 80-79=159 Billy Burke 81-79=160 +16 Bob Cochran (a) 80-80=160 John Farquhar (a) 77-83=160 Craig Wood (c) 80-80=160 Claude Wild (a) 78-83=161 +17 Herman Keiser (c) 81-81=162 +18 Tony Manero 80-82=162 Johnny Revolta 84-80=164 +20 Denny Shute 77-88=165 +21 Ward Wettlaufer (a) 80-85=165 Horton Smith (c) 86-83=169 +25WD Jack Fleck 74-71-73=218 +2 Wes Ellis 75-73-74=222 +6 Dutch Harrison 74-74-78=226 +10 Chandler Harper 74 +2 Jock Hutchison Fred McLeod

Sources:

Scorecard Hole  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18 Par454343454 443545344 Player −11−12−12−12−12−12−12−12−12−11−11−11−9−9−8−8−8−8 Palmer −6−7−7−7−7−8−8−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−9−7 Coe −4−5−5−6−6−5−5−5−5−5−4−4−5−6−7−7−7−7 Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par {|class="wikitable" span = 50 style="font-size:85%; |- |style="background: Pink;" width=10| |Birdie |style="background: PaleGreen;" width=10| |Bogey |style="background: Green;" width=10| |Double bogey

References

External links Masters.com – Past winners and results Augusta.com – 1961 Masters leaderboard and scorecards