1961 Masters: Player Over Palmer

Gary Player got up-and-down from a bunker on the final hole when Arnold Palmer couldn't, and that was the difference in this, the 25th edition of The Masters.

Winner: Gary Player, 280

Where it was played: Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia

Tournament dates: April 6-10, 1961

Leader after first round: Arnold Palmer and Bob Rosburg, 68

Leader after second round: Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, 137

Leader after third round: Gary Player, 206

Notable Notes: No international golfer had won The Masters prior to 1961 — all previous Masters champions were Americans. No surprise that Gary Player was the international who first claimed the trophy.

Player surged ahead of defending champ Arnold Palmer with a third-round 69, taking a 4-stroke lead into the final round. Then he stumbled a bit with a 74, but held on to beat Palmer and amateur Charlie Coe by one shot. Palmer probably should have one — he led Player on the final hole — but Palmer had bunker problems and double-bogied the final hole.

Final Scores

Gary Player	69-68-69-74—280
a-Charlie Coe	72-71-69-69—281
Arnold Palmer	68-69-73-71—281
Tommy Bolt	72-71-74-68—285
Don January	74-68-72-71—285
Paul Harney	71-73-68-74—286
Jack Burke Jr.	76-70-68-73—287
Billy Casper	72-77-69-69—287
Bill Collins	74-72-67-74—287
a-Jack Nicklaus	70-75-70-72—287
Walt Burkemo	74-69-73-72—288
a-Robert Gardner	74-71-72-71—288
Doug Sanders	76-71-68-73—288
Ken Venturi	72-71-72-73—288
Stan Leonard	72-74-71-72—289
Gene Littler	72-73-72-72—289
Bob Rosburg	68-73-73-75—289
Sam Snead	74-73-69-73—289
Dick Mayer	76-72-70-73—291
Johnny Pott	71-75-72-73—291
Peter Thomson	73-76-68-74—291
Robert De Vicenzo	73-74-71-74—292
Lew Worsham	74-71-73-74—292
Antonio Cerda	73-73-72-75—293
Fred Hawkins	74-75-72-72—293
Ted Kroll	73-70-72-78—293
Al Balding	74-74-70-76—294
Mason Rudolph	77-69-72-77—295
Mike Souchak	75-72-75-73—295
Jay Hebert	72-75-69-80—296
Lionel Hebert	74-69-74-79—296
Doug Ford	71-76-78-73—298
Ben Hogan	74-73-72-79—298
Byron Nelson	71-72-78-77—298
Chick Harbert	74-73-76-76—299
Bob Goalby	74-73-76-77—300
Jerry Barber	74-72-78-77—301
Miguel Sala	74-75-78-81—308