1964

By Jim Martin
Chronicle Sports Editor

Augusta, Ga., Monday, April 13, 1964 -- Arnold Palmer, his jaws clenched in determination until he had it won, broke a lengthy victory drought with a sterling close of 70 Sunday to take his fourth Masters Tournament with a 72-hole score of 276, 12 under par.

Palmer, who entered the final round with a five-stroke lead, carded a 35-35 for his 70 and included clutch birdies at 14, 15 and 18 to finish six strokes ahead of defending champion Jack Nicklaus and Dave Marr.

Nicklaus, well back in the pack and never really in the running until this sunny final day, thundered home with a five-under-par 67 and Marr knocked in a 25-foot birdie putt to shoot a 70 and tie big Jack at 282.

Hogan's Record

His margin of victory was also the second biggest, topped only by Cary Middlecoff's seven-stroke win in 1955.

Palmer was under par on each nine in every round, recording four consecutive 35s on the front nine and shooting 34-33-34-35 on the back.

Australian Bruce Devlin, in second place when the day's firing started, birdied the first two holes but fell back to a 73 for 284. Billy Casper, Jim Ferrier, Paul Harney and 1961 Masters champion Gary Player tied at 296.

The 51-year-old Hogan closed with a 72 for 287 and was bracketed with Dow Finsterwald, Tony Lema and Mike Souchak.

Palmer had five birdies in his round. He made a 40-footer for a deuce at the fourth, a five-footer at seven a 12-footer at 14, two putted the 15th and rolled home a 20-footer on the final green. The birdies at 14, 15 and 18 came at crucial times since Nicklaus and Marr were threatening to threaten.

Palmer All The Way

The first prize check of $20,000 made Palmer the leading money winner of the year and enabled him to become the first pro to ever win over $500,000 in official money.

Arnie goes all the way
Palmer shoots 70, wins by 6 strokes

By Jim Martin
Chronicle Sports Editor

Arnold Palmer won the 28th Masters Tournament Sunday, just like everyone though he would.

He did it without a great deal of drama. But, goodness! What glory! The great Pennsylvanian with the blacksmith arms shot a super closing round of 70 over the sunshine-sparkled greenery of Augusta National for a 72-hole score of 276 and his fourth Masters title.

He was a great big six strokes ahead of anyone else who tried in the 28th renewal of the world's finest sports spectacular.

Defending champion Jack Nicklaus, another blond bear in the crowd until Sunday, closed with a magnificent five-under-par 67 to tie young Dave Marr for second place at 282. Marr, right in the ring with the champion and his famous ``Arnie's Army,'' shot a brilliant 70, including a tremendous 25-foot birdie putt from the outskirts of the 18th green.

But, regardless of what anyone else did, this day, and the entire tournament, belonged to the 34-year-old Palmer.

Missed The Record

He became the first man to ever win four Masters titles, and this is the good part because this immensely proud fellow named Palmer wants championships and lots of them. But his $20,000 first prize check made him the first man to ever win over $500,000 in official money on the professional tour, and it also makes him the leading money winner of the PGA year.

He also is the 17th winner in 17 tournaments this year.

The PGA Tour has never seen such decisiveness.

Palmer led all the way, shooting rounds of 69-68-69-70 for his 276.

He was tied for the first round lead with four other players but he quickly changed that situation and went to win his first major championship in two years and his first tournament since the Whitemarsh Open last October.

Nicklaus and Marr each earned $1,000.

Devlin Finished 2nd

Four players were deadlocked at 286 including 1961 Masters champion Gary Player, who's to have his tonsils removed in St. Joseph Hospital here today. Player shot a closing 73 and was tied with Bill Casper, Jim Ferrier and Paul Harney.

Graybeard Hogan, who thrilled the biggest galleries in Masters history with a spirited run at his third Masters title, shot an even par 72 to pull in at 287 along with Tony Lema and Mike Souchak. Lema had a 69 and Souchak his second straight 70.

Peter Butler of England, Al Gelberger, Gene Littler, Johnny Pott and Dan Sikes were in at even par 288.

Beman, Cowan tie

Palmer had his only three-putt green of the tournament Sunday, but made up for these two lapses with another string of birdies on the final nine, a winding, watery stretch of land that he's left thoroughly barraged and bombed with birdies all this lovely week.

Palmer shot his fourth consecutive one-under par 35 on the first nine holes, but three-putted the 10th green to get even par for the day. At this point, playing partner Marr, who one-putted six of the first nine greens, pulled up within three strokes of Palmer. Marr promptly hooked his drive at the 11th and plunked his tee shot in the wast at 12 to dash his hopes.

Nicklaus, meanwhile, scored a birdie at 12 and almost made a double eagle at the 13th, and birdied the 15th to get within four strokes of Palmer. Nicklaus' second shot at the 13th hit the flag on the first bounce, spun out of the cup and stopped only two feet away from the cup.

Mr. Palmer went immediately to work.

Pars No. 13

But on the 14th Palmer had his putter warm, something it hasn't been through a winless winter until he arrived at the National the first of the week. He there ran in a 12-foot birdie putt and added another at the 520-yard 15th hole to go 12-under par for the tournament.

That ended anyone's hopes officially right there. But the tournament had probably been Palmer's all week anyway. Never has he played better.

He was under par on each nine every day of the tournament. His front nine card read 30-35-35-35, and the back showed 34-33-34-35.

Score His Lowest

Palmer started with a loud bang at the 220-yard fourth hole when he holed a lengthy 40-footer which went up a slope and curled down into the bottom of the cup. He bogeyed the very next hole but made this up with a five-foot birdie putt at seven.

Marr putted like a wizard on the first few holes and was making a real run at Palmer until the 11th and 12th holes. He knocked in a 15-footer for a par at the first hole, an eight-foot birdie at the second and a 20-foot birdie at the third. Marr, voted into the tournament by a poll of former Masters champions, turned in 33 and was back in 37, thanks to his tremendous putt on the final green that tied Nicklaus and made himself an extra $2,000, the difference in second and third money.

Nicklaus, the 24-year-old Ohioan, hit his most powerful tee shots of the tournament on the final day and, at the 520-yard 15th, he crashed a 355-yard tee shot and played the hole with a drive and seven iron. He turned in 34 which included a 15-foot birdie at the nine, the longest putt he made in the entire tournament.