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Amazing Amateurs - Billy Joe Patton
Rookie's bold play marks 1954 Masters
Posted: Thursday April 05, 2001 4:57 PM
Updated: Tuesday March 26, 2002 6:18 PM
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Billy Joe Patton placed third in the 1954 Masters Tournament, the best finish ever by an amateur in his first appearance at Augusta National Golf Club. File/The Augusta Chronicle |
By David Westin
The Augusta Chronicle
Amateurs have had higher finishes in the Masters Tournament, but none of them burst onto the scene like Billy Joe Patton.
Patton's third-place finish in the 1954 Masters is the highest finish by an amateur in his first start at Augusta National.
The story of the 1954 Masters was as much the spirited play by the little-known lumber salesman from Morganton, N.C., as the 18-hole playoff for the title, won by Sam Snead over Ben Hogan, 70-71.
On what was the 20th anniversary of the tournament, Patton not only led after the first and second rounds, but he also led by a shot through 11 holes in the final round.
In that final round, Patton shot a 4-under-par 32 on the front nine (which included a hole-in-one on No. 6 and birdies on Nos. 8 and 9).
He shot 3-over-par 39 on the back nine for a 71, finishing one shot out of the playoff.
Like so many leaders before and after him, he was undermined by the two par-5s on the back nine, taking 13 shots to play Nos. 13 and 15.
Patton made a double bogey on No. 13 and a bogey on No. 15. He made a birdie on No. 14 but parred the final three holes when a birdie would have earned him a spot in the playoff.
The pivotal hole was No. 13. Patton, who had a go-for-broke style of play, elected to go for the green in two shots instead of playing it safe. The result was a sliced 3-wood shot that ended up in the tributary to Rae's Creek in front of the green. He emerged with a 7.
Afterward, Patton described his thinking when he pulled out the 3-wood on No. 13:
``What the hell, I didn't get where I've got by playing safe,'' he told himself.
Still, Patton was all smiles as he walked up the 18th fairway to the green, where he received a standing ovation for his play. He shot 70-74-75-71-290.
The combination of Patton's low profile entering the tournament he qualified as a member of the Walker Cup team, which he made as an alternate and his unorthodox swing turned the 1954 Masters into a hot media event.
The tournament, which wouldn't be televised for two more years, drew more media coverage than any since Masters co-founder Bobby Jones stopped playing in 1948.
Here's how lightly regarded Patton was by his fellow players: After the second round, Cary Middlecoff, who would win the Masters the next year, said ``If this guy wins the Masters, he'll set golf back 50 years.''
Patton didn't win it, but he beat Middlecoff by four shots that year.
Patton played in 12 more Masters, through 1966. Though he never contended again, he did have two more top 10 finishes he was eighth in 1958 and '59.
Patton won the low amateur award five times, in 1954, '56, '58, '59 and '60.
Even though his playing days in the Masters are over, Patton's presence has been felt at the tournament each year. During his playing days, he was invited to be a member at Augusta National Golf Club, which is almost unheard of for a participant.
When he didn't qualify for the Masters in 1967, Patton served as a television announcer for the CBS telecast. That year, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, a union in which CBS was a member, was on strike. Augusta National chairman Clifford Roberts auditioned Augusta National members for announcing jobs, and Patton and former Masters participant Charlie Coe were selected.
In later years, Patton even served as a non-competing marker in the Masters when the field had an odd number of players.
| Patton at the Masters |
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| Year |
Score |
Place |
| 1954 |
70-74-75-71-290 |
3rd |
| 1955 |
79-76-77-78-310 |
T49th |
| 1956 |
70-76-79-73-298 |
T12th |
| 1957 |
77-83-160 |
MC |
| 1958 |
72-69-73-74-288 |
8th |
| 1959 |
75-70-71-74-290 |
T8th |
| 1960 |
75-72-74-72-293 |
T13th |
| 1961 |
78-75-153 |
MC |
| 1962 |
76-78-154 |
MC |
| 1963 |
80-72-74-81-307 |
48th |
| 1964 |
70-74-77-74-295 |
T37th |
| 1965 |
70-83-153 |
MC |
| 1966 |
78-78-156 |
MC |
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