Posted 4/14/03 9:57 am ET

Amazing Amateurs - Charles Yates

Golfer attends every Masters, played in first

Atlanta native Charles Yates was invited by Bobby Jones to play in the first Masters Tournament, in 1934, and has witnessed every one since. Special/The Augusta Chronicle

By David Westin
The Augusta Chronicle

Ask Charles Yates a question about his playing days in the Masters Tournament, and a puzzled look often crosses his face, followed by the phrase, ``That was a long time ago.''

Indeed it was. Yates, 87, played in the first 11 Masters, all as an amateur.

Records on the low amateur winner for the early years of the Masters are incomplete. However, the late Masters statistician Bill Inglish determined that Yates was low amateur five times.

Yates' best overall finish was 17th place in 1940, one of four times he finished among the top 24.

Yates, an Atlanta native, was the Georgia State Amateur champion in 1931 and '32; was the NCAA champion in 1934, when he played for Georgia Tech; won the British Amateur in 1938; and was a Walker Cup participant in 1936 and '38.

He was one of the original inductees into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in 1989.

Yates not only played in those early Masters Tournaments, but he also has witnessed every one contested.

An Augusta National member since 1940, Yates worked on the Masters Tournament media committee from 1948 through '99.

He is not the oldest Augusta National member, but he has the longest tenure as a member.

He and his brother, Dan, who is five years younger, are the only current members to have seen every Masters.

Masters co-founder Bobby Jones personally invited Charles Yates to play in the first Masters, held in 1934.

Though Jones was 11 years older than Yates, they had become fast friends while playing golf together at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. Both of their families had houses that bordered East Lake.

``There wasn't any strict rule about who was eligible to play in the Masters then,'' Yates recalls. ``Bob invited some of his friends, such as myself.''

Yates tied for 21st in the first Masters, firing rounds of 76-72-77-72-297.

Yates and Jones started playing golf together in the early 1930s. When Jones played his final round of golf in 1948 at East Lake, one of his playing partners was Yates.

``I felt we became great friends,'' Yates said. ``He was always so kind and modest. He was always a tremendous person to me. I have the warmest feelings for Bob.''

When Yates won the 1938 British Amateur in Troon, Scotland, one of the congratulatory telegrams he received came from Jones.

One of Yates' most vivid memories of his Masters days is the final round of the 1935 tournament. It has nothing to do with his game, though.

Yates was playing in the group ahead of Gene Sarazen, who hit one of golf's most famous shots that day. Sarazen holed out a fairway wood shot for a double eagle on the par-5 15th. It helped him force a 36-hole playoff with Craig Wood, which Sarazen won 144-149.

At the time, golfers walked to their right off the 15th green to a nearby tee. From the 16th, Yates could see the 15th green.

``I was in the back of my swing on the 16th hole when it happened,'' Yates said of Sarazen's famous shot.

Asked if the crowd noise from the 15th green affected his swing, Yates said, ``I don't have the slightest idea. By then, I'd had so many strokes it didn't make any difference.''

Yates shot a 75 that day and tied for 19th place.

For 44 career rounds in the Masters, Yates' scoring average was a respectable 75.95.

``He was good at getting the ball up and down,'' his brother said. ``He was a good chipper and putter. He wasn't as long as some of the rest of them, but he kept the ball in play and had the ability to get the ball up and in the hole when he got in trouble.''

The Masters was not held from 1943-1946 because of World War II. Yates, who was in the service, played in one more Masters after he returned from overseas (the 1947 tournament). With the exception of the 1955 U.S. Amateur, which paid tribute to the 25th anniversary of Jones' grand slam, Yates never again played competitively.

``I didn't feel like I could take the time to play golf when I came back,'' Yates said.

``He had to go to work for a living,'' his brother said. ``He'd done about all he could do in golf.''

``If I can't compete, I don't want to get into it just for the show of it,'' Yates said.

Yates at the Masters
Year	Score	Place
1934	76-72-77-72-292	T21
1935	75-70-76-75-296	T19
1936	82-73-75-77-307	T34th
1937	76-73-74-78-301	T26th
1938	76-78-82-76-312	39th
1939	74-73-74-75-296	T18th
1940	72-75-71-75-293	T17th
1941	78-75-75-75-303	T35th
1942	78-76-74-76-304	T28th
1946	78-79-78-86-321	50th
1947	77-75-81-79-312	T55th

 

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