Today's winner of the RBC Heritage will take home $1,170,000. Jimmy Demaret won $2,000 on this date in 1950 when he won the North Fulton Open at the North Fulton Park Course in Atlanta (held April 13-16, 1950). His scores were 71-69-64-66—270.
The greatest women's golfer of all-time, Mickey Wright, won her 82nd and final LPGA Tour event on this date in 1973, and it was a key one: The Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle, now known as the ANA Inspiration. At the time, the Dinah Shore wasn't considered a major; that status would come in 1983.
A sad day in golf history: In 1968, Roberto De Vicenzo signed an incorrect scorecard with a higher score than he actually shot and finished one behind Bob Goalby at the Masters. Born on this date: past U.S. Women's Open champion Meg Mallon in 1963; 1964 PGA champion Bobby Nichols in 1936…and World Golf Hall of Famer, Mr. De Vicenzo himself, in 1923.
In the final Masters held before its World War II break, Byron Nelson defeated Ben Hogan, 68-70, on this date in a playoff to win the 1942 Masters for his second green jacket. Born on this date: Davis Love III in 1964 and World Golf Hall of Fame member Marilynn Smith in 1929.
In a battle of all-time legends, Sam Snead defeated Ben Hogan, 70-71, in a playoff to win the 1954 Masters, his third. A decade later, the date April 12, 1964, would mark the day Arnold Palmer won his final and seventh major, by six shots, in the Masters. PGA Tour player Russell Henley was born on this day in 1989.
With a 70, Jack Nicklaus won a three-way, 18-hole playoff in 1966 over Tommy Jacobs (72) and Gay Brewer (78) to become the first player to win the Masters in back-to-back years.
Arnold Palmer rued April 10, 1961, for the rest of his career. A lack of concentration caused him to make a double-bogey 6 on the 18th hole, losing by one shot to Gary Player, who became the first international Masters champion.
Two-time Masters champion Seve Ballesteros was born on April 9 in 1957. On the course, Jimmy Demaret became the first three-time winner in 1950, and Jack Nicklaus won in 1972 to join Arnold Palmer as a four-time winner, later extended to Jack's sixth win in 1986.
On April 8, 1962, Arnold Palmer made birdies on 16 and 17 to tie Gary Player and Dow Finsterwald at 280, then beat them the next day in a playoff with a 68 to Player's 71 and Finsterwald's 77.
This is the day Gene Sarazen made: On April 7, 1935, he made a double eagle on the 15th hole, tied Craig Wood for first, then won in a playoff the next day. On April 7, 1998, the Jack Nicklaus plaque was dedicated; it is attached to the drinking fountain between the 16th and 17th holes.
Arnold Palmer shot a final-round 73 on April 6, 1958, but still won his first Masters by one stroke. On April 6, 1955, the Sarazen Bridge was dedicated; it’s the bridge that players cross up by the green on 15, the hole that Gene Sarazen double-eagled in his 1935 victory.
Amateur Ken Venturi led Round 1 of the Masters on April 5, 1956, with a 66, but by Sunday he shoots 80 to lose to Jack Burke Jr. by one stroke.
Byron Nelson went birdie-eagle on Nos. 12 and 13 on April 4, 1937, en route to a final-round 70 and two-shot victory over Ralph Guldahl. Lord Byron also won in 1942. On April 4, 1995, the Arnold Palmer Plaque behind the 16th tee was dedicated.
Craig Wood shot a 66 in the first round on April 3, 1941, to lead by five. He went on to lead wire to wire and win by three strokes over Byron Nelson.
After finishing as runner-up two years in a row, Ralph Guldahl won the sixth Masters by one shot over Sam Snead on April 2, 1939. Non-Masters notes: Born on this date were: Shane Lowry (1987), J.J. Henry (1975) and World Golf Hall of Fame member Ayako Okamoto (1951)
The 1928 U.S. Open champion, Johnny Farrell, was born on April 1, 1901, one year before Bobby Jones and Gene Sarazen. Farrell was a longtime head professional at Baltusrol Country Club in New Jersey, and won 22 PGA Tour events. He died in June 1988.
Tony Jacklin won the 1968 Greater Jacksonville Open on March 31 to become the first Englishman to win a modern U.S. pro tour event and an important event of any kind since Ted Ray won the 1920 U.S. Open.
The only time the Masters Tournament finished in March was the first year, 1934, on March 25. The Masters had two more March days, the first and second rounds in 1939 on the 30th and 31st. Otherwise, the tournament has always been held during the first two weeks of April.
The LPGA Tour’s ANA Inspiration, the year’s first major, is this weekend at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, Calif. For years known as the Dinah Shore with sponsors Colgate and Nabisco, the ANA was won on March 29, 1992, by Dottie Pepper (Mochrie at the time). Pepper, then 26, birdied the 18th hole to tie Juli Inkster, and then won on the first hole of sudden-death, No. 10, with a par-4 to Inkster’s bogey. Pepper, who had been runner-up in 1991, also won the tournament in 1999 when she set the tournament record of 19-under 269.
Five times a PGA Tour event has been decided after an eight-hole, sudden-death playoff, the most holes it has taken to decide a winner. The first of the five occasions was on March 28, 1965, when Dick Hart beat Phil Rodgers at the Azalea Open.