1956 Masters: Jack Burke Jr. wins at Augusta National Golf Club
Jack Burke Jr. won the 1956 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club with 289 (+1), by 1 stroke over Ken Venturi.
Updated October 23, 2026
See 1956 in the Masters room, or every year on the Masters winners list.
- Dates
- April 5, 1956 to April 8, 1956
- Course
- Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia
- Edition
- 20th Masters
- Par
- 72 · 6,965 yards
- Purse
- $30,000 · winner's share $6,000
- Champion
- Jack Burke Jr. · age 33 · United States · born Fort Worth, Texas, USA
- Champion's title
- 1st Masters title
- Winning score
- 72-71-75-71 = 289 (+1) · won by 1 stroke
- Runner-up
- Ken Venturi (290, +2)
- 54-hole leader
- Ken Venturi (210, −6) · Jack Burke Jr. was 8 strokes back (T4)
- Caddie
- Willie 'Pappy' Stokes
- Low amateur
- Ken Venturi (290)
Winner and runner-up
| Pos. | Player | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | To par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jack Burke Jr. | 72 | 71 | 75 | 71 | 289 | +1 |
| 2 | Ken Venturi | 66 | 69 | 75 | 80 | 290 | +2 |
What happened at the 1956 Masters
Burke came from eight strokes behind entering the final round, the largest final-round comeback in Masters history, shooting 71 in the wind.
Amateur Ken Venturi led after each of the first three rounds but closed with an 80, including 42 on the back nine, and finished one stroke back.
How this was built
Every value is shown as recorded in GNN's The Masters data. A value no source confirmed is left out; nothing is estimated. Where sources disagree, the organizer's own record is used.
Data: masters.json (the Masters room's data).
Sources
- Wikipedia: 1956 Masters Tournament
- golfcompendium.com: 1956 masters tournament
- topendsports.com: winners
- nbcsports.com: by the numbers jumpsuit numbers for every masters…
- todays-golfer.com: the history of augusta caddies
- golfmonthly.com: which caddies have won the most masters
- todays-golfer.com: how the masters prize money has changed over the years
- golf.com: masters purse masters winners payouts alltime
- Wikipedia: Masters Tournament
- pgatour.com: what is the cut at the masters tournament augusta national
- todays-golfer.com: cut rules
- golfcompendium.com: 1957 masters
- liveabout.com: what are the yardages at augusta national during the…
- where2golf.com: jack burke jr
- Wikipedia: Jack Burke Jr
- npr.org
- golfcompendium.com: masters winners
- golfcompendium.com: us open winners
- golfcompendium.com: british open winners
- golfcompendium.com: pga championship winners