1961 Masters: Gary Player wins at Augusta National Golf Club

Gary Player won the 1961 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club with 280 (−8), by 1 stroke over Charlie Coe and Arnold Palmer.

Updated October 23, 2026

See 1961 in the Masters room, or every year on the Masters winners list.

Dates: April 6, 1961 to April 10, 1961
Course: Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia
Edition: 25th Masters
Par: 72 · 6,980 yards
Made the cut: 41 (cut at 149)
Purse: $110,000 · winner's share $20,000
Champion: Gary Player · age 25 · South Africa · born Johannesburg, South Africa
Champion's title: 1st Masters title
Winning score: 69-68-69-74 = 280 (−8) · won by 1 stroke
Runners-up: Charlie Coe (281, −7), Arnold Palmer (281, −7)
54-hole leader: Gary Player (206, −10)
Caddie: Ernest 'Snipes' Nipper
Low amateur: Charlie Coe (281)

Winner and runners-up

Pos.	Player	R1	R2	R3	R4	Total	To par
1	Gary Player	69	68	69	74	280	−8
T2	Charlie Coe	72	71	69	69	281	−7
T2	Arnold Palmer	68	69	73	71	281	−7

What happened at the 1961 Masters

Player became the first Masters champion from outside the United States, after Sunday's rain-washed final round was erased and replayed on Monday.

Arnold Palmer and Player both found the greenside bunker on the 72nd hole; Player saved par while Palmer made double-bogey 6 to lose by one.

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).

1961 Masters: Gary Player wins at Augusta National Golf Club

Winner and runners-up

What happened at the 1961 Masters

How this was built

Sources