Augusta National Golf Club is a brutally tough test notorious for being hard on first-timers. The few amateurs lucky enough to receive an invite to The Masters every year are thrilled if they're just able to make the cut and play four rounds at the iconic venue.
It wasn't always this hard for amateurs to compete at Augusta National, though. A few decades ago, multiple amateurs found themselves in contention and nearly won a green jacket on their first try.
Let's check out the best amateur finishes in Masters history, starting with an unsurprising name.
Jack Nicklaus, T7, 1961
With a record six wins and 22 top-10 finishes at Augusta National in his career, Jack Nicklaus is the most accomplished golfer in Masters history.
One of those top-10s came in 1961 when The Golden Bear finished in a tie for seventh place at 1- under par. Two years later, he won his first green jacket at the age of just 23.
Lawson Little, T6, 1935
In 1935, Gene Sarazen won the second-ever playing of The Masters in a playoff against Craig Wood. A few strokes behind him was Lawson Little, an amateur who finished in a tie for sixth at even par.
Little went on to record six more top-10 finishes at Augusta National but never won a green jacket.
Harvie Ward, solo fourth, 1957
Harvie Ward was a decorated amateur golfer, as he won the British Amateur, Canadian Amateur, and U.S. Amateur in the span of four years from 1952-55 and played on three Walker Cup teams.
He finished solo fourth in the 1957 Masters, which was interestingly his ninth career start at Augusta National.
Billy Joe Patton, solo third, 1954
Patton was one of the closest amateurs to winning a Masters Tournament.
In 1954, the North Carolina native finished one stroke behind legends Sam Snead and Ben Hogan, just missing out on the playoff. He made a hole-in-one on the par-3 sixth hole in the final round, but it wasn't enough in the end. It was the closest Patton ever came to winning The Masters.
Frank Stranahan, T2, 1947
Frank Stranahan shot an impressive 68 in the final round of the 1947 Masters only to come up two shots short of Jimmy Demaret's winning score.
He went on to play in the tournament 11 more times but never finished better than T14.
Charles R. Coe, T2, 1961
Charles R. Coe, in his 12th career Masters start, finished runner-up to Gary Player in 1961 by one stroke.
He entered the final round six shots back of Player on the leaderboard, but his 69 wasn't enough to catch the three-time Masters champ.
Ken Venturi, solo second, 1956
The 1956 Masters was the closest an amateur ever was to winning the tournament.
Ken Venturi entered the final round with an eight-stroke lead and the green jacket already on one shoulder, but he shot an 8-over 80 to blow his comfortable lead.
Jack Burke Jr. fired a 71 in the final round to catch Venturi and win by one shot. It's hard to imagine an amateur ever coming that close to winning The Masters again.
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