Ken Venturi

Kenneth Paul "Ken" Venturi (born May 15, 1931 in San Francisco , California - † May 17, 2013 in Rancho Mirage , California) was a professional American golfer and golf presenter. Despite a shortened career due to injuries, he won the PGA Tour and a major in the US Open in 1964. Before he passed away in 2013, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame .

Early years and amateur career

Venturi learned to play golf at a young age. He trained at Harding Park Golf Course and other Bay Area public clubs .

In the early 1950s he was a student of Byron Nelson . He was also shaped and inspired by his fellow sportsman Ben Hogan . Venturi won the California State Amateur Championship in 1951 and 1956 while meanwhile serving in the US Army in Korea and Europe.

Venturi first aroused public interest at the age of 24. Though still an amateur, he finished second in the 1956 Masters, one place behind Jack Burke Jr. Venturi led after each of the first three rounds, especially as he tried to become the first amateur to win the Masters. But he shot an 80 on the final lap and missed a four-shot win. Until 2016, no amateur had ever won the Masters.

Professional career

Venturi turned professional golfer in late 1956 and won the PGA Tour in his early years. In 1958 and 1960 he came close to winning the Masters again, but failed when he was defeated both times by Arnold Palmer.

In 1961 Venturi's career faltered after sustaining minor injuries in a car accident. That low lasted until 1964 when he began to play well again. After a few tall wins, he peaked his comeback by winning the 1964 US Open at the Congressional Country Club , despite being on the verge of collapse due to the hot climate and humidity of the day.

Venturi became the first golfer to win the US Open after winning sectional qualification.

Venturi won the PGA Championship tied with the fifth in July and August . He earned the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year title and the PGA Player of the Year title. In 1965 he played on the Ryder Cup team and in 1998 received the Old Tom Morris Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America .

After 1964, Venturi's career took another hit when he was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists. With nine strokes he missed the Masters cut and was treated at the Mayo Clinic in May . While he was defending the US Open title in June, he continued to struggle with his hands and went into the championship with a plan to have an operation next week. He missed the cut at ten strokes, had surgery on both wrists and was absent until the Ryder Cup in England in October . In January 1966, his condition improved and he won a tour event in his hometown. But he fell back early; after several operations he could no longer regain his old shape.

Moderator

After he retired in 1967 with a total of 14 wins, Venturi spent the next 35 years doing analysis for CBS Sports as a "color commentator". This is quite an achievement, given that he stuttered for a long time. In June 2002, at the age of 71, he retired from broadcasting as a CBS analyst. He was replaced by Lanny Wadkins, who was followed by Nick Faldo in 2007 .

play

In 1996, Venturi appeared in the film Tin Cup and presented himself as a host of the US Open. He also held a fictional course in North Carolina .

Honors

In 2004, after some controversial discourse, a Golden Palm Star was dedicated to Venturi on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars . In 2013 he was entered into the World Golf Hall of Fame in the "lifetime achievement" category.

death

Venturi died on May 17, 2013 at Rancho Mirage at the age of 82 . Before that, he was hospitalized for two months for multiple infections. Venturi left behind his third wife Kathleen, two sons and four grandchildren. He was buried in the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Cathedral City .

Amateur victories (5)

• 1950 San Francisco City Amateur Championship
• 1951 California State Amateur Championship
• 1953 San Francisco City Amateur Championship
• 1956 California State Amateur Championship , San Francisco City Amateur Championship

Professional victories (15)

PGA Tour wins (14)

No.	date	competition	result	To par	Profit margin	Runner (s) -up
1	Aug 18, 1957	St. Paul Open Invitational	66-67-65-68 = 266	−22	2 strokes	Bob Rosburg
2	Aug 25, 1957	Miller High Life Open	68-66-65-68 = 267	−13	5 strokes	Al Balding , Sam Snead
3	Jan 26, 1958	Thunderbird Invitational	70-63-66-70 = 269	−15	4 strokes	Jimmy Demaret , Gene Littler
4th	Feb 2, 1958	Phoenix Open Invitational	70-68-66-70 = 274	−10	1 stroke	Walter Burkemo , Jay Hebert
5	Mar 2, 1958	Baton Rouge Open Invitational	69-69-69-69 = 276	−12	4 strokes	Lionel Hebert , Arnold Palmer
6th	Aug 4, 1958	Gleneagles-Chicago Open Invitational	65-67-68-72 = 272	−8	1 stroke	Julius Boros , Jack Burke, Jr.
7th	Jan 5, 1959	Los Angeles Open	72-71-72-63 = 278	−6	2 strokes	Art Wall, Jr.
8th	Jun 28, 1959	Gleneagles-Chicago Open Invitational	64-75-68-66 = 273	−7	1 stroke	Johnny Pott
9	Jan 24, 1960	Bing Crosby National Pro-Am	70-71-68-77 = 286	−2	3 strokes	Julius Boros , Tommy Jacobs
10	Aug 28, 1960	Milwaukee Open Invitational	65-69-68-69 = 271	−9	2 strokes	Billy Casper
11	Jun 20, 1964	US Open	72-70-66-70 = 278	−2	4 strokes	Tommy Jacobs
12	Jul 26, 1964	Insurance City Open Invitational	70-63-69-71 = 273	−11	1 stroke	Al Besselink , Paul Bondeson Sam Carmichal , Jim Grant
13	Aug 23, 1964	American Golf Classic	71-66-69-69 = 275	−5	5 strokes	Mason Rudolph
14th	Jan 31, 1966	Lucky International Open	68-68-71-66 = 273	−11	1 stroke	Frank Beard

PGA Tour Playoff Directory (0-3)

No.	year	Tournament	opponent	result
1	1957	Thunderbird Invitational	Jimmy Demaret , Mike Souchak	Demaret wins 18-hole playoff (Demaret: 67, Souchak: 75, Venturi: 76)
2	1958	Greater New Orleans Open Invitational	Billy Casper	Lost to eagle on second extra hole
3	1961	Houston Classic	Jay Hebert	Lost to birdie on first extra hole after 18 hole playoff (Hebert: 69, Venturi: 69)

Other victories (1)

• 1959 Almaden Open

Main championships

Wins 1)

year	championship	54 holes	result	Margin	Runner-up
1964	US Open	2 shot deficit	-2 (72-70-66-70 = 278)	4 strokes	Tommy Jacobs

Results timeline

amateur

championship	1953	1954	1955	1956
Masters Tournament	DNP	T16	DNP	2 LA
US Open	CUT	DNP	DNP	8 LA
The Open Championship	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
The Amateur Championship	DNP	DNP	R64	DNP

Professional

championship	1957	1958	1959
Masters Tournament	T13	T4	CUT
US Open	T6	T35	T38
The Open Championship	DNP	DNP	DNP
PGA Championship	DNP	T20	T5

championship	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969
Masters Tournament	2	T11	T9	34	DNP	CUT	16	T21	T50	CUT
US Open	T23	DNP	DNP	DNP	1	CUT	T17	T28	CUT	CUT
The Open Championship	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
PGA Championship	9	T37	T51	DNP	T5	DNP	T15	T11	T48	DNP

championship	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974
Masters Tournament	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
US Open	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	CUT
The Open Championship	DNP	DNP	DNP	CUT	DNP
PGA Championship	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP

LA = Low amateur NT = No tournament DNP = Did not play WD = Withdrew CUT = missed the half-way cut DNQ = Did not qualify for match play portion of US Amateur R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play "T" indicates a tie for a place Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10

Sources: Masters, US Open, Open Championship, PGA Championship, 1955 British Amateur

Summary

Tournament	Victories	2er	3 series	Top 5	Top 10	Top 25	Events	Cuts made
Masters Tournament	0	2	0	3	4th	9	14th	11
US Open	1	0	0	1	3	5	13	8th
The Open Championship	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
PGA Championship	0	0	0	2	3	6th	9	9
Total	1	2	0	6th	10	20th	37	28

• Most consecutive cuts made - 12 (1959 US Open - 1964 PGA)
• Longest streak of top 10s - 2 (four times)

US national team

amateur

• Walker Cup : 1953 (winners)
• Eisenhower Trophy :

Professional

• Ryder Cup : 1965 (winners)
• Presidents Cup : 2000 Presidents Cup (winners, non-playing captain)

Web links

Wikiquote: Ken Venturi  - Quotes

• About.com - Ken Venturi
• Ken Venturi in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Ken Venturi in the database of Find a Grave (English)

Individual evidence

1. ^ World Golf Hall of Fame adds Venturi to 2013 class . PGA tour. October 8, 2012. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved March 29, 2017. 
2. ↑ Brent Kelley: Ken Venturi biography . About.com. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
3. ^ Thomas A. Reedy: Ken Venturi joins Ryder play team . In: Gettysburg Times , Oct. 5, 1965, p. 5. 
4. ↑ www.masters.com
5. ↑ USGA Championship Database ( Memento of the original from December 21, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
6. ↑ www.opengolf.com
7. ↑ PGA Championship Media Guide ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
8. ^ Contrast In British And American Players . In: Glasgow Herald , June 2, 1955, p. 4.