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Suggest pagesKen Venturi
| Ken Venturi | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Kenneth Venturi |
| Born | May 15, 1931 San Francisco, California |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st) |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Residence | Rancho Mirage, California |
| Spouse | Kathleen M. Venturi |
| Children | 2 sons, 2 step-daughters, 2 step-sons |
| Career | |
| College | San Jose State College |
| Turned professional | 1956 |
| Retired | 2002 |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Professional wins | 15 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 14 |
| Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 1) |
|
| Masters Tournament | 2nd: 1956. 1960 |
| U.S. Open | Won: 1964 |
| The Open Championship | CUT: 1973 |
| PGA Championship | T5: 1959, 1964 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| PGA Player of the Year | 1964 |
| Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year |
1964 |
Kenneth Venturi (born May 15, 1931) is an American former professional golfer and golf broadcaster.
Contents |
[edit] Early years and amateur career
Venturi was born in San Francisco, California. He learned golf from an early age, and developed his game at Harding Park Golf Course and other public courses in the area. In the early 1950s, Venturi had been a pupil of the great Byron Nelson, and was also influenced by playing partner Ben Hogan. He won the California State Amateur Championship in 1951 and 1956, serving in the Army in Korea in the interim.[1] Venturi first gained national attention in 1956 while still an amateur; he finished second in that year's Masters, by one shot to Jack Burke, Jr., after leading from the first round. Venturi shot a final-round 80 in very windy conditions, and relinquished a four-shot lead, which prevented him from winning outright and thus becoming the first amateur to do so in the history of The Masters.[2] Years later it would be compared to Greg Norman's back nine collapse in 1996.
[edit] Professional career
Venturi was a regular winner during his early years on the PGA Tour after turning pro at the end of 1956. He again come close to winning the Masters in 1958 and 1960, both times being edged out by Arnold Palmer.
After suffering minor injuries in an automobile accident in 1961, Venturi's swing, and thus his career, began to slide. This slump lasted until 1964 when, for no reason even Venturi could fathom, he began playing well again. After a couple of high finishes, Venturi reached the pinnacle of his comeback by winning the 1964 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club, after nearly collapsing in the 100-degree heat during the then 36-hole final day. He received that year's Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award and PGA Player of the Year award. He played on the 1965 Ryder Cup team.[2] Venturi received the 1998 Old Tom Morris Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, GCSAA's highest honor.
[edit] Broadcasting career
After 1964, Venturi's career again took a blow when he was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists. After several surgeries his condition was reversed, but he was never able to regain his past form. After retiring from the Tour in 1967 with a total of 14 career wins, Venturi spent the next 35 years working as a color commentator and lead analyst for CBS Sports — the longest such stint in sports broadcasting history, made remarkable by the fact that he suffered from severe stuttering early in life. He retired from broadcasting in June 2002.[2][3][1]
[edit] Other ventures
[edit] Acting
Venturi appeared as himself in the 1996 film Tin Cup. In the film, he is a commentator at the U.S. Open being held at a fictional course in North Carolina. In one scene, Venturi is shown voicing his opinion that the film's protagonist, Roy McAvoy (Kevin Costner), should lay-up on a long par-5 rather than try to reach the green in two shots. McAvoy, who has decided to go for it, is then shown saying, "This is for Venturi up in the booth thinking I should lay-up." His caddy, played by Cheech Marin, sarcastically responds, "Yeah, what does he know? He only won this tournament before you were born."
Venturi has described actor and singer Frank Sinatra as his best friend and former roommate.[2][3]
[edit] Golf course design and instructional schools
In 1990, Venturi redesigned and renovated the Eagle Creek Golf & Country Club course near Naples, Florida.[4] He has also lent his name to a series of instructional schools.[2]
[edit] Amateur wins
- 1951 California State Amateur Championship
- 1956 California State Amateur Championship
[edit] Professional wins
[edit] PGA Tour wins (14)
- 1957 (2) St. Paul Open Invitational, Miller High Life Open
- 1958 (4) Thunderbird Invitational, Phoenix Open Invitational, Baton Rouge Open Invitational, Gleneagles-Chicago Open Invitational
- 1959 (2) Los Angeles Open, Gleneagles-Chicago Open Invitational
- 1960 (2) Bing Crosby National Pro-Am, Milwaukee Open Invitational
- 1964 (3) U.S. Open, Insurance City Open Invitational, American Golf Classic
- 1966 (1) Lucky International Open
[edit] Other wins (1)
- 1959 Almaden Open
[edit] Major championships
[edit] Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | 54 Holes | Winning Score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | U.S. Open | 2 shot deficit | -2 (72-70-66-70=278) | 4 strokes | Tommy Jacobs |
[edit] Results timeline
Amateur
| Tournament | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | T16 | DNP | 2 LA |
| U.S. Open | CUT | DNP | DNP | 8 LA |
| The Open Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Amateur Championship | DNP | DNP | R64 | DNP |
Professional
| Tournament | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | T13 | T4 | CUT |
| U.S. Open | T6 | T35 | T38 |
| The Open Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP | T20 | T5 |
| Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | 2 | T11 | T9 | 34 | DNP | CUT | 16 | T21 | T50 | CUT |
| U.S. 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 |
| Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. 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 U.S. 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
Source for The Masters: www.masters.com
Source for U.S. Open: USGA Championship Database
Source for British Open: www.opengolf.com
Source for 1955 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, June 2, 1955, pg. 4.
Source for PGA Championship: PGA Championship Media Guide
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Mackin, Tom (June 13, 2011). "Ken Venturi, the '64 Open champ, says golf was a different game in his era". Golf Magazine. http://www.golf.com/tours_news/article/0,28136,2077535,00.html. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Kelley, Brent. "Ken Venturi biography". About.com. http://golf.about.com/od/golfersmen/p/ken_venturi.htm. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
- ^ a b Terrill, Joey (December 2004). "My shot: Ken Venturi". Golf Digest. http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/myshot_gd0412. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
- ^ "Course Information". Eagle Creek Golf & Country Club. http://www.eaglecreekcc.org/club/scripts/golf/view_course.asp?CID=508&GRP=10074&NS=PG. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
[edit] External links
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Ken Venturi |
- Ken Venturi at the PGA Tour official site
- Ken Venturi at the Internet Movie Database
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