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Ken Venturi
Personal information
Full name	Kenneth Paul Venturi
Born	(1931-05-15)May 15, 1931 San Francisco, California
Died	May 17, 2013(2013-05-17) (aged 82) Rancho Mirage, California
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg; 12 st)
Sporting nationality	United States
Spouse	Kathleen Venturi (m. 2003–2013, his death) Beau Wheat Venturi (m. 1972–1997, her death) Conni Venturi (m. 1954–1970, divorced)
Children	Matthew, Tim
Career
College	San Jose State
Turned professional	1956
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour
Professional wins	15
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	14
Other	1
Best results in major championships (wins: 1)
Masters Tournament	2nd: 1956, 1960
PGA Championship	T5: 1959, 1964
U.S. Open	Won: 1964
The Open Championship	CUT: 1973
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame 2013 (member page) PGA Player of the Year 1964 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year 1964

Kenneth Paul Venturi (May 15, 1931 – May 17, 2013) was an American professional golfer and golf broadcaster. In a career shortened by injuries, he won 14 events on the PGA Tour including a major, the U.S. Open in 1964. Shortly before his death in 2013, Venturi was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Early years and amateur career

Born in San Francisco, California, Venturi learned to play golf at an early age, and developed his game at Harding Park Golf Course and other public courses in the Bay Area. He attended Lincoln High School and was the San Francisco high school golf champion in 1948 and 1949.

In the early 1950s, he was a pupil of Byron Nelson, and was also influenced by playing partner Ben Hogan. Venturi won the California State Amateur Championship in 1951 and 1956, serving in the U.S. Army in Korea and Europe in the interim.

Venturi first gained national attention at age 24; while still an amateur, he finished second in the Masters in 1956, one shot behind Jack Burke, Jr., Venturi led after each of the first three rounds in an attempt to become the first-ever amateur to win the Masters, but shot a final round 80 and relinquished a four-shot lead. Through 2019, no amateur has won the Masters.

Professional career

Venturi turned pro at the end of 1956 and was a regular winner during his early years on the PGA Tour. He again came close to winning the Masters in 1958 and 1960, but was edged out both times 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 U.S. Open in 1964 at Congressional Country Club, after nearly collapsing in the near-100 °F (38 °C) heat and humidity of the 36-hole final day. (The format was changed the next year in 1965.) Venturi was the first player to win the U.S. Open after conquering a sectional qualifier.

Venturi won again in July and August, tied for fifth in the PGA Championship, and received that year's Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award and PGA Player of the Year award. He played on the Ryder Cup team in 1965, and received the 1998 Old Tom Morris Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, GCSAA's highest honor.

After 1964, Venturi's career again took a blow when he was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists. After missing the cut at the Masters by nine strokes, he received treatment at the Mayo Clinic in May. Defending his title at the U.S. Open in June, Venturi continued to have difficulty with his hands and entered the championship with plans to have surgery the following week. He missed the cut by ten strokes, had the surgery on both wrists, and was sidelined until the Ryder Cup in October in England. Venturi's condition improved and he won a tour event in January 1966 at the very familiar Harding Park in his hometown, but he soon relapsed; after additional surgeries, he could not regain his form.

Broadcasting career

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 lead analyst stint in sports broadcasting history, made remarkable by the fact that he suffered from severe stuttering early in life. He retired from broadcasting at age 71 in June 2002, succeeded as CBS' lead analyst by Lanny Wadkins, then Nick Faldo in 2007.

Other ventures

Acting

Venturi appeared in the 1996 film Tin Cup, portraying himself as a commentator at the U.S. Open, 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 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 described the actor and singer Frank Sinatra as his best friend and former roommate.

Course design and instruction

In 1990, Venturi redesigned and renovated the Eagle Creek Golf & Country Club course near Naples, Florida. He also lent his name to a series of instructional schools.

Honors

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

Death

Venturi died two days after his 82nd birthday, in Rancho Mirage, California, on May 17, 2013. He had been hospitalized for two months for a spinal infection, pneumonia, and an intestinal infection. Venturi is survived by his third wife Kathleen, two sons, Matthew and Tim and four adult grandchildren Peter, Andrew, Sara and Gianna. He was buried at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Cathedral City, California.

Amateur wins (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 wins (15)

PGA Tour wins (14)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	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
4	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
6	Aug 4, 1958	Gleneagles-Chicago Open Invitational	65-67-68-72=272	−8	1 stroke	Julius Boros, Jack Burke, Jr.
7	Jan 5, 1959	Los Angeles Open	72-71-72-63=278	−6	2 strokes	Art Wall, Jr.
8	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	U.S. 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
14	Jan 31, 1966	Lucky International Open	68-68-71-66=273	−11	1 stroke	Frank Beard

PGA Tour playoff record (0–3)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent(s)	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 wins (1)

• 1959 Almaden Open

Major championships

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

Results timeline

Amateur

Professional

LA = Low amateur
CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = withdrew
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = tied

Sources: Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship, PGA Championship, 1955 British Amateur

Summary

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

U.S. national team appearances

Amateur

• Walker Cup: 1953 (winners)
• Americas Cup: 1952 (winners), 1956 (winners)

Professional

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

See also

• List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins

References

1. Klein, Gary (May 17, 2013). "Ken Venturi, golfer and broadcaster, dies at 82". Los Angeles Times.
2. Bamberger, Michael (June 10, 2002). "So long, Kenny". Sports Illustrated. p. G62.
3. ^ Wright, Alfred (December 21, 1964). "Sportsman of the Year: Ken Venturi". Sports Illustrated. p. 30.
4. ^ Bamberger, Michael (June 9, 1997). "Proud Words". Sports Illustrated. p. G32.
5. "World Golf Hall of Fame adds Venturi to 2013 class". PGA Tour. October 8, 2012. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
6. CIF San Francisco Section. AAA Golf Boys Annual Champions. (Retrieved April 26, 2017.)
7. ^ Mackin, Tom (June 13, 2011). "Ken Venturi, the '64 Open champ, says golf was a different game in his era". Golf Magazine. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. {{cite magazine}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
8. ^ Kelley, Brent. "Ken Venturi biography". About.com. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
9. ^ Reedy, Thomas A. (October 5, 1965). "Ken Venturi joins Ryder play team". Gettysburg Times. Pennsylvania. Associated Press. p. 5.
10. Wright, Alfred (June 29, 1964). "'Poor Ken' hits it rich again". Sports Illustrated. p. 12.
11. Bartlett, Charles (June 21, 1964). "Exhausted Ken Venturi Open champ". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, section 2.
12. Grimsley, Will (June 21, 1964). "Heat-dazed Ken Venturi captures Open on near record 278 score". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. p. 1, sports.
13. Mizell, Hubert (August 6, 1976). "The Ken Venturi Open: 1964 golfing classic". St. Petersburg Times. Florida. p. 1C.
14. >McDonald, Jim (August 24, 1964). "Venturi makes 1964 a really big year". Toledo Blade. Ohio. p. 18.
15. "Venturi draws acclaims as golf's 'player of the year'". Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph. Quebec City, Canada. Associated Press. December 9, 1964. p. 13.
16. Attner, Paul (August 15, 1976). "Venturi's 1964 Open victory is a vivid memory". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Florida. (Washington Post). p. 9D.
17. "Venturi may have to quit golf tour". Lodi News-Sentinel. California. UPI. January 23, 1965. p. 7.
18. "Nicklaus, Palmer, Player lead". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. April 10, 1965. p. 2, part 2.
19. "Venturi wins Hogan Award". Toledo Blade. Ohio. Associated Press. December 25, 1965. p. 16.
20. "Venturi to attack with bloodless hands". Victoria Advocate. Texas. Associated Press. June 15, 1965. p. 10.
21. "'Won't play until hand is well' - Venturi". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. June 19, 1964. p. 2, part 2.
22. Bartlett, Charles (June 19, 1965). "Gary Player's 70-70--140 leads Open!". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, section 2.
23. "Venturi fires 5 under 66 to capture 'Lucky' by one". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. February 1, 1966. p. 2, part 2.
24. "Venturi's 273 wins Lucky golf title". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. February 1, 1966. p. 1, section 3.
25. Grimsley, Will (May 13, 1971). "Ken Venturi is coming back again". Owosso Argus-Press. Michigan. Associated Press. p. 23.
26. ^ Terrill, Joey (December 2004). "My shot: Ken Venturi". Golf Digest.
27. "Faldo to become lead golf analyst for CBS Sports". ESPN. Associated Press. October 3, 2006. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
28. "Course Information". Eagle Creek Golf & Country Club. Archived from the original on March 30, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
29. The controversy arose between Gerhard Frenzel, the founder of the Walk of Stars, and the City of Palm Springs over whether Venturi qualified for a Star under the Palm Springs Walk of Stars Foundation's contract with the city. See: "Palm Springs Walk of Stars Under Dispute." AP Online. Press Association, Inc. 2004. Retrieved January 13, 2013 from HighBeam Research
30. Palm Springs Walk of Stars by date dedicated Archived 2012-10-13 at the Wayback Machine
31. Golfstein, Richard (May 17, 2013). "Ken Venturi, U.S. Open Golf Champion and Broadcaster, Dies at 82". The New York Times.
32. Ferguson, Doug (May 17, 2013). "Ken Venturi, 1964 U.S. Open champion and CBS golf analyst, dies at age 82". PGA of America. Associated Press.
33. www.masters.com
34. USGA Championship Database Archived 2010-12-21 at the Wayback Machine
35. www.opengolf.com
36. PGA Championship Media Guide Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
37. "Contrast In British And American Players". Glasgow Herald. June 2, 1955. p. 4.

External links

• Ken Venturi at the PGA Tour official site
• About.com – Ken Venturi
• Ken Venturi at IMDb
• Ken Venturi at Find a Grave

v t e United States Ryder Cup team – 1965
Julius Boros Billy Casper Tommy Jacobs Don January Tony Lema Gene Littler Dave Marr Arnold Palmer Ken Venturi Byron Nelson (non-playing captain)
Won: 19.5 – 12.5 Johnny Pott: Made the team, but did not participate in the event due to a back injury.

v t e United States Presidents Cup team – 2000
Paul Azinger Notah Begay III Stewart Cink David Duval Jim Furyk Tom Lehman Davis Love III Phil Mickelson Loren Roberts Hal Sutton Kirk Triplett Tiger Woods Ken Venturi (non-playing captain)
Won: 21.5 – 10.5

• American male golfers
• San Jose State Spartans men's golfers
• PGA Tour golfers
• Ryder Cup competitors for the United States
• Winners of men's major golf championships
• World Golf Hall of Fame inductees
• Golf writers and broadcasters
• Golfers from California
• Sportspeople from San Francisco
• American people of Italian descent
• People from Rancho Mirage, California
• Deaths from pneumonia
• Burials at Forest Lawn Cemetery (Cathedral City)
• 1931 births
• 2013 deaths