# Mason Rudolph (golfer)

Edgar Mason Rudolph (May 23, 1934 – April 18, 2011) was an American professional golfer who won five times on the PGA Tour.

## Early years and amateur career

Rudolph was born in Clarksville, Tennessee. He won the U.S. Junior Amateur in 1950. In 1956, he won the Western Amateur and the Tennessee State Open (as an amateur). He played on the 1957 Walker Cup team.

## Professional career

Rudolph turned professional in 1958; he joined the PGA Tour in 1959 and was Rookie of the Year. He won five official PGA Tour events during his career. Rudolph also won the Tennessee State Open five times as a pro (1959, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1972). He played on the 1971 Ryder Cup team.
In December 1959, Rudolph took part in a match against Sam Snead on NBC's World Championship Golf. After Snead found a 15th club in his bag on the 12th hole of the match, Snead decided to stage the conclusion of the televised match to show the official result, a Rudolph win, during its final holes after the 11 hole penalty on Snead led to an 11 and 7 win for Rudolph. After the match was over, Snead said he staged the result by missing putts in order to not spoil the show. The controversy erupted as the broadcast aired in April 1960, months after hearings into the quiz show rigging scandals, and the sponsor cancelled its participation once Snead admitted he staged the match to show the legal result after he officially lost the match at the 12th hole with the discovery of the violation. Legally, Snead recreated the legal outcome and did not fix the match, as the outcome was clinched on the 12th hole. Modern broadcasts would disclose that portions of the match not affecting the outcome of the game were edited or recreated.

## Honors and awards

Rudolph was inducted as a charter member of the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame in 1990. A 9-hole, regulation-length golf course in his hometown is named for him. A men's and a women's collegiate golf tournament also bears his name.

## Professional wins (13)
### PGA Tour wins (5)

| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
| 1 | Sep 27, 1959 | Golden Gate Championship | −9 (67-72-67-69=275) | 2 strokes | Dow Finsterwald, Bob Goalby |
| 2 | Oct 27, 1963 | Fig Garden Village Open Invitational | −13 (66-67-71-71=275) | 3 strokes | Tommy Aaron, Al Geiberger |
| 3 | Mar 2, 1964 | Greater New Orleans Open Invitational | −5 (68-70-70-75=283) | 1 stroke | Jack Nicklaus, Chi-Chi Rodríguez, Glenn Stuart |
| 4 | Aug 14, 1966 | Thunderbird Classic | −10 (69-70-70-69=278) | 1 stroke | Jack Nicklaus |
| 5 | Sep 27, 1970 | Green Island Open Invitational | −6 (75-68-67-64=274) | 2 strokes | Chris Blocker |
PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
| 1 | 1963 | Portland Open Invitational | George Knudson | Lost to eagle on first extra hole |

### Other wins (8)

* 1956 Tennessee Open (as an amateur)
* 1959 Tennessee Open
* 1962 Haig & Haig Scotch Foursome (with Kathy Whitworth)
* 1963 Tennessee Open
* 1964 Tennessee Open
* 1966 Tennessee Open
* 1969 Tennessee PGA Championship
* 1972 Tennessee Open

## Results in major championships

| Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1958 |
| Masters Tournament | | | CUT |
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | |
| PGA Championship | | | |
| Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
| Masters Tournament | CUT | T28 | | T15 | T18 | 4 | CUT | T10 | T14 | 11 |
| U.S. Open | CUT | T45 | T28 | T27 | T34 | T11 | T8 | T38 | CUT | CUT |
| PGA Championship | T22 | T37 | | T23 | 4 | T20 | T22 | T28 | T17 | CUT |
| Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 |
| Masters Tournament | CUT | | CUT | T14 | CUT |
| U.S. Open | T27 | T42 | T40 | CUT | CUT |
| PGA Championship | T10 | T57 | T36 | T3 | T51 |
Note: Rudolph never played in The Open Championship.
CUT = missed the half-way cut "T" indicates a tie for a place

### Summary

| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 8 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 10 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 14 | 13 |
| Totals | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 45 | 31 |
* Most consecutive cuts made – 14 (1960 PGA – 1965 PGA)
* Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (1964 PGA – 1965 Masters)

## U.S. national team appearances

Amateur
* Walker Cup: 1957 (winners)
Professional
* Ryder Cup: 1971 (winners)