To this generation of golf fans, Ken Venturi is best known for his work as a golf analyst for CBS.

Jack Burke Jr. set one Masters record and tied another one in 1956. He came back from eight shots to claim the win with 289. (File)

But longtime Masters Tournament and golf fans remember Venturi as the man who almost won the green jacket on three different occasions.

Arnold Palmer won two green jackets at the expense of Venturi, in 1958 and 1960, but he couldn't be blamed for Venturi's loss in the 1956 Masters. Venturi bears that responsibility.

As a young amateur from California, Venturi made his Masters debut in 1954. He tied for 16th that year but was overshadowed by Billy Joe Patton's failed bid to become the first amateur to slip on a green jacket.

His finish qualified him for an invitation to the next Masters, but a military obligation kept him away from Augusta. So when the 1956 Masters approached, the former champions of the event cast their vote for Venturi to get the invitation to those not previously qualified.

He made the most of the opportunity.

Nice lead

Venturi fired 66 in the opening round to take a one-shot lead over defending champion Cary Middlecoff, and a 69 in the second round increased his lead to four shots and tied the record for best 36-hole score in tournament history.

Weather had been a factor all week, but Saturday's third round was played under challenging conditions. High winds raked the Augusta National layout and even blew down a scoreboard.

No player was able to break the par of 72, and Venturi's 75 was a decent score. It also maintained his four-shot advantage over Middlecoff. Doug Ford was a distant third, seven shots behind Venturi, and Lloyd Mangrum and Jack Burke Jr. were eight shots back.

Venturi needed one more round of solid play to win the most coveted prize in golf.

Unlike today, though, Masters competitors were not paired by their scores. The custom at the time was to have the 54-hole leader play with Byron Nelson, a two-time Masters winner and one of the game's ambassadors.

The only problem with that pairing was that Nelson had been somewhat of a mentor to Venturi and had given the amateur lessons. So, to avoid the look of impropriety, Masters co-chairmen Clifford Roberts and Bobby Jones decided to pair Venturi with veteran Sam Snead.

The weather for the final round was worse than the day before. Heavy winds, with gusts up to 50 mph, greeted the players.

Venturi set his sights on holding off Middlecoff, who was playing a few groups ahead. And with the defending champ taking double bogeys at the fifth and seventh holes, Venturi's lead increased even though he shot 38 on the front nine.

Burke, meanwhile, had played the front in 35 but was still five behind and running out of time.

Beginning to falter

Venturi's back nine got off to a rough start when he missed short par putts at Nos. 10 and 11. More bogeys at the 12th, 14th and 15th holes reduced Venturi's lead even further.

The collapse opened the door for Middlecoff and Burke as the tournament wound down.

The 17th proved to be the crucial hole, and Middlecoff eliminated himself by making double bogey. Just off the green in two, a poor chip and three putts put an end to his quest to defend his title as he shot 77.

Burke, playing one group ahead of Venturi, was even-par for the day going into that hole. His 8-iron approach settled 15 feet from the hole, but the wind was so fierce it had blown nearly all of the sand from the greenside bunker onto the putting surface. No stranger to fast, sandy greens, Burke rolled the birdie putt in with the aid of a wind gust and at that point was tied with Venturi.

Crucial moment

After a good drive, Venturi's approach to the 17th went a bit long, and it took him three shots to get down. The bogey left him one back.

Burke, though, had one final obstacle. His approach to the 18th found the right bunker, and he blasted out against the wind. With his caddie giving him advice, Burke rolled in the short putt for par and waited to see whether his 71 would stand up.

Venturi hit his approach to the 18th about 20 feet from the hole, but his birdie putt skirted the hole and he finished with 80.

The result

"I was conscious of Burke when I knew I had to have a birdie on 18 to tie,'' Venturi said. "That was the first time. I went out there and figured to play the best I could.''

Burke's comeback from eight shots remains a Masters record, and his winning total of 289 is the highest (along with Snead in 1954) in tournament history.

Related Stories

- Things fall apart: Top 10 Masters collapses

- 10 years ago: The Shark floundered historically

- 50 years ago: Venturi's 80 opened door for Burke