First event had local flavor
Dudley was fifth on home course
Larry Mize is the only Augusta native to win the Masters Tournament.
His famous chip, which found the cup on the 11th hole for the winning shot in a sudden-death playoff in 1987, is one of the most famous shots in tournament history.
More than 50 years before Mize, however, another resident of Augusta threatened to steal the thunder in the very first event held at Augusta National Golf Club.
Ed Dudley, the first professional at Augusta National, shot the first score in the 60s in tournament history and eventually finished fifth in 1934.
Dudley was one of four Augustans to play in the first Augusta National Invitation Tournament. Gene Kunes, David Ogilvie Jr. and W.D. Fondren were the others, according to The Augusta Chronicle's archives.
Of course, Augusta National co-founder Bobby Jones was the main draw in the first event. He wound up tied for 13th, 10 shots behind winner Horton Smith.
Because Augusta National was a seasonal club, Dudley wasn't a full-time Augusta resident. He also spent time in Colorado Springs, Colo., as the pro at The Broadmoor.
David Owen, in The Making of the Masters , said Dudley was Jones' first choice to be club pro.
" 'First of all I want a gentleman. Next, I feel we should select a pro who likes to teach. And, finally, I believe we want someone who is a good player,' " Owen wrote of Jones' criteria.
Dudley was certainly a fine player. He opened with 74 in the first round but jumped into contention with a 3-under-par 69 in the second round. That earned him a headline in the next day's Chronicle : "Augusta Star's 69 is best card of second round."
Dudley trailed Smith by one heading into the weekend, but he could not catch him.
"Dudley, enjoying one dazzling streak where he collected five birdies in six consecutive holes, missed his chance for another 69 by three putting the 14th and 18th," O.B. Keeler wrote.
In the final round, Smith shot even-par 72 to hold off Craig Wood by one shot. Dudley couldn't make up the ground.
The other three Augustans in the field didn't fare as well as Dudley, who earned $400 for his performance. Kunes and Ogilvie each tied for 38th with totals of 309, and Fondren tied for 48th at 315. None of the players was able to break par in any round.
Dudley was a fixture in the early years of the Masters, and he played in the event each year through 1950. His best finish was third in 1937, and he had seven top 10 finishes.
Other players with Augusta ties have competed through the years, but none has come close to matching Mize's win or Dudley's consistency.
Walker Inman Jr. played in 1956, and he was the only native to play until Mize made his debut in 1984. Charles Howell made his Masters debut in 2002, and Vaughn Taylor joined the field for the first time in 2006.
Amateur Bobby Knowles, an Aiken resident, played in the 1951 and 1952 Masters.
Reach John Boyette at (706) 823-3337 or john.boyette@augustachronicle.com.
