Longtime CBS Golf Announcer & World Golf Hall of Fame Member Ken Venturi Dies

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: May 18, 2013

commentComment        

Ken Venturi died yesterday at the age of 82. He won the 1964 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club in stifling heat and nearly suffered heat stroke during the final round.

Even tough, Venturi was a former U.S. Open champion and top-ranked amateur golfer, he was best known for his 35-year career as the lead golf announcer for the CBS television network.

He witnessed and announced some of the best moments in golf history over his broadcasting career.

Venturi was runner-up in the Masters on two different occasions. After firing a record 66 in the first round in 1956, as a 24-year-old amateur, he eventually finished second to Jackie Burke. It was the best showing ever for an amateur player at Augusta National.

Finally turning professional later in 1956, he was one of the last great amateur players to compete against professionals.

Venturi was also one of the final links to some of golf’s great historical moments.

While still an amateur, he was employed by Eddie Lowery at his Lincoln dealership in San Francisco. Lowery had been Francis Ouimet’s 10-year-old caddy when Ouimet became the first American to win the U.S. Open in 1913 at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.



Ouimet, only 20 years old at the time and with Lowery at his side, beat the greatest golfers of the era, Ted Ray and Harry Vardon, both from England. This triumph has been immortalized in the movie “The Greatest Game Ever Played.”

Lowery introduced a young Venturi to Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan.

Byron Nelson became a mentor to Venturi and helped develop the swing that would make him a U.S. Open winner.

Hogan and Venturi became friends, as wells as competitors, and played many practice rounds together.

Venturi was also the last living link in one of the greatest golf matches ever played. Eddie Lowery initiated ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Golf

Latest News


Comments

Comments are closed.

Sponsors

Bruins Tickets The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Red Wings Tickets The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League.

Penguins Tickets The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New York Rangers Tickets play their home games at Madison Square Garden, they are one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise, and are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six.

San Jose Sharks Tickets The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States.

Toronto Maple Leafs Tickets The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New Jersey Devils Tickets The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Washington Capitals Tickets The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C.

Buffalo Sabres Tickets The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League. Get the Sabres and all of your NHL Tickets here.

NASCAR season is on of the most attended sports in the world. NASCAR Tickets to the best tracks is a must every year. Some of these tracks are: Talladega Tickets, Lowes Motor Speedway Tickets, Pocono Raceway Tickets, located in Ridgeway Virginia you have Martinsville Speedway Tickets and southern US you have two of the most popular Atlanta Motor Speedway Tickets and Texas Motor Speedway Tickets. Don't miss all the racing events this year!

Boston Red Sox Tickets The Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since 1912, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. This is one of the hottest MLB Tickets sales of any team in the major league.

New York Yankees Tickets The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division. Get tickets to one of the hottest games of the season Yankees Red Sox Tickets.

Chicago Cubs Tickets The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League.

Phillies Tickets The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883.

Orioles Tickets The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Do you love wrestling? Get your WWE Tickets and WWE Survivor Series Tickets today!