Jack Burke Jr, who was the oldest living Masters champion, has died at the age of 100. The American passed away on Friday morning in Houston, just 10 days short of his next birthday.
Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2000, he won 16 PGA Tour events between 1950 and 1963, including the Masters and the PGA Championship in 1956. Only two others, Sam Snead and Jack Nicklaus, have won the Masters and PGA Championship in the same year.
Burke is best known for staging what remains the largest comeback in Masters history, when he overcame an eight-stroke deficit in the final round to beat Ken Venturi.
In 1957, Burke – along with another Masters champion Jimmy Demaret – founded the Champions Golf Club in Houston, a club that has hosted a number of important events including the Ryder Cup, the US Open, the US Women’s Open and the Tour Championship.
Burke, equally known for his passion for teaching the game after his career on tour, was remembered by the golfing world as a legend of the sport.
“Jackie Burke was a true Hall of Famer who will always be remembered for the style and grace with which he played the game and ran Champions Golf Club,” said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.
“It's hard to measure the impact he had on the game, and his willingness to mentor and help players is legendary. I've admired Jackie and all he has meant to professional golf, and we mourn his death and send our condolences to his family.”
Jack Burke, Jr., the Masters champion of 1956, has passed away. He will be remembered fondly for his unwavering enthusiasm for the game and willingness to share his passion with others as one of the game’s most insightful teachers.https://t.co/gXdZHxRNTlJanuary 19, 2024
Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, also paid tribute to his good friend: “All of us who love this game are mourning the loss of a great friend today. We will miss him dearly, though his memory will always be celebrated at Augusta National and the Masters.”
PGA champion Hal Sutton added: “I went to see him last Friday and he did what he did best, giving me golf lessons and life lessons … He lived a productive life. This is a celebration of his life more than anything.”
