Claude Harmon wins the 12th Masters Tournament
The winner of the 1948 Masters was Claude Harmon.
You might not recognize that name. After all, Harmon's only win on the PGA Tour was ... the 1948 Masters. But you probably recognize the name of Butch Harmon, the famous golf instructor. Butch's given name is Claude Harmon Jr. The Claude Harmon who won the 1948 was the father of the famous Harmon clan of golf instructors.
Claude Harmon Sr. was the club pro at Winged Foot for many years, and he played in many majors, posting one other Top 10 finish in The Masters, and two Top 10 finishes in the U.S. Open. So Harmon's win here wasn't a fluke. He earned it, too, beating runner-up and future Hall of Famer Cary Middlecoff by five strokes. And Harmon's 279 total set a new scoring record at the time.
Claude Harmon equaled the Tournament mark with a nine-under-par 279 to defeat Cary Middlecoff by a then record five strokes. It was Harmon's only professional tour victory.
The winner of the 1948 Masters, Harmon was one of the finest playing PGA Professionals in history and patriarch of a family of nationally-renowned instructors. He won the 1948 Masters by five strokes, which also elevated his teaching reputation for generations. He posted 11 top-10 performances while competing in 56 majors.