Billy Joe Patton’s children share Masters memories

The Paper recently reached out to two of Billy Joe Patton’s three children, Chuck Patton and Betts Patton Drennen, who shared with us some first-hand accounts as well as stories passed down to them surrounding their father’s famous experience at the 1954 Masters golf tournament.

Chuck is now married to his wife, Luci, and the couple resides in Winston-Salem, while Betts and her husband, Felix, live in Alabama. (The Patton’s youngest son, Joe, still lives in Morganton.)

Here’s what they wrote …

Near-miss worked out just fine for Dad

Prior to the start of play on Wednesday, the Masters sponsored a long driving contest on the practice range. Billy Joe showed up at his appointed time. 

Contestants were allowed to hit three balls. Billy Joe hit his first ball pretty well, and they called up from the bottom of the range that he had hit the ball 319 yards. He declined to hit a second or third ball and walked off of the range. 

He won the driving contest that day. He said that it gave him another boost of confidence prior to teeing off on Thursday.

He played well the first two rounds and had a one-stroke lead going into Saturday, when he played poorly and shot 75. He started the Sunday round five strokes behind Ben Hogan. 

After pars on the first five holes, he hit a perfect 5 iron on the par 3 sixth hole that jammed between the front of the hole and the rather large flagsticks that they used at Augusta back then. 

As he was walking down the hill to the green, the rules committee member assigned to his group told him that he must push the flagstick back and the ball must fall into the hole before it would be a hole in one. He was thankful for that advice because he was unaware of the rule and said that he might well have picked up the ball without letting it fall into the hole.

When he pushed the flagstick back and the ball fell into the hole, the crowd around the green cheered wildly a second time. He then proceeded to birdie holes 8 and 9 to shoot 32 on the front nine. 

As he stood on the 10th tee, he was reminded of the three years he spent on a boat in the Pacific serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II. On the boat, he kept wondering if he was a good enough golfer to play with the very best. As he stood on that 10th tee, he was thankful for the fact that he was going to have a chance to find out. 

After pars on 10, 11, and 12, he went for the par 5 13th green in two. He said that the ball landed on the fringe of the green, but kicked right into the creek. He took off his shoes and socks and waded into the creek to see if he could play it out. He determined that he could not and dropped on the other side of the creek. He was mindful of how long all this had taken and played the pitch shot barefooted. He played it poorly, and he went on to make a double bogey 7.

As he stepped up on the 14th tee, he noticed all of the long faces in the crowd. He turned to them and simply said “Hey, let’s smile again.” He proceeded to hit his second shot to about two feet from the hole and made a birdie on the par 4 14th. 

He then hit his second into the pond on the 15th while going for the par 5 green in two shots and made a bogey 6. He finished one stroke behind Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, who played in an 18-hole playoff on Monday.

As he was frequently asked about this tournament later in life, he would admit that it worked out the best for him. 

If he had won, he would likely have turned pro and tried to play on the tour. As things turned out he had a great amateur career, was able to make a good living as a lumber broker, and be home with his family as his children grew up. 

He played golf at Mimosa Hills seven days a week. He also played a number of amateur events, along with 13 consecutive Masters tournaments and quite a few U.S. Opens.

- Chuck Patton 

Duck’s sport coat on national display

In the fall of 1953, my father, Billy Joe Patton, learned he had qualified to play in the 1954 Masters golf tournament because of his status as an alternate on the United States Walker Cup team.

He decided he was going to give the opportunity his best shot. 

Every afternoon after work that fall and winter found him at Mimosa Hills Golf Club hitting balls. He worked on his driver, woods, long irons, short irons, and wedges. And especially his putter, particularly his putter.

Practice paid off and by the end of February, he felt confident he would win the tournament. Something kept nagging him at the back of his mind. What would he wear to the awards ceremony?

Certain he was going to win, he headed to Duck’s Tailoring in downtown Morganton where he had a white cashmere sport coat made. 

The white coat and golf clubs were packed in the car for the ride to Augusta in early April 1954. And even though he did not win the tournament, he proudly wore the white coat to the presentation ceremony accepting the award for low amateur.

- Betts Patton Drennen