Kenneth Paul Venturi was an American professional golfer and golf broadcaster.
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18 Facts About Ken Venturi
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Ken Venturi attended Lincoln High School and was the San Francisco high school golf champion in 1948 and 1949.
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Ken Venturi attended San Jose State University, where he was a member of the Spartan men's golf team from 1951 through 1953.
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Ken Venturi won the California State Amateur Championship in 1951 and 1956, serving in the US Army in Korea and Europe in the interim.
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Ken Venturi first gained national attention at age 24; while still an amateur, he finished second in the Masters in 1956, one shot behind Jack Burke Jr.
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Ken Venturi turned pro at the end of 1956 and was a regular winner during his early years on the PGA Tour.
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Ken Venturi again came close to winning the Masters in 1958 and 1960, but was edged out both times by Arnold Palmer.
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Ken Venturi's condition improved and he won a tour event in January 1966 at the very familiar Harding Park in his hometown, but he soon relapsed; after additional surgeries, he could not regain his form.
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10.
Ken Venturi retired from broadcasting at age 71 in June 2002, succeeded as CBS' lead analyst by Lanny Wadkins, then Nick Faldo in 2007.
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Ken Venturi appeared in the 1996 film Tin Cup, portraying himself as a commentator at the US Open, held at a fictional course in North Carolina.
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In one scene, Ken Venturi is shown voicing his opinion that the film's protagonist, Roy McAvoy, should lay up on a long par-5 rather than try to reach the green in two shots.
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Ken Venturi described the actor and singer Frank Sinatra as his best friend and former roommate.
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Ken Venturi lent his name to a series of instructional schools.
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Ken Venturi died two days after his 82nd birthday, in Rancho Mirage, California, on May 17,2013.
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Ken Venturi had been hospitalized for two months for a spinal infection, pneumonia, and an intestinal infection.
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Ken Venturi is survived by his third wife Kathleen, two sons, Matthew and Tim and four adult grandchildren Peter, Andrew, Sara and Gianna.
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Ken Venturi was buried at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Cathedral City, California.
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