Ken Venturi Dies at Age 82, Former U.S. Open Champion and World Golf Hall of Fame Inductee Passes Away
Ken Venturi, former PGA golfer and long-time commentator for CBS Sports, died on Friday afternoon, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
He was 82 years old.
Venturi's won the 1964 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md. while suffering heatstroke. The final day of the tournament, he shot 66-70 (which included 36 holes). The win was the only major championship of his career.
He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame under the Lifetime Achievement award category just two weeks ago. He was unable to attend the ceremony due to illness.
A San Francisco native, he won 14 PGA tour events before retiring in 1967.
After his up and down career as a pro-golfer, Venturi was a broadcaster for golf for decades.
In recent years, Venturi suffered numerous health problems. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2000. He had quintuple bypass surgery in 2006 and heart issues in 2011.
He was hospitalized in Southern California for more than two months, where he developed pneumonia and infections in his back and intestine.
Venturi was a long-time resident of Rancho Mirage (Riverside County), outside Palm Springs.
Venturi was an accomplished amateur player. He faced obstacles in his rise to success as a professional. He survived two losses in the Masters, sustained injuries in a September 1961 car accident. He then disappeared into a long career-threatening slump.
His 1964 win, the biggest accomplishment of his career, came under trying circumstances. Venturi became a symbol of endurance when he played in extreme heat and humidity in the tournament.
When his putt finally dropped, Venturi said:"Oh my God, I've won the Open!"
He cried when he saw his fellow competitor, Raymond Floyd, tear up.
View Jim Nantz's tribute to Venturi here, including the story of his U.S. Open victory:
