For those of you too young to remember, the 1986 Masters Tournament was the best ever! The participants included the likes of Seve Ballestaros, Tom Kite, Greg Norman, Tom Watson, and, of course, JACK NICKLAUS.
In 1986 Jack Nicklaus was a living legend. Already a victor in 19 majors including the Masters 5 times. He still held the tournament record 271, which he set in 1965.
But, by 1986 JACK was 46 years old and well past his golfing prime. Everyone knew it, including Nicklaus who had spent more time concentrating on business ventures and looking forward to the Senior Tour. JACK had not won the Masters in 11 years or any tourney in 2 years. Matter of fact, he stood at 160th place on the PGA money list. Out of the first 7 tourneys of the year he had missed the cut 3 times! Heck, anybody realized he was too old to compete with the new flashy group on Tour. When NICKLAUS had won his 1st Masters in 1963, Greg Norman was 13, Tom Kite was 5, and Seve 8!
A week before the '86 Masters the Atlanta Journal-Constitution called JACK "washed up and through". At first JACK agreed, but then the competitive juices began to flow.
"I kept thinking all week, 'Through, Washed Up, huh? I said to myself, 'I'm not gonna quit
now playing the way I'm playing. I've played too well, too long to let a shorter period of
bad golf be my last."
The first 2 rounds were ho-hum. 74 and a 71. His putting was bad. During Friday's round he only sank 1 out of 11 putts under 15 feet. In the CBS TV booth, announcer Ken Venturi was quoted, "Jack's got to start thinking about when it's time to retire."
In comparison, Seve shot a 68 Friday for a 1 shot lead after 2 rounds. Nick Price putted his way to a new course record 63 Saturday. And The Shark, Greg Norman, had shot 70-72-68 for the 3 round lead. Going into Sunday JACK was sitting in 9th, 4 shots back. There were 6 golfers between NICKLAUS and Norman.
Early Sunday morning JACK's son, Steve, asked, "Pop, what's it gonna take to win?". NICKLAUS replied, "66 to tie, 65 to win". "65"!!!!!!! That's a great score at Augusta. Let alone from a 46 year old.
As Sunday began to unfold, JACK didn't improve his lot. He missed 4 foot putts on #'s 4 and 6. After the ninth hole JACK was still 2under but now 5 shots back of Norman. Can you believe the director of the CBS TV broadcast had even ordered his crew to not even show NICKLAUS' round and to concentrate on the young guns!
When Seve bogeyed number 9, THE GOLDEN BEAR made his THIRD birdie in a row at #11. With one hole into Amen Corner, JACK was now just 2 shots behind and a buzz began to filter through the tree lined fairways of AUGUSTA NATIONAL. The BEAR was charging!!!!!!!!
Hiccup bogey 4 on the par 3 twelfth put JACK back to 3 behind. It was a great run while it lasted most thought. Reality has just peeked it's ugly head most thought.
NICKLAUS stood on the tee of the par-5 13th hole. The very heart of Amen Corner. He pulled a 3 wood and cut the corner so close to the trees that his son, Steve, thought it wouldn't make it. It did..Standing in the fairway, JACK peered into his bag.....what to hit???? .........3-iron to 30 feet!!! Two putt birdie and back to 2 back.
But Ballesteros was a genius. Those too young to have seen him play, do yourself a favor and get ahold of some footage. He knocked a 6 iron within 8 feet and made his SECOND eagle of the day! NICKLAUS was now 4 shots off the lead and was on hole #15! Sportswriters were already in the process of typing their Monday morning articles on how Seve had won the green jacket......
By now JACK was on the 15th tee. He banged a 298 yard drive and had 202 left. Don't forget number 15 par-5 has water protecting the whole front of the green. No duffs allowed! .....JACK turned to his other son, Jackie who was also his caddie, and asked, "You think a '3' would go very far here?" JACKIE replied, "Let's see it!"
Jack pulled the 4 and flushed it to 12 feet, made the putt for the '3' eagle and jumped to TWO BACK.
Word had spread through the galleries and now hordes of fans gathered at JACK's holes. Cheers could be heard by every golfer on the course. As NICKLAUS walked slowly from the 15 green to 16 tee box, the roar was like a rolling wave of thunder!
As he stood on 16 tee waggling his club, CBS announcer Jim Nantz asked former NICKLAUS foe, Tom Weiskopf, what JACK must be feeling. Weiskopf replied, "If I knew how JACK felt, I might have won this
tournament!"
Just as Seve was about to hit his 2nd shot on 15 a huge roar went up from 16. JACK had just stuck his tee shot within 3 feet.
Seve cracked and proceeded to dump he's shot into the creek fronting 15! Seve's playing partner, Kite, remarked, "It was so noisy we couldn't even hear each other."
Unfazed, Kite made birdie on 15 to make a three way tie for the lead. Ballesteros, Kite, NICKLAUS. Norman 2 shots back.
Par-4 17th, NICKLAUS drove it left.....pitched to 11 feet.......was heard saying, "Dead Center", made the putt for a birdie and held a 1 shot lead!!!!!!!!
Ballesteros' nerves were shot. 3 putted 17 for a bogey......Kite parred.....Norman came on with birdies at 15 AND 16. JACK was still 1 up on Norman and Kite.
18th hole....72nd of the tourney...NICKLAUS drove to the front, almost made a 40 footer and calmly tapped in for par. The crowd let loose a roar as JACK hugged Jackie. Any guesses what JACK had shot? Try the 65 he said it would take! Try a 30!!!!! on the back 9!!! 5 birdies and an eagle....
Now we wait.........Kite pressed on....had a 12 foot birdie putt on 18. To this day Kite swears he thought he had made the putt. "It just didn't go in..I made that same putt 7 or 8 times in the practice rounds...never once did it break left....."
Meanwhile Norman had made a putt on 17 to tie with JACK at 9-under. All he had to do was par 18 to tie, birdie to win......Amist all the bedlam, The Shark pulled a 3-wood. Straight drive.......NO tie in Greg's mind. He decided to go for the win!
"I was going for the flag", Norman said. "I was going for the birdie and the win. It was the first time all week I let my ego get the best of me." He sliced his 4 iron into the gallery and failed to get up and down from 16 feet for the tying par.
At age 46 JACK NICKLAUS had won The Masters for a record 6th time. 23 years since his first one in 1963! His blond hair flowing in the breeze and his tan skin glistening in the April Georgian evening sun, Jack put on the green jacket. JACK was quoted as saying, "I don't want an empire. I have a loving wife and beautiful kids. That's what's important....isn't it." The greatest golfer who has ever lived. Bar none.........
But, by 1986 JACK was 46 years old and well past his golfing prime. Everyone knew it, including Nicklaus who had spent more time concentrating on business ventures and looking forward to the Senior Tour. JACK had not won the Masters in 11 years or any tourney in 2 years. Matter of fact, he stood at 160th place on the PGA money list. Out of the first 7 tourneys of the year he had missed the cut 3 times! Heck, anybody realized he was too old to compete with the new flashy group on Tour. When NICKLAUS had won his 1st Masters in 1963, Greg Norman was 13, Tom Kite was 5, and Seve 8!
A week before the '86 Masters the Atlanta Journal-Constitution called JACK "washed up and through". At first JACK agreed, but then the competitive juices began to flow.
"I kept thinking all week, 'Through, Washed Up, huh? I said to myself, 'I'm not gonna quit
now playing the way I'm playing. I've played too well, too long to let a shorter period of
bad golf be my last."
The first 2 rounds were ho-hum. 74 and a 71. His putting was bad. During Friday's round he only sank 1 out of 11 putts under 15 feet. In the CBS TV booth, announcer Ken Venturi was quoted, "Jack's got to start thinking about when it's time to retire."
In comparison, Seve shot a 68 Friday for a 1 shot lead after 2 rounds. Nick Price putted his way to a new course record 63 Saturday. And The Shark, Greg Norman, had shot 70-72-68 for the 3 round lead. Going into Sunday JACK was sitting in 9th, 4 shots back. There were 6 golfers between NICKLAUS and Norman.
Early Sunday morning JACK's son, Steve, asked, "Pop, what's it gonna take to win?". NICKLAUS replied, "66 to tie, 65 to win". "65"!!!!!!! That's a great score at Augusta. Let alone from a 46 year old.
As Sunday began to unfold, JACK didn't improve his lot. He missed 4 foot putts on #'s 4 and 6. After the ninth hole JACK was still 2under but now 5 shots back of Norman. Can you believe the director of the CBS TV broadcast had even ordered his crew to not even show NICKLAUS' round and to concentrate on the young guns!
But then it happened....JACK made an 11 footer for birdie on the 9th....Then (gulp!) a TWENTY-FIVE foot birdie on 10!!!!! Believe it or not, he was still 4 shots back as Seve had just EAGLED from 40 feet at 8 to take the lead. In the same group, Tom Kite ALSO EAGLED the 8th. His from 80 feet off the green!!!!!
When Seve bogeyed number 9, THE GOLDEN BEAR made his THIRD birdie in a row at #11. With one hole into Amen Corner, JACK was now just 2 shots behind and a buzz began to filter through the tree lined fairways of AUGUSTA NATIONAL. The BEAR was charging!!!!!!!!
Hiccup bogey 4 on the par 3 twelfth put JACK back to 3 behind. It was a great run while it lasted most thought. Reality has just peeked it's ugly head most thought.
NICKLAUS stood on the tee of the par-5 13th hole. The very heart of Amen Corner. He pulled a 3 wood and cut the corner so close to the trees that his son, Steve, thought it wouldn't make it. It did..Standing in the fairway, JACK peered into his bag.....what to hit???? .........3-iron to 30 feet!!! Two putt birdie and back to 2 back.
But Ballesteros was a genius. Those too young to have seen him play, do yourself a favor and get ahold of some footage. He knocked a 6 iron within 8 feet and made his SECOND eagle of the day! NICKLAUS was now 4 shots off the lead and was on hole #15! Sportswriters were already in the process of typing their Monday morning articles on how Seve had won the green jacket......
By now JACK was on the 15th tee. He banged a 298 yard drive and had 202 left. Don't forget number 15 par-5 has water protecting the whole front of the green. No duffs allowed! .....JACK turned to his other son, Jackie who was also his caddie, and asked, "You think a '3' would go very far here?" JACKIE replied, "Let's see it!"
Jack pulled the 4 and flushed it to 12 feet, made the putt for the '3' eagle and jumped to TWO BACK.
Word had spread through the galleries and now hordes of fans gathered at JACK's holes. Cheers could be heard by every golfer on the course. As NICKLAUS walked slowly from the 15 green to 16 tee box, the roar was like a rolling wave of thunder!
As he stood on 16 tee waggling his club, CBS announcer Jim Nantz asked former NICKLAUS foe, Tom Weiskopf, what JACK must be feeling. Weiskopf replied, "If I knew how JACK felt, I might have won this
tournament!"
Just as Seve was about to hit his 2nd shot on 15 a huge roar went up from 16. JACK had just stuck his tee shot within 3 feet.
Unfazed, Kite made birdie on 15 to make a three way tie for the lead. Ballesteros, Kite, NICKLAUS. Norman 2 shots back.
Par-4 17th, NICKLAUS drove it left.....pitched to 11 feet.......was heard saying, "Dead Center", made the putt for a birdie and held a 1 shot lead!!!!!!!!
Ballesteros' nerves were shot. 3 putted 17 for a bogey......Kite parred.....Norman came on with birdies at 15 AND 16. JACK was still 1 up on Norman and Kite.
18th hole....72nd of the tourney...NICKLAUS drove to the front, almost made a 40 footer and calmly tapped in for par. The crowd let loose a roar as JACK hugged Jackie. Any guesses what JACK had shot? Try the 65 he said it would take! Try a 30!!!!! on the back 9!!! 5 birdies and an eagle....
Meanwhile Norman had made a putt on 17 to tie with JACK at 9-under. All he had to do was par 18 to tie, birdie to win......Amist all the bedlam, The Shark pulled a 3-wood. Straight drive.......NO tie in Greg's mind. He decided to go for the win!
"I was going for the flag", Norman said. "I was going for the birdie and the win. It was the first time all week I let my ego get the best of me." He sliced his 4 iron into the gallery and failed to get up and down from 16 feet for the tying par.
At age 46 JACK NICKLAUS had won The Masters for a record 6th time. 23 years since his first one in 1963! His blond hair flowing in the breeze and his tan skin glistening in the April Georgian evening sun, Jack put on the green jacket. JACK was quoted as saying, "I don't want an empire. I have a loving wife and beautiful kids. That's what's important....isn't it." The greatest golfer who has ever lived. Bar none.........
Jesus Christ!!! How long did it take you to write this???
ReplyDeleteGreat post!!! Have to agree that it is/was the best Masters ever.
However, you did miss one really great moment whcih you failed to include (if I over looked it, SORRY).
You forgot Verne Lundquist's epic "Yes Sir" when Jack holed the put one 18.
Jack is truely the greatest golfer ever. No need to argue the point. I have always enjoyed watching the highlights of his career and how he dominated. Watching the 86 Masters was awesome.
I put him ahead of Tiger as #1.
If you put your personal feelings for Tiger aside you will see that they are two very similar golfers. Two guys who almost will the golf ball to do whatever they want it to do. Two guys who are not scared to go for the gusto and make that hard shot seem routine. Two guys that are both very competitive and strive to be the best golfer ever.
I give Jack #1 one because of his majors and his morally sound judgement/life style.
But on the course they are practically the same golfer!!!
Great post Advisor. Your dedication and hard work is greatly appreciated.
Not to nitpick, but I think Jack had 17 majors going into the 86 Masters. Could you imagine Jack Nicklaus in his prime playing with today's equipment? That would be pretty insane.
ReplyDeleteYES, MASS your right in a sense. Jack had 17 pro golf majors, MAsters, PGA, US and British Opens, but he also had 2 amateur championships and Jack has always been very proud to include them in his list of "majors" won. I'm not sure how many amatuers Tiger has, maybe 2 as well.
ReplyDeleteGlad I could wirte such a nice piece for you to get that out of it!!!!!!!LOL