Jack Nicklaus Wins Masters at Age 46
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Having not won a major since 1980, and being over a decade removed from his last win at Augusta, a 5 stroke deficit on the 1986 Masters' final day seemed too much for anyone, even Jack Nicklaus.
But Nicklaus capped his career by recording his sixth Masters victory under incredible circumstances, posting a six-under 30 on the back nine at Augusta for a final round of 65 (7-under). At the 17th hole, Nicklaus hit it to within 18 feet and rolled it in for birdie, raising his putter in celebration and completing an eagle-birdie-birdie run. Nicklaus made a victory-sealing par-4 at the 72nd hole, and waited for the succeeding players to falter. At age 46, Jack Nicklaus became the oldest Masters winner in history, and as of March 2008, a record which still stands. This victory was his 18th major title as a professional.
Nicklaus won the 1986 Masters using the Response ZT putter. Its manufacturer, MacGregor Golf, received 5000 orders the next day; it had planned to sell only 6000 copies of this model for the entire year.[12] Before the tournament a journalist wrote that he was "done, washed up, through", and this spurred him on, as he says:
- "I kept thinking all week, 'Through, washed up, huh?' I sizzled for a while. But then I said to myself, 'I'm not going to 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."
This victory was to be his last in his long lasting career on the PGA Tour. At the age of 58, Nicklaus made another valiant run at the Masters, when Jack tied for sixth in the 1998 Masters.
[edit] Source
- Wikipedia entry, Jack Nicklaus
