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Apr. 10—Editor's note: The Aiken Standard is looking back at the 40th anniversary of the 1986 Masters, the first one John Boyette covered as a journalist.
The Official World Golf Ranking turns 40 years old this week.
The brainchild of Mark McCormack, the agent once represented the "Big Three" of Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus, it was called the Sony Ranking and debuted April 6, 1986.
Not surprisingly, international players dominated the top of the rankings.
Defending Masters champion Bernhard Langer was No. 1, followed by two-time Masters winner Seve Ballesteros of Spain in second. Future Masters winner Sandy Lyle of Scotland was third.
Americans Tom Watson and Mark O'Meara were fourth and fifth, respectively. The rest of the top 10, in order, was Greg Norman of Australia, Tommy Nakajima of Japan and Americans Hal Sutton, Corey Pavin and Calvin Peete.
Nicklaus, who had not won since 1984, was No. 33 on the initial list.
Early leaders
As golf tournaments go, the 1986 Masters followed a predictable pattern with a mix of unknowns, journeymen and stars jockeying position in the early rounds.
Ken Green and Bill Kratzert shared the first-round lead at 68. Gary **** and T.C. Chen were another shot back at 69. Tom Kite, Watson and Norman led a large group at 70.
You had to go all the way down to 25th position to find Nicklaus, who opened with 74.
Green was as colorful as his name suggests. He once smuggled friends into the Masters through the trunk of his courtesy car.
While Kratzert held steady in the second round with 72, Green faded with 78.
Not surprisingly, pre-tournament favorite Ballesteros surged into the lead with a fine 68. Norman and Langer were tied for fourth, just three behind.
Ballesteros had been quoted before the tournament as saying he would win. After the second round, he said he was "misinterpreted."
Nicklaus shot 71 to make the 36-hole cut, but was still six shots behind and not in serious contention.
Moving day
The third round of 72-hole golf tournaments is commonly known as "moving day." The players who survive the 36-hole cut jockey to get into position for the final round.
Nick Price of Zimbabwe made the cut on the number and was among the first out at Augusta National on that Saturday in 1986. He bogeyed his first hole, not a good omen for things to come.
Then, he caught lightning in a bottle. He made birdies on four of his next eight holes to turn in 33. Then, he reeled off birdies at Nos. 10, 11, 12 and 13. Suddenly, he was in range of the course record of 64.
He proceeded to add birdies at Nos. 15 and 16, and on No. 18 his birdie putt rimmed out. It all added up to a new record of 9-under 63.
"I think Bobby Jones' hand came up and popped it out of the hole," Price told reporters about his birdie putt at the 18th. "And said, 'That's enough.'"
Low scores were the story of the day. Norman surged into the lead with 68 and a total of 6-under 210. Price, Ballesteros (72), Langer (69) and Masters rookie Donnie Hammond (67) were a shot back and tied for second. Kite, Watson and Nakajima were two behind.
Nicklaus shot 3-under 69 and was tied for ninth with six others. He was four shots behind.
"I should have been better than 69 today," Nicklaus said. "If I keep playing the way I'm playing, make a few putts, I might scare somebody."
Final round
Like all major championships, Sunday is a day that can make or break legacies.
The 1986 Masters was no exception.
Like Nicklaus, a handful entered the day with outside chances to win the Masters. The Golden Bear posted 30 on the incoming nine for a final-round 65 and won his sixth green jacket.
The trio of Greg Norman, Tom Kite and Seve Ballesteros all had chances to walk away clad in green.
Ballesteros was already a two-time champion, and final-day eagles at Nos. 8 and 13 seemed to put him firmly in the grasp of a third. But a costly mistake at No. 15, where he found the water on his second, derailed his chances.
Kite, playing alongside Ballesteros, had a chance to tie Nicklaus at 9-under for the tournament. But his birdie putt on the 18th slid by the cup.
Norman, who would hold the 54-hole lead in all of the majors in 1986, made a costly double bogey at No. 10. Seemingly out of it, he then reeled off birdies at Nos. 14, 15, 16 and 17 to tie Nicklaus.
All he needed was a par on the final hole to force a sudden-death playoff.
After a perfect drive, Norman's approach sailed far right into the gallery. He couldn't get up and down, and 46-year-old Jack Nicklaus was a winner at Augusta again.
"Maybe next year will be my year," Norman said after the round. "It's OK, because I know one of these days, I'm gonna break his record of six Masters anyway."
Ballesteros never won the Masters again, and Kite and Norman never slipped on a green jacket.
Continue reading...
The Official World Golf Ranking turns 40 years old this week.
The brainchild of Mark McCormack, the agent once represented the "Big Three" of Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus, it was called the Sony Ranking and debuted April 6, 1986.
Not surprisingly, international players dominated the top of the rankings.
Defending Masters champion Bernhard Langer was No. 1, followed by two-time Masters winner Seve Ballesteros of Spain in second. Future Masters winner Sandy Lyle of Scotland was third.
Americans Tom Watson and Mark O'Meara were fourth and fifth, respectively. The rest of the top 10, in order, was Greg Norman of Australia, Tommy Nakajima of Japan and Americans Hal Sutton, Corey Pavin and Calvin Peete.
Nicklaus, who had not won since 1984, was No. 33 on the initial list.
Early leaders
As golf tournaments go, the 1986 Masters followed a predictable pattern with a mix of unknowns, journeymen and stars jockeying position in the early rounds.
Ken Green and Bill Kratzert shared the first-round lead at 68. Gary **** and T.C. Chen were another shot back at 69. Tom Kite, Watson and Norman led a large group at 70.
You had to go all the way down to 25th position to find Nicklaus, who opened with 74.
Green was as colorful as his name suggests. He once smuggled friends into the Masters through the trunk of his courtesy car.
While Kratzert held steady in the second round with 72, Green faded with 78.
Not surprisingly, pre-tournament favorite Ballesteros surged into the lead with a fine 68. Norman and Langer were tied for fourth, just three behind.
Ballesteros had been quoted before the tournament as saying he would win. After the second round, he said he was "misinterpreted."
Nicklaus shot 71 to make the 36-hole cut, but was still six shots behind and not in serious contention.
Moving day
The third round of 72-hole golf tournaments is commonly known as "moving day." The players who survive the 36-hole cut jockey to get into position for the final round.
Nick Price of Zimbabwe made the cut on the number and was among the first out at Augusta National on that Saturday in 1986. He bogeyed his first hole, not a good omen for things to come.
Then, he caught lightning in a bottle. He made birdies on four of his next eight holes to turn in 33. Then, he reeled off birdies at Nos. 10, 11, 12 and 13. Suddenly, he was in range of the course record of 64.
He proceeded to add birdies at Nos. 15 and 16, and on No. 18 his birdie putt rimmed out. It all added up to a new record of 9-under 63.
"I think Bobby Jones' hand came up and popped it out of the hole," Price told reporters about his birdie putt at the 18th. "And said, 'That's enough.'"
Low scores were the story of the day. Norman surged into the lead with 68 and a total of 6-under 210. Price, Ballesteros (72), Langer (69) and Masters rookie Donnie Hammond (67) were a shot back and tied for second. Kite, Watson and Nakajima were two behind.
Nicklaus shot 3-under 69 and was tied for ninth with six others. He was four shots behind.
"I should have been better than 69 today," Nicklaus said. "If I keep playing the way I'm playing, make a few putts, I might scare somebody."
Final round
Like all major championships, Sunday is a day that can make or break legacies.
The 1986 Masters was no exception.
Like Nicklaus, a handful entered the day with outside chances to win the Masters. The Golden Bear posted 30 on the incoming nine for a final-round 65 and won his sixth green jacket.
The trio of Greg Norman, Tom Kite and Seve Ballesteros all had chances to walk away clad in green.
Ballesteros was already a two-time champion, and final-day eagles at Nos. 8 and 13 seemed to put him firmly in the grasp of a third. But a costly mistake at No. 15, where he found the water on his second, derailed his chances.
Kite, playing alongside Ballesteros, had a chance to tie Nicklaus at 9-under for the tournament. But his birdie putt on the 18th slid by the cup.
Norman, who would hold the 54-hole lead in all of the majors in 1986, made a costly double bogey at No. 10. Seemingly out of it, he then reeled off birdies at Nos. 14, 15, 16 and 17 to tie Nicklaus.
All he needed was a par on the final hole to force a sudden-death playoff.
After a perfect drive, Norman's approach sailed far right into the gallery. He couldn't get up and down, and 46-year-old Jack Nicklaus was a winner at Augusta again.
"Maybe next year will be my year," Norman said after the round. "It's OK, because I know one of these days, I'm gonna break his record of six Masters anyway."
Ballesteros never won the Masters again, and Kite and Norman never slipped on a green jacket.
Continue reading...
