Puneet Varma (Editor)

1986 Masters Tournament

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Dates
  
April 10–13, 1986

Tour(s)
  
PGA Tour

Location
  
Augusta, Georgia

Par
  
72

Course(s)
  
Augusta National Golf Club

Organized by
  
Augusta National Golf Club

The 1986 Masters Tournament was the 50th Masters Tournament, held April 10–13 at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

Contents

Jack Nicklaus won his record 18th professional major with a historic one-stroke victory. He shot a final round 65 (–7), with a back nine of 30 (–6), for a total score of 279 (–9). At age 46, he became the oldest winner of the Masters and the second-oldest winner of any major championship, behind Julius Boros, who was 48 when he captured the PGA Championship in 1968. The win also gave Nicklaus a record six Masters victories, the first in 1963, less than ten months after his first major win at the 1962 U.S. Open. The 23-year span of Masters victories and 24-year span of major victories are also records. The runners-up were Tom Kite and Greg Norman, whose near-misses at the Masters are also noteworthy. The winner's share was $144,000, up from $20,000 at Nicklaus' first win at Augusta in 1963.

First round

Thursday, April 10, 1986

Second round

Friday, April 11, 1986

Third round

Saturday, April 12, 1986

Final round

Sunday, April 13, 1986

In one of the most memorable and exciting final rounds in Masters history, five different players held at least a share of the lead in the final round. Seve Ballesteros gained a share of the lead on the front 9 helped by a hole-out eagle at 8. Jack Nicklaus played his first eight holes in even par, but stormed into contention with birdies at 9, 10 and 11. However, Nicklaus bogeyed the 12th to fall three behind the leaders. Greg Norman, tied for the lead at –7 as he made the turn, double-bogeyed the 10th hole to give Ballesteros the outright lead by one shot over Tom Kite. Ballesteros hit his second shot at 13 to within six feet. After Kite lagged up his own eagle putt on 13, Ballesteros holed his putt for his second eagle of the day and a three shot lead over Kite. Kite then holed his birdie putt to cut the lead back to two.

After a par at 14, Nicklaus began his legendary charge at 15. After hitting his 204-yard (187 m) approach to 12 feet (3.7 m), he buried the putt for eagle to pull within two shots of Ballesteros. Nicklaus then hit his tee shot on 16 to within 3 feet and after holing his birdie putt he was within one shot of Ballesteros who was playing the 15th hole. Ballesteros, who was in prime position to go for the green in two, pull hooked his approach into the water. After failing to get up and down, Ballesteros bogeyed the hole, giving Nicklaus a share of the lead. Kite made birdie at 15 to enter into a three-way tie with Ballesteros and Nicklaus. After a wayward drive, Nicklaus hit his approach on 17 to 18 feet (5.5 m). After long deliberation, he holed his putt on 17 for sole possession of the lead for the first time in the tournament. He two-putted for par on 18 to post –9 and a one shot lead.

Ballesteros three-putted the 17th to fall out of contention, but Kite had 12 feet for birdie on 18 to tie Nicklaus. Kite barely missed his putt on the high side to miss a playoff by one shot. Norman, left for dead after his double-bogey on 10, birdied 14, 15 and 16 to pull within one shot of the lead. After hooking his drive way left on 17, Norman made an incredible shot between two pines to within eight feet. Norman buried the birdie putt, his fourth straight, to tie for the lead. Norman then hit a perfect drive on 18, needing birdie for his first major championship. However, Norman pushed his approach shot into the gallery and subsequently missed his 15-foot (4.6 m) par putt to finish one stroke behind. Nicklaus had stormed back, shooting 30 on the back nine, to win his sixth Masters title and became the oldest Masters champion at age 46.

Scorecard

Final round

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par
Source:

Quotes

  • "Yes sir! The battle is joined. My goodness. There is life in the old Bear yet." – Ben Wright's (CBS Sports) call as Nicklaus sank his eagle putt on the 15th hole to pull within two shots of the lead.
  • "And there's no doubt about it, the Bear has come out of hibernation." – Jim Nantz's (CBS Sports) call as Nicklaus sank his 3-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole to pull within one shot of the lead.
  • "Oh he's pulled it! Oh he has pull hooked that! That's destined for the water! And the foreign invasion is reeling under the Bear's attack!" – Ben Wright's call as Ballesteros pulled his 2nd shot into the water at 15.
  • "Maybe... Yes sir!" – Verne Lundquist's (CBS Sports) call as Nicklaus made his 18-foot (5 m) birdie putt on the 17th hole to take sole possession of the lead for the first time in the tournament.
  • References

    1986 Masters Tournament Wikipedia