1982: Craig Stadler wins shortest Masters playoff | 2022 Masters Skip to main content
Breaking news
 
R4   
2 Rory McIlroy   -7 F
T3 Cameron Smith   -5 F
T3 Shane Lowry   -5 F
    Full Leaderboard
Posted March 23, 2012, 8:19 pm |

1982: Craig Stadler wins shortest Masters playoff

  • Article Photos
    1982: Craig Stadler wins shortest Masters playoff
    Photos description
    Stadler
  • Article Photos
    1982: Craig Stadler wins shortest Masters playoff
    Photos description
    Stadler
  • Article Photos
    1982: Craig Stadler wins shortest Masters playoff
    Photos description
    Front Page of The Augusta Chronicle after the 1982 Masters Tournament

Craig Stadler didn’t start well or finish strong, but he played extremely well in the middle rounds in 1982 to capture his only major.

He started with 75, the highest opening round by a champion, but followed with 69 and 67.

Holding a three-stroke lead going into Sunday, Stadler made the turn after 3-under 33 and held a six-stroke cushion. But instead of waltzing to his coronation, Stadler stumbled his way home with 4-over 40.

He wound up in a playoff with Dan Pohl. The long hitter had opened the tournament with a pair of 75s but was red hot after two 67s. Both men completed regulation at 4-under 284.

With a routine par on the first hole of sudden death, Stadler regained momentum.

Pohl pushed his approach to the right and found himself about 40 feet away. An indifferent third shot left him about six feet for par, and Pohl missed the putt.

It was the shortest playoff in Masters history.

1982 Masters

 PlayerFR1R2R3R4 Earn.
1Craig Stadler-475696773 $64,000
2Dan Pohl-475756767 $39,000
3Seve Ballesteros-373736871 $21,000
3Jerry Pate-374736771 $21,000
5Tom Kite-176697369 $13,500
5Tom Watson-177697071 $13,500
7Ray Floyd+174726974 $11,067
7Larry Nelson+179717069 $11,067
7Curtis Strange+174707372 $11,067
10Andy Bean+275727370 $8,550
10Mark Hayes+274737370 $8,550
10Tom Weiskopf+275726875 $8,550
10Fuzzy Zoeller+272767072 $8,550