Mark O’Meara’s dog gets Masters love

Editor’s note: From Ben Crenshaw naming his cat Bobby Jones to Arnold Palmer coining a street Masters Boulevard, there’s no shortage of people, pets and other items named in honor of Augusta National. The Augusta Chronicle features stories from six famous golfers or family members about names with ties to the Masters Tournament: Herman Keiser Georgia Hall, Sergio Garcia, Mark O Meara, Palmer and the Davis Love family.

Twenty-one years ago, Mark O’Meara birdied the final two holes to win the 62nd Masters on Easter Sunday.

At the time, he left Augusta National knowing he’d forever be a Masters champion. What he didn’t know was that his victory would spark the name of a Labrador Retriever.

“We have brother and sister white labs,” O’Meara said. “We named the girl, Georgia, after my Masters win and the boy, Crosby, after my win at the last Bing Crosby (National Pro-Am) at Pebble Beach.”

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O’Meara’s 1985 win at Pebble Beach marked the 44th – and final edition - of the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am. Flash-forward 13 years and the 41-year-old arrived at Augusta National O-for-56 in major championships and winless in 14 Masters appearances. That all changed in one of the most dramatic Sunday’s in Masters history.

Trailing David Duval by three shots with five holes to play, O’Meara surged ahead with birdies on Nos. 15, 17 and 18. The deciding putt came on No. 18 when O’Meara rolled a 20-footer into the left side of the hole.

Moments after the victory, O’Meara’s caddy, Jerry Higgenbothem, recalled a conversation the two had.

We watched the scoreboard going to No. 16,” Higgenbothem told The Augusta Chronicle in 1998. “The sun was right in our eyes. Mark asked me what Duval finished at. I told him 8 (under par). Mark said, ’He’s going to be one short.”