Fans share memories of Jack Nicklaus' 1986 Masters win

The Augusta Chronicle asked readers to share their memories from the 1986 Masters. Here are some of the responses:

I was 8 years old when I went to my first Masters in 1977 with my grandparents from Graniteville. And although I have attended several more (saw Mize in ‘87, saw Sandy get up and down from the bunker on 18, marveled at Woosnam, loved it when Freddy won, etc.), there will never be another four days in Augusta like those four in April in 1986.

It is hard to believe it was 30 years ago and even harder to believe that I was only 16 years old.

As I am now a university professor these days in sport management at Texas A&M University-Commerce, I can still get the same feeling of chills that came over me that week in 1986 when Chip Drury and Peter Persons, college golfers from UGA, teed it up in a practice round with Jack. Those of us who grew up loving the Golden Bear were hoping against hope for something special.

But that Sunday morning at our house in Foxchase, my dad uttered these famous words, “You boys go watch Norman or Kite or Seve, because Jack is too old and can’t do it anymore.” While I hate to admit it, it might be one of the only times my dad has ever been wrong in his life, and on that Sunday I was thankful he was. For Mike Hrubala, Brian Allen, and my stepbrother Tommy, we all rode together. We knew Jack was behind, but we were all hoping for a miracle. It is so funny how four 16-year-olds were so excited about a 46-year-old we all loved.

I remember thinking is he ever going to start making birdies and start a charge (he got the 4 on 2), and yes on 9, right after making par on 8, was when it happened. And we hustled to 10 and made it to the edge of the grandstands to see the putt on 11, and the short miss on 12. We rushed to the middle of 14 to see a good par, and we were behind the green on 15 and just inside the ropes to see the tee shot on 16. All I know is that time stopped, the earth shook and it was like magic when Jackie jumped in the air when the eagle putt went in on 15, and I will never forget the roar at 16 as Jack’s ball nearly hit the hole on the fly. We did not get to see the punch out of the trees over by the 7th green when he hit his tee shot a little left on 17, because we were so excited watching Seve absolutely hit one of the worst shots in major championship golf, a good old chunk from the fairway on 15. I am ashamed to admit that we cheered, but we could not help it, our boyhood idol was about to win his sixth Masters!

The birdie on the 17th green was amazing and the yells again were electric. The 18th hole was a blur, mostly because we were all so scared, happy, excited and frustrated at the same time. We could hardly see as we made it up the right side. But we did make it to the 18th scoreboard and a guy who looked familiar, yes, Rhett Sinclair from Aiken, told us his approach was short, then gave us the play by play as the birdie putt up the hill nearly went in and the par putt was a tap in.

As Jack and Jackie embraced at the end, and as Norman could not get up and down on 18, we saw Jack win his sixth Masters. What memories, what a tournament. I just want to say thank you Jack for letting us share that special time with you. I hope your 30th anniversary is wonderful and that you continue to bless the game of golf with your course design, your advice, guidance and love. You sure gave all of us a blessing on a Sunday afternoon in Augusta on April 13 in 1986.

– Clay Bolton

I was 14 years old and in ninth grade at Warren County High.

My dad (who was superintendent of schools in Warren County when I was growing up) got a phone call on Saturday night from the general manager of ServiceMaster, a janitorial company that my dad bought all his cleaning supplies from. The man asked if we would be interested in going to the Masters on Sunday, and I could tell what my dad was talking about on the phone. When he got off the phone, he asked me if I wanted to go, and of course I said yes.

(I didn’t realize it at the time, but years later it really hit me that he could have asked any of his friends or golfing buddies to go, and he chose me instead, and that still chokes me up to think about that!)

I was with my dad, and it’s one of my fondest memories with him (he passed away in 2010). We picked up our badges at a little pharmacy in the National Hills Shopping Center that I don’t think is even there now.

Heck, I still remember the clothes I wore that day! I even remember I had a Latin oratorical competition at Georgia Southern that following Monday that I had to study for on the ride to and from Augusta that day!

We saw Jack come through No. 14, and I said let’s go follow him on No. 15. My dad said we’ll never be able to see anything there, let’s cut over to No. 17, and after some initial whining, that’s what we did. Well, of course we went nuts when we got over there, and then when the scoreboard changed showing his eagle and birdie on No. 15 and No. 16.

We were on the right side of the green on No. 17 and by the time Jack got there, we were right up against the ropes. He putted the birdie putt right at us, and we could see the break and everything and knew it looked really good the whole time. I even remember being tapped on the shoulder and being kindly asked to move to my left a little and I turned around and it was a photographer – I remember reading his credential and it said Sports Illustrated and I have no way of knowing if it’s the iconic photo of Jack raising his putter when he made the birdie, but that’s the exact angle we were standing at when he putted it!

So Jack makes that putt and everybody goes nuts and I told my dad let’s go to the 18th tee and follow Jack in, and my dad says we’ll never see anything – let’s go over to No. 10 in case of a playoff. Well, of course he knew what he was talking about, so we rush over to No. 10 and Bob Murphy was in the tower for CBS, I think, and he gave us the play by play of what was happening at No. 18.

When Norman bogeyed and we realized there wasn’t going to be a playoff, we headed up the hill and somehow ended up outside Butler Cabin, and the way the Pinkertons brought Jack around, he walked right by in front of us on the way into the cabin – it was unbelievable!

I got a phone call a couple years ago from my mom saying she had found some Masters tickets in my dad’s file cabinet and if I wanted them, and I went nuts! Well, of course they were from the next year when Larry Mize chipped in, and when I told her what I found, she reminded me that my dad had to return the badges from ‘86.

– Joey Warren

I was there.

Jack being a longtime hero of mine (still is), I always followed Jack when I had the opportunity to attend a Masters event. ‘86 was no exception.

To this day, most believe Jack “won” the tournament on the back nine. I suppose that’s true to some degree, but the reality is he didn’t “lose” it on the front. A fact that Jack wrote about later in the Golf Digest magazine.

Jack’s drive on No. 8 went right about 15 feet into the woods. I happened to be standing right where his ball landed. Yes, I was one of those people you see on TV that runs right up behind an errant shot off of the fairway to get a bird’s eye view. It worked out as I was standing directly behind Jack, Jackie and the ball. There was debate about pitching out or going for it. There was about a 3-foot opening through the trees. I thought Jack had went nuts when he decided to hit a 3-wood through the opening rather than playing safe. It turned out to be one of the best shots I ever have seen, and I’ve seen a few.

Jack parred the hole but later admitted that parring 8 after that shot was the turning point to his round.

I had the privilege to be standing in the middle of No. 9 fairway when Jack made the birdie that started his epic run.

By this time, the idea of something magical was about to happen was running through the crowd like a disease. The back nine filled to near capacity. It was impossible to see a whole lot from that point on. I watched the final few holes on a TV in the first aid building. It was the first place I could find that had a TV.

Thirty years down the road and that single moment on No. 8 is still as clear to me as if it happened yesterday.

What an honor to have seen this in person!

– Monte Latka

My wife, Cathy, and I got married in October 1985. She had never cooked for the family, so she planned her first dinner party for my birthday, April 13, 1986. Dinner was shrimp creole to be served at 6 p.m. in our little apartment in Aiken. The only problem was Jack Nicklaus was charging around Amen Corner.

Both families are big golf fans and, although not having tickets, have gone to practice rounds and the tournament for years. My dad first went in the mid-1940s after returning from the war. Cathy’s parents, brothers and sister had to come from Augusta and North Augusta, my parents came from Aiken, all were a little late for 5 p.m. appetizers.

Getting all 13 of us up and getting our meal while Jack was playing was tough. My wife was in a panic that the dinner was ruined. Of course dinner was great and the Masters ended as we hoped. I have a lot of great memories of the Masters, especially with my dad, but that one is the best.

– Bill Neal

At the 1986 Masters, I was at the driving range watching several of the golf greats tee off. One of the amateurs asked the crowd if anyone had a pen. I said yes and handed my ballpoint pen to him as he gave it to Jack Nicklaus. Jack proceeded to sign his autograph several times and returned the pen to me after signing his autograph for me, too. I was delighted, of course, even if he was getting to be a has-been in the golf world. He and I were both born in January the same year.

My son Scott soon joined me and was impressed with my collection of autographs. The last day of the 1986 Masters was unforgettable as Jack was neck to neck with several of the golfers as they came down the stretch to the 18th hole. All of a sudden a huge roar went up from the crowd as Jack won the 1986 Masters. The crowd was so proud for Jack as his son hugged him, and I was, too. After all, Jack had used my ballpoint pen!

– Anne Sawyer