The Most Magical Masters: Jack In ’86 Or Tiger In 2019?

Today we look at what we believe to be two of the most magical Masters final days in the history of the tournament.  In 1986, Jack Nicklaus made a back-nine charge for the ages, shot 30 and won an unprecedented sixth Green Jacket and 18th major.  In 2019, Tiger Woods completed the greatest comeback of his storied career, prevailing on the back nine to win a fifth Green Jacket and a 15th major championship.  Which was the most magical?

Jack Was Way Back Going Into Sunday’s Final Nine:

Nicklaus hadn’t done much through the first three rounds.  After shooting 74-71-69, he was just two-under through 54 and wasn’t in the early Sunday conversation.  After pretty much keeping his head above water for the first nine holes, he made the turn in 35, was three-under and a full four shots behind the leaders, Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros.  Greg was one-under through his first nine, seven-under overall while Seve turned in 34 to get to seven-under.

The Historic Back Nine Charge:

After a birdie at nine, Jack made incredible birdies at 10 and 11, two really tough holes.  He stood on the 12th tee and chose six-iron.  He  pulled it way left, leaving himself a long chip to the Sunday far left traditional pin placement.  “I hit a good pitch,” Jack recounted.  It ended up about eight feet for par.  “There was a spike mark in front of me and I hit it,” Nicklaus said.  His par putt went right and he took bogey four.  “That might have been the one that helped make me more determined,” he recalled.

At 13 he gave son Jackie a scare with a drive that started left but cleared everything and finished in position “A.”  He hit the green in two and his eagle bid came up just short.  Easy birdie.  He made a good par at 14 from the back fringe then crushed his drive at 15.  “How far do you think three would go here?” He asked Jackie.  He meant eagle, Jackie thought he meant a three-iron.  Jack hit a four-iron to 16 feet and drained it for eagle, bringing an incredible roar that Ballesteros and Norman heard.  “I said ‘whoops, here we go,'” Jack thought to himself.

Seve Makes A Big Mistake At 15:

Ballesteros was mounting his own back nine charge.  An eagle at the 14th got him to nine-under.  He parred 14 and was sitting in the middle of the fairway at 15.  He knew Nicklaus had done something at 15 then he heard another huge roar from the patrons at 16.  Seve was between a four and five-iron for his second into 15.  He tried to hit an easy four.  It splashed into the pond and he’d take bogey.  “Under pressure, never try and hit it easy,” Nicklaus preached during his career.  That drowned Seve’s bid.

Jack Owns The 16th:

Nicklaus pulled five-iron at 16.  “I hit it as good as I could, but I can’t see that far anymore.”  Jack didn’t need to see it.  The roar came up as his ball landed just above the hole, rolled down and settled within three feet.  He made it to get to eight-under and was still one back of Norman.  Jack birdied the 16th to get his first win in 1963 then made an historic 40-footer that led to his won in 1975.

Yesssss Sir!!

At 17 Jack’s drive was left but he had a good look from 125 out.  His second settled  at 18 feet.  After talking it over with son Jackie, he knew it was pretty straight, with just a bit of a break in the direction of Rae’s Creek.  He hit a perfect putt, in it went, he raised his left arm and putter high in the air as Vern Lundquist gave the famous “Yesssssss Sir!” call.  For the first time in 11 years, Jack had the solo lead at the Masters — nine-under par.

He hit a super three-wood off 18, his second came up well short, thanks to a puff of wind and he had a menacing 50-footer up the hill to the traditional Sunday pin.  His putt was nearly perfect, right on line, falling just 10 inches short.  Easy tap-in for 30 coming home and a 65.  Ken Venturi exclaims:  “What a round, what a player!” Jack posts nine-under and goes in to wait.  Tom Kite and Greg Norman are still in the hunt.

Kite And Norman Gag:

Tom Kite hung in there all day but he’ll look back and know that bogeys on the first and easy third hole did him in.  He birdied the 10th and hit his second into 18 just inside 12 feet with an excellent look at birdie to tie Jack.  Didn’t happen.  Kite finishes one back.

After a double-bogey six a the 10th, Greg Norman made an Arnold Palmer-like charge with birdies at 14, 15, 16 and 17.  He was nine-under and tied with Nicklaus.  Birdie to win, par to send the tournament to a playoff.  After a perfect drive, Norman shoved his second way right into the patrons.  He couldn’t get up-and-down, made bogey, finished tied with Kite at minus eight.  Seve, after his ball-rinsing at 15, added another bogey at 17 and finished solo fourth at seven-under behind Kite and Norman.

Bernhard Langer, the 1985 champ, slips the Green Jacket on Nicklaus.  Later Nicklaus would say:  “I should probably quit but I’m not smart enough to do that.”

Pure History.  Jack became the oldest player to win The Masters.

(Jack’s back nine highlights.)

(1986 Scoreboard.)

Tiger’s Comeback At Age 43:

Everyone knows the Tiger saga.  So many injuries, so much personal life noise.  He came to The Masters last year after working his way back up the rankings.  He had yet another back surgery and this time, he was looking good.  Still, it would take a mighty effort to win a 15th major.

After rounds of 70-68-67, Tiger found himself at 11-under par going into Sunday, two shots behind Francesco Molinari.  He was playing with Molinari and Tony Finau in a three-some.  The field teed off early to avoid predicted late afternoon rain.

Brooks Koepka started the final four at 10-under, Dustin Johnson was five back at eight-under as was Xander Schauffele.

Molinari Face Flops On The Final Nine:

Tiger plodded his way around the first nine.  Nothing spectacular, three birdies offset by a pair of bogeys and he’d turn in 35.  But he was now 12-under and just a shot back of Molinari, who was at even par through nine and still 13-under.

Tiger hurt himself with a bogey at 10.  He parred 11 and stood on the 12th tee with Molinari, two back at 11-under.  Molinari’s downfall began at 12 when his tee shot found the water.  He made double and went back to minus 11.  Tiger knew it’s center of the green at 12.  He hit it there, made easy par and found himself tied with Molinari.  Both birdied the 13th and found themselves 12-under with six holes to play.

D.J. Made A Huge Run:

Up ahead, Dustin Johnson made a big back nine run with birdies at 13, 15, 16 and 17.  He’d post 11-under but will look back and know his only bogey of the day came at the relatively easy third, a hole where he could virtually drive the green.  Still, he shot a nifty 68.

Tiger stayed tied with Molinari until the 15th, where Molinari ended his day.  His second found the water and he’d make double-bogey while Tiger made birdie — a three shot swing.  Tiger went to 13-under, Molinari was out of it, basically, back at minus-10 and dejected.

Brooks Rinses One At Twelve:

After Molinari’s collapse, Brooks Koepka looked to be the biggest threat to Woods.  He was 11-under at the turn and with his power, he can easily reach both par fives with middle, even short irons in his hands.  After a par-par start to the back nine, he stood at 12 and made the mistake of going after the far right pin.  His shot got up into the breeze, landed on the bank and rolled into Rae’s Creek.  He made double, fell back to nine-under.  But he wasn’t done.  He bounced back with eagle at 13 to get back to 11-under.

Tiger Hits A Beauty At 16:

Like Nicklaus, Woods has been a master at the 16th.  Once again he hit a remarkable shot and followed up his birdie at 15 with another at 16 to get to 14-under, some breathing room between him and Koepka.  Koepka birdied 15 to get to 12 and was still in it.

Woods parred 17 but no one will remember his bogey at 18.  He posted 70 and was in at 13-under but had to sit and wait on Koepka, who still had a chance to tie or beat him.

There would be no more birdies for Brooks.  A par-par-par finish left him a shot short and he’ll be haunted by that tee shot at 12.

Xander Schauffele will look back and know that he couldn’t make birdie at 15.  He’ll also look back at his three bogeys on the front nine and think of what might have been.

With the other contenders unable to find birdies on the closing holes, Woods emerges from the final nine fray at the age of 43 with his fifth Green Jacket and 15th major championship.  Another unforgettable Masters.

(2019 Masters Scoreboard):

(Tiger’s Sunday Highlights):