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DEL.ICIO.USSarazen’s shot the benchmark
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
When considering (1) memorable, (2) great or (3) significant — take your choice — shots made on the back nine in the Masters over the years, by unanimous decision there is only one starting place — the l5th hole on the Sunday round in 1935. Gene Sarazen stood pondering his second shot, 220 yards to the green with a pond in between, feeling he needed a 3-wood for the distance, but favoring a 4-wood for elevation.
He chose the latter, and the rest, as they say, is history. The Squire holed the shot for a double-eagle, tied Craig Wood for the lead, then won a 36-hole playoff on Monday, for which he was rewarded with an extra $50. It was this shot, it is generally agreed, that established the Masters around the world, a tournament Sarazen had not played the year before. He had committed to an exhibition tour of South America with his friend, Joe Kirkwood, who furnished transportation, flying his own plane.
There have been dozens of eagles at Augusta National since, but no double-eagles. I came close to seeing one a few years ago, when Fred Couples’ second shot on the par-5 eighth hole lazily rolled to within a few inches of the cup. For an eagle, a player receives two crystal goblets — Jack Nicklaus must have won enough to fill a basement. For his double-eagle, Sarazen won a crystal bowl — and a trail of glory that followed him around the world.
“When I played an exhibition in China later on, they introduced me as ‘Chief Double Eagle.’ They thought I was an Indian,” Sarazen said.
The thought of settling on a collection of eye-popping shots on the back nine is mind-boggling. Some I saw first-hand, some I saw on television, and some I didn’t see at all. Live and in person I saw Doug Ford blast out of a bunker into cup for a birdie on the 18th hole in 1957. Eventually, he would win the green jacket by three strokes over Sam Snead, who led after the third round, but who was only playing the front nine as Ford finished.
There were other such shots of significance in determining the champion, some more spectacular than others. In 1988, Sandy Lyle blasted a 7-iron out of a fairway bunker onto the 18th green and sank the putt that sank Mark Calcavecchia by a stroke. Just the year before, Larry Mize had chipped in from 140 feet off the 11th green for a birdie that beat Greg Norman in a playoff.
There were other shots of significance made in a series that determined the champion. In 1959, Art Wall birdied five of the last six holes, passed 12 players, including Arnold Palmer, and closed out the field. (Subsequently, he became the only champion who never defended his title. A knee infection prevented him playing in 1960, but he served The Atlanta Journal as our on-the-course correspondent — for the sum of $250.)
Who could forget Jack Nicklaus’ long-distance putt on the 16th green in 1975, and his rare show of jubilation, thrusting his putter into the air, on his way to winning by a stroke over Tom Weiskopf and Johnny Miller? Then 11 years later he would become the most popular champion of them all, aged 46, son Jack II on the bag, featuring a series beginning with a spectacular eagle on 15, followed by birdie-birdie on 16 and 17 for a back nine of 30. He wasn’t through yet, though. He had to wait out Greg Norman and Tom Kite, both of whom missed tying putts on the 18th green.
Then there was Fred Couples’ tee shot that clung perilously to the grassy bank at No. 12 on his way to winning in 1992.
But not all definitive shots on the back nine were winners. Go back to 1985, when Curtis Strange had it in his bag coming into the perilous 13th hole, though he had opened the tournament with a round of 80. Lay up, or go for it? He went for it and unhappily found the little brook that borders the green. While he pondered his plight, the official assigned to the match walked into view. He could have given Curtis some sound advice, founded on personal experience. His name was Billy Joe Patton.
In 1954, Patton had reached the 13th hole leading Sam Snead and Ben Hogan, and in position to become the first amateur champion of the Masters. He went for it, found water, leading to a double bogey, followed it with a bogey at the 15th and missed the playoff by a stroke. Strange would subsequently bogey 13, 15 and 18 and drop into a tie for second behind Bernhard Langer, who was winning his first.
Tiger Woods shall not be ignored, but we settle here on a championship he won by a whisker, not by a mile, which he did in 1997. When he chipped in from off the 16th green last year and the ball took a curious route before dropping in the hole, it was a shot on which he modestly accepted luck as his partner. It turned out to be quite essential to winning, for he then bogeyed 17 and 18, then had to survive a playoff with Chris DiMarco.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Furman Bisher, Golf
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By Jimmy Hair
April 2, 2006 10:16 AM | Link to this
Thanks for the memories. Fantastic Web piece. I know you’ve got hundreds of behind-the-scenes stories like the John Montgomery story in ‘86, great stuff. I’ll never forget poor Roberto DeVicenzo signing an incorrect scorecard and giving up the victory he’d earned on the course, ‘67 or ‘68. So many great stories, thanks for bringing them to us over the years. And as a lefty golfer yourself, you’ve got to be excited about Lefty’s play coming into the Masters this year. Can’t wait, you’re right, there’s nothing else like it in sports.
By Matt Connors
April 4, 2006 12:12 PM | Link to this
I think Jeff Maggert double eagled 13 in 1994 and Bruce Devlin the 2nd in 1967.