Jack Nickiaus, 46, wins his sixth Masters

Press, 15 April 1986, Page 44

Jack Nickiaus, 46, wins his sixth Masters

NZPA-Reuter Augusta, Georgia Jack Nickiaus, charging from four strokes behind, fired a seven-under-par 65 yesterday to win his sixth Masters golf championship, two more than anyone else.

Nickiaus, aged 46, who last won this important event 11 years ago, became the oldest player to win the coveted green jacket, awarded to the winner of the Masters.

The victory was the nineteenth “major” championship for Nicklaus, the “Golden Bear,” who last won a major title in 1980, when he triumphed in the United States Open and the American P.G.A. Championship. Nicklaus posted a 72hole total of 279, nine-under-par for the Augusta National course, the permanent home of the Masters.

He said afterwards: “It has been an unusual year for me. I’ve played just awful. I’ve played better the last two weeks.

“I started doing things right this afternoon and had fun. I haven’t had this much fun in six years.”

Nickiaus finished one stroke ahead of Tom Kite, who shot his second consecutive 68, and the Australian, Greg Norman, who closed with a 70 when he bogeyed the final hole.

Norman had scored four consecutive birdies to move into a tie with Nicklaus going into the 370metre eighteenth, but he put his second shot into the huge gallery on the right side of the green and then took three to get down.

Nicklaus, who has won only two tournaments since his two major vic-

tories in 1980, had said before the tournament that he had worked on his game very hard in recent weeks.

"When I get to the Masters I’m set to go,” he said after donning his sixth green jacket. Asked if his sixth Masters title was the most gratifying, Nicklaus said: “They all are but at the age of 46 — in the December of my career — it is as big as any of them.” Final scores (United States unless noted): — 279 — Jack Nicklaus 74, 71, 69, 65. 280 — Greg Norman (Australia) 70, 72, 68, 70; Tom Kite 70, 74, 68, 68. 281 — Seve Ballesteros (Spain) 71, 68, 72, 70. 282 — Nick Price (South Africa) 79, 69, 63, 71. 283 — Tom Watson 70, 74, 68, 71; Jay Haas 76, 69, 71, 67. 284 — Tommy Nakajima (Japan) 70, 71, 71, 72; Bob Tway 70, 73, 71, 70; Payne Stewart 75, 71, 69, 69. 285 — Donnie Hammond 73, 71, 67, 74; Sandy Lyle (Britain) 76, 70, 68, 71; Calvin Peete 75, 71, 69, 70; Mark McCumber 76, 67, 71, 71; Corey Pavin 71, 72, 71, 71. 286 — Bernhard Langer (West Germany) 74, 68, 69, 75; Gary Koch 69, 74, 71, 72; Dan Crenshaw 71, 71, 74, 70; Dave Barr (Canada) 70, 77, 71, 68; Larry Mize 75, 74, 72, 65.