Forty years ago at Augusta National, Jack Nicklaus appeared to be a mere afterthought among the field. However, a staggering charge on the back nine propelled the Golden Bear to an improbable sixth Green Jacket, marking his 18th major championship victory.

This account is excerpted from Bob Harig's book, Tiger v. Jack, reprinted with permission from St. Martin's Publishing Group. A segment of this material also appeared in the March 2026 issue of Sports Illustrated.

The Spark: Doubts Fuel the Fire

Pre-Tournament Dismissal

The week before the tournament, Nicklaus, then 46, was assessed by many pundits. In a Masters advance feature in the April 6 edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, reporter Tom McCollister questioned the chances of past champions, including Nicklaus.

McCollister wrote that Nicklaus was "gone, done," stating his game was "rusted from lack of use." The article concluded that "He’s 46, and nobody that old wins the Masters."

Nicklaus's Status and Motivation

The assessment reflected Nicklaus's recent performance; he was 160th on the PGA Tour money list and lacked a top-10 finish in seven months. In his seven prior tournaments that year, he missed three cuts and withdrew from one.

This critique caught the attention of Nicklaus's family friend, John Montgomery, who clipped the article and taped it to the refrigerator in their rental home. Nicklaus later admitted the impact, stating, "When John put that article on the refrigerator when I had to look at it, I had to sizzle for a while." He added, "To tell you the truth, I kind of agreed with Tom, I’m afraid, but it helped get me going."

The Final Round Drama Unfolds

A Quiet Ascent

Entering the final round of the 1986 Masters, Nicklaus was four shots behind the leader, Greg Norman. Despite his proximity, he was largely absent from the major conversation, overshadowed by contenders like Nick Price, Norman, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Kite, Tom Watson, and Bernhard Langer.

Nicklaus, paired with Sandy Lyle, shot rounds of 74, 71, and 69, placing him tied for ninth at two under par. Lyle noted the overwhelming atmosphere surrounding Nicklaus, describing the crowd noise as something that could "almost blow you over with the vibrations coming in."

CBS Coverage and Early Struggles

The CBS broadcast initially focused elsewhere, not showing or mentioning Nicklaus until 39 minutes into the final-round telecast. When he stood on the 9th tee, he trailed by six shots. At that time, only two players over 46 had won major championships: Julius Boros (48) and Tom Morris Sr. (46).

CBS did not show Nicklaus's birdie putt on the 9th hole live. Tom Kite later recalled that Nicklaus "was not even a factor in the golf tournament throughout a large part of that round."

The Turnaround Begins

Nicklaus began his surge at the 10th hole, making a 25-foot birdie putt to move to four under par. He followed this with another birdie on the 11th hole, pulling within two strokes of the lead after Ballesteros bogeyed the 9th.

Gary Koch, playing in the group ahead, noted the rising noise level, stating, "You knew something was going on obviously by the noise being made in the gallery." A bogey on the par-3 12th briefly stalled Nicklaus's momentum, but his anger fueled his next shots.

The Iconic Eagle on 15

Closing the Gap

Nicklaus birdied the par-5 13th, getting back to five under par. As he approached the 15th tee, he was four strokes behind the leaders and tied with Norman. CBS analyst Ken Venturi still described it as a "valiant try today."

On the 15th, Nicklaus hit a 4-iron from 204 yards to within 12 feet for an eagle opportunity. At this moment, CBS cut away to analyst Tom Weiskopf, who declared, "He’s just too far behind. He really needs to make 3 here. That’s a must for Jack Nicklaus, I feel."

The Defining Moment

Nicklaus sank the eagle putt, causing an eruption of noise. CBS announcer Ben Wright exclaimed, "Yes, sir! The battle is joined. My goodness. There is life in the old Bear yet."

This pivotal moment, Nicklaus's eagle putt on the 15th green, was not shown live on television. Following this, Nicklaus earned his sixth Green Jacket, defying age and expectation to claim his 18th major title at age 46.