Jack reflects on the 1986 Masters (transcript)

March 14, 2006
Download Transcript
Watch Jack talk about his final round (Quicktime Video)

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of his historic 1986 Masters' victory, Jack Nicklaus spoke with about 50 media from around the country at The Bear's Club in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Jim Mandeville.)

Welcome everyone to The Bear's Club and for those of you here and those meeting on the phone, welcome to our press conference with Jack Nicklaus.

First of all I'd like to thanks The Bear's Club for hosting us today, especially GM Bob Wesselman, Kathy Gibson, and Diego Cora. Thanks for your help, folks.

We also have a few Nicklaus Companies staffers here and some friends, but I'd like to point out the folks from Nicklaus Golf Equipment, especially Jim Cormier, who was kind enough to donate a limited edition replica putter of one that (Jack) used in 1986.

And that's really why at the end of the day at the end of the press conference we're going to do a random drawing and this putter is number 46 of what, 750 I believe.

You should already have a media kit but if you have any questions afterwards please see me or look for (Pattie Melnyk) and she'll run me down. But I think there's plenty of information there for you.

Some quick ground rules, for those of you on the phone what we're going to do is open the floor for questions from those in attendance and then after maybe 15-20 minutes we'll go to some questions from those on the line and if we have time afterwards we'll come back to the attendees here.

For those of you here, since we do have media on the line, if you have a question we'd appreciate it if you'd wait for the microphone first. We're going to be going around with this microphone just so everyone on the line can hear.

As many of you know, I'm a sportswriter gone straight and one of my favorite stories from my days in newspapers business was there was a state football championship game and there was a small school from central Florida that made it to the big game. And there was this writer who had spent his entire adult life covering this team so made it to this big game. And he was so overwhelmed by it - his team ended up losing and so he was distraught and he was just agonizing over the keyboard, didn't know what to write.

So finally he filed this story and shows it back at his office, and it's just six words, and says, "Our boys lost, pick up wire." And the point is that sometimes there are sporting events that are so big that not only the fans but the media become emotionally invested in the outcome. And I think the 1986 Masters is one of those. As (Rick Reilly) said about that final found, 65 that it was too big to write. Well, 20 years later it's still too big but hopefully it's still big enough to write about.

And with that I'd like to hand it over to Jack for some opening comments and then we'll open the floor to questions.

Jack Nicklaus: That's why we're here?

Male: That's why we're here, yes.

Jack Nicklaus: No, actually I thought - I'm very flattered that you guys wanted to - had so many requests for a - for a conference and so many people called. And I just - I have a hard time trying to figure out how to answer everybody so Scott thought the best way to do this was to get together and do this, this way.

So the '86 Masters - it's 20 years since that happened. Seem like yesterday but, you know, obviously wasn't. And so - but anyway, it was obviously a great week for me and exciting week, on that was kind of fun to look back on. It's about the only television event when I - when I come - when I see it come on television I actually stop and watch a little bit of it.

And, you know, I still made that putt, you'll have a pretty good shot, you know, those kinds of this. But it was - it was an exciting week for me and for the family. I think it was - I think the neatest part of that week was, in my opinion, was having my friend Jack on the bag and having my mother there. It was the first time she had actually been to the Masters since I was a pro. She was on the first year when I was a amateur. And I don't know why but she said she wanted to go back one more time and she did.

And my - and my sister, I think - I'm not certain I think it was my sister's first time ever in Augusta. And why she picked that year I don't know, maybe it was the year because my mother went to. So it was kind of nice, turned out to be a nice family affair. And I was - I suppose winning was a part of it, too, you know, a little part of the special part.

OK? There's a question. Sure ...

Male: Jack, without the '86 Masters it's not a bad career. Just what did it add, what did it ...

Jack Nicklaus: Well, the '86 Masters obviously ((inaudible)) or you guys wouldn't be here.

Jack Nicklaus: But anyway, it was like, you know, that I can still summon what I had back in the back and still could use it. And still could use it coming down the stretch and that was - that was special for me and I think it was special to I suppose the golfing work in many ways because they just didn't expect that to happen.

Male: One of your ((inaudible)) that Augusta was going ((inaudible)) whatever?

Jack Nicklaus: Whatever, yes, OK.

Male: ((inaudible)).

Jack Nicklaus: Are you trying to call attention to yourself?

Male: ... it's for you, Jack.

Jack Nicklaus: You going to answer it? Go on I mean we can wait. I mean nobody's ...

Male: ((inaudible)).

Jack Nicklaus: Now that your hair's the right color we're all right. Anyway, I can't remember what the - oh, Larry asked me about the ...

I'm going up for Tuesday's dinner and the golf writers dinner on the last night. And I'll be up there Wednesday doing something, I don't know what whether I'll play the par three, whether I'll go play the golf course, whether I'll, you know, sit and watch television, or I'll go walk around and look at the azaleas. I don't know what I'm going to do but I'm certainly not going to - I'm not up there to play golf.

Male: ... Thursday ...

Jack Nicklaus: No, I'll be long gone on Thursday. I'll be gone Wednesday night.

Male: Jack, (Tom McAlister's) role in that Masters is well known but what I'm wondering is how well did you know Tom before that and did you two ever talk about that whole thing afterwards?

Jack Nicklaus: Well, I don't think that (McAlister's) role was very much. I think John Montgomery is, you know, he is known for putting chickens in my yard, goats in my yard, donkeys in my yard, horse manure in my yard, tacking outhouses and bears onto my trees and so forth and so on. One more little article that he thought was cute to put on the refrigerator was nothing more for Montgomery.

So, you know, that part wasn't much of it. I think that the article was cute and that, you know, the way he ((inaudible)) to me. And then of course obviously I think I - not knowing Tom obviously the writer and then, you know, about the way I know you guys. You know, I see Tom all the time at the golf tournaments and, you know, we'd - he was a friend.

And - but, you know, I wasn't so sure the way he wrote that story about me, you know. And then we had a little fun afterwards, afterwards about it - about it in the press room. That was about it.

There wasn't any - I then everybody talks about the motivation ((inaudible)). I've got the motivation to play golf; I didn't worry about it too much in the articles. And I would never have seen the article if it hadn't be on the refrigerator.

Male: I hope this is an OK forum for this, Jack, but I wonder as you look back now 20 years if you could just kind of take us through say 15 on what you were ...

Jack Nicklaus: Where would you like - you want me to wait that long? You want me to start back earlier or what?

Male: Where do you think it started for you?

Jack Nicklaus: Nine.

Male: Nine?

Jack Nicklaus: Or I could take you wherever you want.

Male: I'd like to go where you want to go.

Jack Nicklaus: Well, but then nine - it started in the tournament on the - let's put it this way, it started that morning. Well, let's go back - let's go back - you're here for the '86 Masters I'll talk about the '86 Masters.

I went into the tournament having actually putted pretty well most of the spring using this waffle iron here, you know, and one similar to that. And hadn't really hit the ball that well, I hadn't really done very much golf-wise. I don't know, I'd won a grand total of a couple thousand dollars or something, maybe a couple hundred dollars. I don't even know what I'd won but anyway it wasn't very much.

And I got to Augusta and I started hitting the ball better. Augusta always sort of inspired me. I always went in the week before. I always prepared myself and always got ready for the golf tournament and I did the same thing that I normally do to try to get ready. I enjoyed that, it was always fun for me to do so.

Then I shot 74 the first round and I was really down on myself for shooting 74 because I played pretty well but I didn't - but I didn't make any putts, I didn't putt very well. And then the second day I hit the ball pretty well, maybe a couple little putts, not much but shot 71 which wasn't any big deal.

And then I shot 69 the third round. And 69 moved me back in and I was actually in much better position than I thought I was. I don't know what - maybe eight guys in front of me or something like that in four shots or whatever it was - can't remember what it was. Is something funny?

Male: ((inaudible)).

Jack Nicklaus: Seven what?

Male: Seven players, I was eighth place then. I was eighth place and there was seven guys that's four shots.

Well, it just didn't seem like very much to me at that point. ((inaudible)) one of those guys, OK.

And, you know, that didn't really make much difference to me. I knew that I was in a position to win. So Steve calls me that morning from Hattiesburg where he was working for John - Executive Sports. And he said - and he said wanted to call me wish me good luck. And he said, "What do you think it will take, Pops?" And I said ((inaudible)) "I think 65 will win the tournament, I think 66 will put me in a playoff." He said, "Exact number I had in mind. Just go shoot it."

So I went out and I didn't think much about it, you know. And I was in a decent position to shoot a decent round of golf. I went out to the golf course and not much happened on the front nine, I made - I made one birdie someplace I can't remember where it was, and then I bogied a hole.

And at the eighth hole I drove it to the right and I was even par at that point. I tried to cut it around the trees and I pushed the ball and I got luck as - I mean I could still be rattling around those trees if I hadn't gotten lucky because I pushed it and tried to hit it left of the trees and went right of the trees and went between a couple of trees and went on up. I didn't make birdie but I made par.

Anyway, got down to the ninth green and I hit a - I think I hit a nine and ended up on the ninth hole just on the right fringe just about 12 feet from the whole - pretty close to the hole and ((inaudible)). And I was getting ready to putt the ball and a big roar goes up from eight. And ((inaudible)) had holed his third shot or whichever one did.

And there's a big roar going up there and I saw ((inaudible)) walked away, came back around and got ((inaudible)). All of a sudden another big roar goes off and the other one had hit the ball and knocked their third shot in the hole. Both of them ((inaudible)).

And I turned to the guy - and it sort of relaxed me and I said, "Hey, why don't we see if we can make a little noise up here ourselves." And ((inaudible)) there was a big noise and everybody was all excited. Not that it made any difference in that point in time because I was still 10 miles behind but I holed a 25 foot at the next hole and 25 foot at the next hole. And I said, "That's pretty exciting. Now I'm nervous." You know, why would I be nervous I mean I'm not even no where near it but I'm nervous because I think I can get into contention.

And I hit a weakish shot to the left fringe of nine and 11-12 and I hit a chip that bounced to the left and rolled down about five-six feet to the hole. There was a spike mark in my way and the ball hit the spike mark and moved off. And I ((inaudible)) down the spike mark and got six. But I think that bogey may have been something really good for me because it might have - it put me back - brought me back to the reality that, you know, that I got to still play golf. I'm not really in contention yet.

And it just sort of got me moving again. And I had a really nice ((inaudible)) shot and a three iron at the next hole. And then on the green I had a longish putt which I had two putts ((inaudible)) birdie. And I hit it in from the back fringe at 14 and had a nice little chip shot down like that and made my par.

And then I got to 15 and I hit a really nice drive. Put it in the right position on the fairway. And I turned to Jackie and I said, "How far do you think a three will go there." And he said - and I said, "I don't mean ((inaudible))." I had about 204 yard - yes, 204 or 214, I'm not sure which ((inaudible)).

He knew what I meant. He said "I think it will go - I think it will go a long way, Pops." And I don't know why it was Pops but ((inaudible)) Pops. They don't ever call me Pops but that week they did.

Anyway, and - anyway, it was one of those times that when you look at 10 and 15 most ((inaudible)) in Augusta you've got to favor one side or the other to avoid the - those places you don't want to hit it. And at that particular point in time on 15 the ((inaudible)) was staying just fine up left but it didn't make any difference if you missed it right because you had a fairly easy pitch. And if you missed it left you had a fairly easy pitch. Long was not good but, you know, you could - you had space on the green.

So I just took dead aim on it and I hit it in - never ((inaudible)) and then it started to trickle down to the left about 12 feet. And, of course, the picture shows Jackie jumping - because if he could jump like that he'd be playing basketball in North Carolina rather than playing golf.

But anyway, I made the putt. Now I'm sort of - now I'm pumped because I know that I'm just a couple shots behind at that point in time. And I go to 17 and 175 yards and I had a five iron. And you couldn't quite see ((inaudible)) couldn't see a base of it tucked behind the bunker.

Everybody asked me well why didn't you watch the ball? Well, you couldn't see it - blind - at least at my height it is. Jackie might have been able to see it.

But anyway, it was one of those times where I hit the shot. Soon as it left the club I knew exactly where it was. I just reached down and picked up my tee and Jackie said, "Be right." And I just didn't even pay much attention. I said, "It is," just kind of a ((inaudible)) remark that I made that don't normally make that but I had so much confidence in what was going on that that's what I did.

And then I knew that the ball - I knew that the ball had a chance to go in the hole because I knew it was like ((inaudible)) because it had just passed ((inaudible)) about like this. You know it is not as easy a putt as it looked because I had a - had a little putt that was sort of - it wasn't dead straight forward, it was a little putt that would break backwards in front of the green so I had to take it inside the left edge. And I made the putt, obviously, and the place went wild.

And, you know, it's kind of fun to go to a place and have it be wild again, you know, it had kind of been a few years since I'd seen any of that.

And I went to the 17th tee and as I stand on the 17th tee just walk up to my ball, all of a sudden I heard this ugly sound. And that ugly sound - I knew exactly what it was. I knew that (Ballesteros) had hit his ball in the water because I knew - I saw (Ballesteros) out in the fairway and I knew he'd hit it in the water. And I hate that sound because it's half of the sound is half of the cheering for me, which I don't like when somebody makes a mistake, and the other half was the groan for (Ballesteros) who hit it in the water. So you knew exactly what it was.

And, you know, it was kind of funny because I felt that that week that it wasn't ((inaudible)) week. And he said ((inaudible)) had said early in the week he hadn't been playing much, he hadn't prepared very well, and he didn't know how good a shape was in. So when your game is not in that good a shape you - and if you ever look at the swing he made, he made a dead quick swing at it. It was a guy who didn't have confidence in what he was doing. If you watch he just sort of accelerated into the ball and the ball just sort of - it was a weak fly and it went about halfway across the lake.

And - but obviously it put me in a position knowing that I was right there at the time that it probably put me in a tie for the lead. And I hit it up the left side and I knew that I wanted the left side because I knew where the fairway was on the right. And I didn't - I ((inaudible)) for the left and I wanted ((inaudible)) so I didn't really worry about that. Anywhere left was fine because it puts you in position to get the angle ((inaudible)).

Now I hit a wedge I think about 110 yards and I wanted to make sure I took a club that I didn't hit it too far. And it landed about 12 feet left of the whole. So we walked up on the green and I looked at Jackie and it was just a putt and he said, "Dad, it's got to know right." I said, "I know it's going to go right, Jack," but I said, "I think it's going to come back left at the hole. The ((inaudible)) is going to have an influence at the end of that putt."

And so I hit the putt and went up and it was just sort of straightened out at the end ((inaudible)). I've putted that putt a thousand times since, never broke left again. But, you know, but they redo the greens every year at Augusta, you know, they re-sod the greens and they've lost that little nuance that it had in there. So, you know, I don't think they did it on purpose, it just happened, you know.

And so anyway the ball went in the hole and I guess it was the first time I actually led the golf tournament. And so I went to 18 and I hit a - my goal at 18 was to put it in the middle of the fairway, do the best I can, try to give myself a chance ((inaudible)) - just don't make any worse than four, you know, I knew that I'm in pretty good position.

And ((inaudible)) perfect, put it up 175 yards. I knew that I needed to get all of my five iron to get it to the hole but I didn't want to be over. I knew that the ((inaudible)) sitting on the little knob there that ((inaudible)) chip back. But I also, you know, obviously didn't want to be short either.

And soon as I hit the ball a gust of wind hit me in the face and I knew exactly what it was. I mean I hit the ball dead solid but I knew it wasn't going to get there and it hit about halfway up the slope I guess and came back down.

And I had about a 40 foot putt. And I went up to putt and I putted that - I practiced that putt in practices - practice but the ((inaudible)) 20 times before that because we had - our company had re-done the greens that year. And we redid the eighth - the ninth green and we redid the 18th green and we took both those greens and laid them down, we took the pitch out of them. So I knew that the putt wasn't going to be as fast as - or as slow as it used to be and when it got over the top that the ball would sort ((inaudible)) along forward where it used to go up and just sort of like breaks all the way up.

Well anyway, I'd practiced it and I hit the putt and I knew that I hit a good putt ((inaudible)) popped up like this. And I just didn't hit it quite hard enough to get in the hole. But it was good that I had putted it, you know, practiced it. And, of course, I walked off the green knowing that I'd put myself in a position to win the golf tournament. And Jackie was there - you know, everybody talks about the hug that Jackie and I had. I didn't think much about it because, you know, that's no different than I do with my son anytime. And - but well I walked off and it's a great picture, I love the picture watching the two of us walk off.

Anyway, we went over to (Jone's Tavern) and went in and sat down on the couch to watch what was happening. And as I sat down Norman started making birdies. And I - so I got nervous, I got up and started walking around. And I said well - they didn't make as many birdies when I walked around so I walked around the rest of the time. Not that I had much control over it.

But anyway, I remember standing behind the couch watching everybody do what - you know, doing their finish and ((inaudible)) missed his putt, and Greg came up to the last hole, hit is shot out to the right. And the - of course, when Greg missed his putt then obviously the tournament was over and it was kind of a blur after that.

Tim just asked me a while ago ((inaudible)) about what happened after that and I don't remember as I said. We went down to the ((inaudible)) I guess Langer was the defending champion. He gave me the coat and we had dinner that night and went home. But I don't remember much about it, you know. And it wasn't because I had too much wine because I don't remember - I don't think - I probably didn't drink any.

But it was just - it was just a end of a great week and one we had - it was not only fun but it was something really neat to think that, you know, here I've come back and - when I didn't even think I was - you know, I hadn't worked out. I'd been playing 12 tournaments a year, going through the motions. Why I was even playing, you know, you guys were there you wouldn't know - Doug, you're probably a little young. I don't know if you were there or not but you're too young for that.

((inaudible)), thank you, ((inaudible)).

The - anyway, the - it was just kind of a - it was kind of a neat week, a neat thing to go through. It was great for me because it felt like I actually had done something well. And I hadn't prepared for it, I hadn't ((inaudible)). But I never - but I hadn't prepared like, you know, I did 10 years earlier when I would just be consumed by it. And, you know, I suppose if I had known Tiger was going to come along I'd have been more consumed with a lot of ((inaudible)).

But there's a phone line just ...

Male: ((inaudible)).

Jack Nicklaus: Sure.

Male: Two million ((inaudible)) opponents to get this putt ...

Jack Nicklaus: I always expect the guy to make it. Now if you expect the guy to make it most of the time he'll miss it. But it's kind of ((inaudible)) which I've said, Jeff, you've heard me say it many times, I never ever rooted for anybody to miss a putt. I've always been the other way around, I've always rooted for me to play well enough that I didn't have to worry about somebody missing a putt. I hate somebody else's mistakes for my win. I always like to win my win by me winning. And I think that's pretty ((inaudible)) although there were some mistakes and ((inaudible)) Greg did not - Greg didn't make a lot of birdies coming into that - into those last few holes. And he didn't - he did not hit a very good second shot as you well know.

And Lee had put a pretty darn good pitch on it and had a good shot - good shot at making his putt.

So let's go to the phone line.

Jack Nicklaus: I think - I think the change of that green probably ((inaudible)). He missed the putt left, it didn't break enough which was the line down the green and the green sort of tilted over and the ball just didn't break. It used to break a lot there.

Operator: Thank you very much. I have my first question from Jeff Rude from GolfWeek.

Jeff Rude: Hey, Jack, how are you?

Jack Nicklaus: Good, Jeff.

Jeff Rude: Can you run through exactly - you were in the cabin watching Greg play 18 - to run through your thoughts as you watched him play 18 and when he missed the putt, when he hit the four iron shot off to the right? Run us through your thought.

Jack Nicklaus: Well, I hadn't really thought much about it. I was - I had sort of forced - was telling myself to - after he hit his second shot to go to the practice range and hit some - hit some golf balls because I thought I'd have to go to a playoff.

And, you know, when he hit the pitch out, you know, I said maybe I'd better watch this. And I watched it and whoops, you know, I think that I probably should have been on the practice range anyway, I don't know why I wasn't there.

Jeff Rude: OK.

Jack Nicklaus: I mean I can't remember my thoughts. I mean do you remember what you were doing 20 years ago?

Jeff Rude: I didn't win the '86 Masters though.

All right, next question.

Operator: Thank you. Next question is from Art Strickland from Sports Illustrated.

Art Strickland: Yes, good morning, Jack. You had talked earlier about how the Masters always inspired you and you enjoyed playing it. What to you stood out about the Masters and Augusta national that made it so unique among all the other courses that you played so many times?

Jack Nicklaus: Well, I guess there was a course that we played that was the philosophy of the golf course was second shot golf. It was - the philosophy was to drive the ball into the proper side of the fairway. Power was always an issue at Augusta but never so dominant that you couldn't play it. It was always - ((inaudible)) it was a position golf course that was always the same golf course. You always knew it was going to be in perfect position; it was always the first major of the year. Weather was always a factor in the tournament, Bobby Jones' influence, the beauty of it.

There's nine million things that Augusta has always been very, very special about. And it's just something that every year - I mean I can go back - I can go back and when I was just a kid 13-14 years old it was the first tournament that I really recalled anything about. And so - and it's always very special to me.

OK, next question.

Jack Nicklaus: Did I answer your question?

Art Strickland: Yes, was there - you played so many historic courses in your career, was there one thing you thought that stood out about, you know, the tournament that maybe - I don't know if set it apart is the right word but one thing that really, you know, that you thought was really unique about playing as opposed to all the other great courses you played?

Jack Nicklaus: Well, I think that's - I think that's what I answered ...

Art Strickland: OK.

Jack Nicklaus: ... I think - because it was the same place, it was the consistency of it, it was the type of golf course that it was. I mean it's not like you go to the U.S. Open every year and they're going to prepare it differently, you go to the British open every year and they're going to prepare it differently, you go to the PGA and they do the same thing and it's a different venue.

Masters being the same place every year you've got - you learn the golf course, you learn the situations, you learn the things that you had to do and things you had to avoid. You didn't have time to learn those at other golf courses.

Art Strickland: All right, thanks, Jack.

Next.

Operator: Thank you. The next question is from Ed Sherman from the Chicago Tribune.

Ed Sherman: Yes, Jack, can you talk about the obstacles that you face when you're trying to win a major and why some guys are able to overcome those obstacles and some guys can't?

Jack Nicklaus: Well, I think to win majors, you know, they're the - they're the big thing that you strive for. In most people's minds that's beyond their comprehension. That's why majors are the toughest to win but they're also the easiest to win. And meaning that if a guy can get his act together he really mentally can get - have a leg up. I think that's why Tiger's got a leg up on the guys every time he plays because he's got - he's got the background and the history that he knows how to win them. And that's the leg I had up, I knew how to win them.

I also had, you know, Palmer, and Player, and Trevino, and Watson. Those guys all knew how to win them, too. And, you know, that was - so you couldn't slip up and win.

But the majors are something that, you know, that it takes more - it's supposed to be more of a total examination. It's supposed to be not only the driving but it's supposed to be the iron play, the short game, the putting, and composure, the preparation, the approach to it, the toughness, the knowing when to back off, knowing when to get aggressive. I mean all those things are part of a major and knowing that everybody has the opportunity in the game of golf all over the world to have qualified or be there.

So watch the significance of it. And you're only going to play four of those a year and it's just they're pretty special events. And you look back over time they are the events that really - if you go back as far back as the game is really played those are the only events that you really kind of compare golfers of yesterday with golfers of today and through any era.

That take care of it?

Ed Sherman: Yes, thank you.

Jack Nicklaus: Sure.

Next.

Operator: Thank you. The next question comes from Thomas Spousta from USA Today.

Thomas Spousta: Hi, Jack. You mentioned the philosophy of Augusta - playing Augusta. Tiger has talked recently about having a five wood in his bag. Do you think he did it in part because of the lengthening and the changes at Augusta and do you think the fairway woods and four-five wood doesn't really come into play for players this year?

Jack Nicklaus: Well, Augusta is the one golf course that I ever thought about carrying a four or five wood when I was playing. I didn't play it too often, I used my one iron. But I did - I did start carrying a four wood there. I suppose I should have carried it earlier in my career but I just was so stubborn because I liked my one iron so much. And I didn't have much problem hitting the one iron up in the air.

But I know that you go back - Floyd was one of the first ones to start carrying a five wood at Augusta when he won. And, you know, you have so many of the par fives such as 13 and 15 particularly, and off the downhill probably at number two that that club is a pretty good golf club. And that club can also play a part at - used to play a part at 10. Looks like might - now plays a part almost every hole.

But the - it was a lot - there's a lot of places that definitely you need to throw the ball up in the air and it's - and a lot of time it's being thrown off of a down slope or an awkward (lie) and you need to really - you really need to throw the ball in fairly softly. So it is a good club for there and I think that's why a lot of guys are doing it.

OK, next.

Operator: Thank you. The next question is from Bob Harig from St. Petersburg Times.

Bob Harig: Hey, good morning, Jack, thanks for your time today. Wanted to ask you about the putter that you used that year, it was quite unique and just wondered if you recall when you first started using it, why you did? And also if you could talk about how successful it was with the public after your win.

Jack Nicklaus: OK. I started using the putter earlier - early in the year. I'm trying to say I don't think I used it on the West Coast swing. I think I started using it in Florida.

I'm not sure that Eagle Trace might have been the first tournament I played with it. I remember - I remember the first tournament I played with it and the thing was so big that the wind would get to it. And I had a - I had a six-inch putt at Eagle Trace where the wind was blowing so hard I hit the putt, stubbed it and missed it and left it short. And I - and I said, "Oh, man, what have I got this thing in my hand for?" And I think the public looked at it about the same way. You couldn't give it away prior to the Masters.

And - but I stayed with it because I rolled the ball so well with it. And once I got used to the lightness of the putter that I could actually - I could make the ball roll over better with it. So - and why I'm still not using it I don't have any idea, probably should go back to it.

But, you know, oddly enough it's the only golf club that I won a major with that I don't have. I'm sure one of my boys gave it away. You know I found my - I found my old Bullseye that I'd won the - the White Fang putter that I'd won in at ((inaudible)) with.

They had Steve's 40th birthday his roommate from college came down and said, "Hey, Mr. Nicklaus, I found this golf club in my garage that Steve gave me one day when he said his dad doesn't use this anymore." I said, "Well" so I found out and got that one back. And so maybe some day somebody will look in their garage and find my old putter. But I'm sure it's in one of Steve's or Michael's friends' garage. But it's the only one I don't have and it's - I'm trying to think what - oh, yes, and then after the Masters of course we couldn't - you know, we couldn't make enough putters. I don't know how many we sold ...

Male: 350,000.

Male: 350.

Jack Nicklaus: Was it 350 supposedly? 350,000 I suppose that's a reasonable number. We probably sold four and I used probably three of them before the Masters. My dad may have the other one. No, he wouldn't - he wouldn't allow it.

Next question.

Operator: Thank you. The next question is from Hank Gola from the New York Daily News.

Hank Gola: Hi, Jack. When we used to get you before these press conferences at all these majors lately you always said you were not much for nostalgia. I wonder now that you've played your last at St. Andrews if you are having a better time looking back and your triumphs in the majors?

Jack Nicklaus: That's the only thing I have anymore. I don't have anything to look forward to as it relates to golf. I'm spending most of my time answering questions looking back not looking forward. So, oh, I enjoy it. I don't think there's any question about enjoying it.

But when I was in - when I was in competition and trying to play to me to look back was, you know, not the right way to look so I never paid much attention to it. But as you get older you get a little bit more sentimental about things and you get more nostalgic.

So it's - so it's - yes, I look back on it. I said the '86 Masters was the one thing that's probably shown on television about every other week and I seem to, you know, every once in a while just happen to have the television on and get it and sort of watch a little bit of it. But it's kind of a fun thing for me to go back and look at some of that. And I look at some of the swings then and the swing when I was younger and that's what I look at anymore is the change in me and my body and the things that have happened over time that I enjoy more than - I mean I remember that I made the putt, they're not going to change the film, you know, but some of the other stuff that you don't pay attention to.

And let's take one more question from the phone line.

Operator: Thank you. There are no telephone questions at this time.

OK, let's go back here.

Male: Let's go on, Jack, you remember the '86 Masters so vividly, I'm just curious if you think that's because of course it was the last one that you won and if we were here for example to talk about the first major you won, first pro major, the '62 US Open, I'm not asking you to describe that but I'm wondering if you would remember that in any - with any kind of clarity in the same way?

Jack Nicklaus: Well, I think if you would have asked me about the '62 Masters as much as I've gotten asked about the '86 Masters I would probably remember it just as well. But nobody really asks me that much about the - about '62. I can remember a little bit about '62 but - I can remember some key points about it. And, you know, frankly, I still remember much prior to that ((inaudible)) in Augusta. But I've been asked about it 4,000 times and plus I see it on television, as I said, every other week so it refreshes my memory.

And I can go back and look at the - I mean I remember '62 - you're talking about '62 Open ...

Male: Open ...

Jack Nicklaus: Yes, '62 Open I can remember several things that happened there that sort of really sort of shaped my life. I mean obviously winning that against Arnold and, you know, ((inaudible)) my first win as a pro, it gave me lifetime (exemption). I know that Oakmont was a ((inaudible)) first that I enjoyed playing. I liked the difficulty of the greens. And I remember the ((inaudible)) hole in the playoff with Arnold was the reason why I quit smoking on the golf course. ((inaudible)) but I remember that ...

Male: ((inaudible)).

Jack Nicklaus: ... film of the '62 Masters on December 8th and I said, ((inaudible)) saw I had about a 25-foot putt on the - on the 12th - 13th hole, I'm sorry, ((inaudible)). And I ((inaudible)) putt and I reached down on the ground and picked up my cigarette and ((inaudible)) hung out of my mouth and I went ((inaudible)) and I looked at it and I said, "You know that's the worst example for youth I could ever imagine." I never smoked another cigarette on the golf course since.

And, you know, even though I - even though I smoked another, you know, 15 years I didn't - I didn't really ever smoke on the golf course again. And then I started picking my places to where if I was ((inaudible)) I was a recreational smoker and I'd pick the places I would do it. I wouldn't do it around my kids, I wouldn't smoke at home, you know, and I didn't smoke in the office. And then I sort of, you know, I'd smoke when I was at a party or we were playing cards or I went out fishing or hunting or something like that, that's when I smoked.

And that was - that was the '62 Masters was the influence for that.

Male: Masters or the U.S. Open?

Jack Nicklaus: I mean the U.S. Open, I'm sorry. ((inaudible)), you know, involved in the playoff. I birdied the first three holes of that playoff - birdied the first two holes of the tournament, I don't know which it was. But and I was always one great ((inaudible)) Oakmont.

I remember ((inaudible)) coming down to the 18th and ((inaudible)) sort of give up and ((inaudible)) just the edge of the rough. And I'll never forget that (Chick Hearn) was the announcer and Arnold had - Arnold drove ((inaudible)) and I drove it just in the edge of the rough and I had a two-shot lead going to the last hole. And Arnold hit a flat three-iron, looked like it was sort of a ((inaudible)), you know, didn't hit a very good shot.

And so I took my wedge and there was a cross bunker at Oakmont about a hundred yards before the green and I took it and pitched it out of the fairway and (Ferron) was kind of, "Oh, my gosh, he's choked ((inaudible))." Probably knew about as much about golf - I mean got a lesson from ((inaudible)). But really, he knew nothing about golf that was for sure. And the other ((inaudible)) you've got to be kidding, that's the first smart play in the whole day.

Anyway, ((inaudible)) two putter and won the golf tournament. Arnold ((inaudible)) green.

You know those are the kind of things I remember about '62. Now if you start going through that stuff and ((inaudible)) bushes - in a bush on 17 what ((inaudible)) two or three times in the bush ((inaudible)) (Phil Rogers) from actually probably winning the golf tournament. Phil ((inaudible)) played the best golf in the tournament. But those things are ((inaudible)).

But if you had gone through it as much as I've gone through '86 I would remember those, too.

Male: ... but you didn't get your green jacket until '98, the one that you actually got from the club. What coat did ((inaudible)) put on you in '86?

Jack Nicklaus: I don't know, probably mine ...

Male: ((inaudible)).

Jack Nicklaus: When I won - when I win - when I win the Masters in '63 turned out for the presentation and the ((inaudible)) was a little bigger than I was. I'm 36 long ((inaudible)) that's about a 32 regular. And anyway, the next year we went and tried to find a coat for me and I remember ((inaudible)) asked me to ((inaudible)) long coat, they gave me Tom Dewey's coat, former governor of New York and lost to Truman.

But anyway, I had Tom Dewey's coat and I wore Tom Dewey's coat for about seven years. ((inaudible)) nobody ever asked me if I wanted the coat. And so finally I had ((inaudible)) make a coat for me with a slightly different material. They were making ((inaudible)) slightly different material. And I wore that coat for quite a few years.

And then that one sort of wore out and I had found another one some place, I don't remember where it was. And finally I'm ((inaudible)) it was a week before the tournament in Oakmont in '98 and I'm ((inaudible)). And ((inaudible)) but I'd won six Masters and never had a coat. ((inaudible)), yes, you guys have never ((inaudible)).

And so anyway, the - so I had moved my locker and I got back on Monday before the tournament ((inaudible)) Monday-Tuesday whatever it was. You will go to the pro shop and be fit for you coat. So that's, you know, now ...

Male: You don't know which coat you ((inaudible)) in '86?

Jack Nicklaus: No, I don't, no. ((inaudible)) probably the same one I was wearing. That was probably ...

Male: Oh, OK.

Jack Nicklaus: ... Yes.

Male: Other question was ((inaudible)) on the last call was ((inaudible)) for all 20 majors. I was wonder where did that club come from ...

Jack Nicklaus: I was 18 years old when I started playing with that club - three wood and it was standard length and standard balance. Still ((inaudible)) actually and from 1958 to 1982 I never changed the grip. I had a leather grip ((inaudible)) new set of clubs every year but ((inaudible)) grip and the other ((inaudible)) reasonable ((inaudible)). So I finally like changed the grip finally after ((inaudible)) the same after that.

Male: ((inaudible)) ...

Male: ((inaudible)) ...

Jack Nicklaus: Was an amateur. I mean I had to ...

Male: ((inaudible)).

Jack Nicklaus: Right. No, I really ((inaudible)) set of golf clubs. There was ((inaudible)) - there was a club that I used when I was 18 and, you know, drivers I had when I was - I think I was - my last year as an amateur I had something 13 drivers that year and I ((inaudible)). And one of those drivers was the one that I finally ended up settling on. I used it from '61 through '66. ((inaudible)) broke in two pieces in South Africa when I was playing there ...

Male: ((inaudible)).

Jack Nicklaus: You couldn't walk out from the pro shop or the golf course where the pros are and have them ((inaudible)) $50 for you to figure out which one you want, you know. You found one you could use and you went and used it.

Male: You found a golf ((inaudible)) somewhere ...

Jack Nicklaus: Yes.

Male: ((inaudible)).

Jack Nicklaus: ((inaudible)).

Male: Right.

Jack Nicklaus: It was just a club, ((inaudible)). ((inaudible)) shaped plate on it and the ((inaudible)). Not that big, you know.

Male: ((inaudible)).

Jack Nicklaus: We ((inaudible)) sole plates.

OK, we're going to just wrap - we're going to stop the conference call here but if Jack has a couple more minutes we'll take a couple more questions here but we need to end the call right here.

Jack Nicklaus: ((inaudible)).

For those on the line, thank you for joining us today and there will be a transcript of this available within the next 24 hours. You can get on Nicklaus.com or if you email me - you all have my email address - we'll get that copy to you. Thanks for joining us.