Jack Nicklaus was a forgotten man at the 1986 Masters. At 46 years old and without a win in two years, one newspaper declared his game 'rusted.' But Augusta always brought out the best in the Golden Bear, leading to one of golf's most timeless moments.

At the age of 46, he was the forgotten man that week. All because he had no wins in two years, and also a season where he'd scraped together just $4,403 in earnings. A Georgia newspaper had buried him before a ball was struck, declaring his game "rusted from lack of use."

However, Nicklaus wasn't dissuaded at all. Instead, he used the course as motivation. "For some reason, Augusta always brought out the best in me," Nicklaus told GOLF Magazine.

A friend pinned the article to the refrigerator at their Augusta rental. Jack saw it, and he remembered it. He posted a six-under-par 30 on the back nine. It resulted in a seven-under-par 65 in the final round.

"It amazes me that people still ask me about it," Nicklaus said. "It's actually the first thing anybody brings up most anywhere we are, and half the people who bring it up weren't even alive when I won it."

Forty years later, the story refuses to age. Gary Koch was inside the ropes that week, close enough to feel the electricity as Nicklaus tore through the back nine.

"It was amazing when it happened, and it's no less amazing when we talk about it now," Koch said. "The fact that we still want to talk about it says a lot about just how special that day really was."

1986 Masters for Scott Verplank's Benchmark

Verplank was an amateur that week, paired with Jack Nicklaus in the first round. He had a front-row seat before most people knew what was brewing.

"It's probably the most iconic tournament in history," Verplank said. "It's the gold standard of memorable golf moments. You remember where you were when it happened."

Not many sporting moments carry that kind of weight four decades on. The victory marked his sixth green jacket and made him the oldest winner in Masters history, a record that still stands.

What's your favorite memory from the 1986 Masters? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar