The final round of the 1986 Masters Tournament is remembered for one of the greatest comebacks in golf history. But behind Jack Nicklaus’s iconic Sunday charge was a quiet tribute that most fans never noticed.

On that day, Jack Nicklaus chose his famous yellow shirt in memory of a young boy who had died from cancer a short while prior. It was an intentional decision on one of the most stressful days of the competition.

When reflecting on the day, Nicklaus said, "The boy's name was Craig Smith, and before he passed away, he told me he loved watching me play on Sundays and how he liked it when I wore a yellow shirt because it always seemed to bring me luck."

The inspiration for this choice came from the son of a church minister from Barbara's hometown, as detailed in a recent Golf Digest article. The young boy, Craig, felt that wearing yellow helped give the Golden Bear a boost every time he played on the PGA Tour.

That day, on that Sunday morning in April, Barbara reminded Jack about the boy's favorite color. "I remember Barbara telling me to wear yellow that Sunday morning, that it would bring me good luck because of Craig," Nicklaus narrates.

Nicklaus had not won any major tournament in six years and was considered an underdog at the age of 46. However, the memory of Craig gave him an emotional push to perform exceptionally on the back nine.

A Legacy of Tributes on the Green

Competing for something beyond trophies is common among golf professionals. Many golfers use their platform to pay tribute to people who have supported them.

Similarly, another example of clothing symbolism comes from Tiger Woods, who is renowned for wearing Sunday red to honor his mother's belief that red was his "power color."

In a way, the same is true for the yellow shirts worn by Jack Nicklaus, and it served as a psychological trigger for him on Sundays.

On an interesting note, at the 2021 WGC-Workday Championship event, a considerable number of PGA Tour players wore black and red in honor of Woods after his life-threatening car accident.

Golfers often use their Sunday outfits to connect with memories that drive their professional success.

For Jack Nicklaus, the year 1986 not only meant achieving his eighteenth major championship, but also his last chance to make things lucky for the kid who always believed in the yellow shirt.

Read more at Daily Club Golf!

Written by

Abhishek Sharma

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav