Jack Nicklaus’ 1986 Masters victory came at age 46, when he was considered past his prime, and Nicklaus won his sixth Green Jacket and 18th major. 

Nearly four decades ago, Nicklaus arrived at Augusta National for the 1986 Masters. He read a newspaper column that described him as finished. 

Nicklaus put the article on the wall of his rental house for the week and played the tournament with the goal of proving the writer wrong.

At age 46, he became the oldest winner of the Masters and the third-oldest winner of any major championship, but how did it all happen?

Jack Nicklaus’s final round that led him to victory

Nicklaus opened with a 74 in the first round. He then shot 71 in the second round and reached the halfway point six strokes behind Seve Ballesteros.

In the third round, he recorded a 69, moving into a tie for ninth and to within four strokes of Greg Norman’s 54-hole lead. In the final round, he made no significant progress through the first eight holes. 

Jack Nicklaus then made birdies on holes 9, 10, and 11, followed by a bogey on 12 that left him three shots behind the leaders. After that, he made a birdie on 13, an eagle on 15, and birdies on 16 and 17, which moved him into the lead.

Seve Ballesteros, Tom Kite, and Greg Norman all had chances to match or pass Nicklaus as they finished their rounds after him, but none of them did.

Norman reached the final hole tied for the lead and made bogey, leaving Nicklaus alone at the top and the winner of his sixth Masters title.

Nicklaus shot 65 in the final round, the lowest score recorded that day. His winning total was 9-under 279, finishing one stroke ahead of Tom Kite and Greg Norman.

Seve Ballesteros, after hitting into the water on the 15th hole, finished two strokes behind.

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu