1976

By Robert Eubanks
Chronicle Sports Editor

Augusta, Ga., Monday, Monday, April 12, 1976 -- It hadn't even entered Raymond Floyd's wildest dreams.

Oh, he had set winning the Master's as his goal and had geared his game toward that end this year. But the $40,000 score - 271!

``When Jack set that record, I was awed,'' Floyd said of the Masters mark established by Jack Nicklaus in 1965. ``I played in the Masters that year and this course just does not yield that score.

``To tie it was unbelievable. I feel elated to be a part of it.''

Nicklaus early in the week had said he though somebody would break his record some day. ``Records are made to be broken,'' he had said.

But Sunday, the defending champ and five-time winner shook his head sadly and said, ``I really am surprised to see my Masters record tied. I though it would stand for a long time. Ray just had four super rounds this week.''

Although the day was reduced to setting records and a battle for second place, Raymond Logan Floyd really wasn't aiming at 271 Sunday in the final round of the 40th Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club.

What he wanted to do was shoot a round under par and win it with a touch of class. He did it and with the wind gusting up to perhaps 25-30 miles an hour, the 70 stood near the quality of his seven-under-par 65 on Thursday or the 66 of Friday.

He really didn't begin to think of the 271 until he birdied 15. That dropped him to 17 under par.

``I knew it was all over then,'' he said. ``All I have to do is walk in the last three holes and not get hurt.

``That's when I tried to break it. At 16, I hit a five iron off the green, about 15 feet from the hole and chipped it up to two feet. At 17, I hit a nine iron right at the flag but it just didn't get up (he chipped to five feet). And at eight, I hit a squirrelly nine iron about 35 feet from the hole.''

He barely missed the putt and was forced to settle with a record-tying score.

The 6-1, 220-pound Floyd, 33, grew up in Fayetteville, N.C., now lives in Miami and plays out of Lake Havasu City, Ariz. And Augusta can lay a prior claim, of sorts, on him.

He was stationed at Fort Gordon for four months in mid-1961 and was a lifeguard at the fort's recreation area at Lake Clarks Hill.

It was exciting for Ray to win his second major championship - the 1969 PGA was his first - but his play this week made Sunday's finish the direct opposite of last year's windup when Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf and Johnny Miller battled to the end.

Floyd had taken an eight-shot lead into Sunday's final round and in his heart, he felt it was over. He was correct, winning by that same margin over 24-year-old Ben Crenshaw, who picked up $25,000 for second place. Sunday's program mostly a ho-hum affair.

The loudest noise we heard for the longest time was a pari of fire engines racing down Berckmans Road just before Floyd stroked a majestic three iron three feet from the hole on five.

It wasn't until Gentle Ben mounted his drive for second place with sensational play on 13, 14 and 15 that the gallery was treated to anything resembling a charge. The wind, meeting the golfers head on at the most crucial holes, had a tempering effect on any belated ambitions.

``Floyd was so far ahead, I was just playing for second,'' said Crenshaw, who had started out 11 strokes back and wound up with 67 for 279. ``I was free-wheeling it. I had no pressure on myself. I'm tickled to death to finish second.''

``The last time I had this much fun was when I was having a root canal,'' said Larry Ziegler, who tied Nicklaus for third, 11 shots back.

``I was trying to get around without hurting myself. I was trying to finish second. Jack wasn't doing much so I though I had a good shot at it.''

Ziegler finished with 72 while Nicklaus had 73 for 282. They each won $16,250.

When did he think Floyd had it won?

``Nobody had a chance to catch him after the ninth hole,'' Ziegler said of Floyd, who turned in par 36. ``Someone would have had to put a hot 32 together. But even if they had, the way Ray was playing, nobody was going to catch him.

``We had the kinda conditions today, with the winds, where he could have played bad. He didn't have to play that good. But he played so good, nobody could catch him."

Nicklaus said he though he still could do it until the 12th or 13th hole, but Floyd showed no signs of cracking.

``I had birdied 18 and when I went home last night, I knew in my heart that it was all over, that I would win,'' Floyd said. ``I honestly believed that when I came to the golf course this morning, that it was over. I'm pleased with the way I played because I was in control all the way. I didn't let the bogeys bother me. I felt in total control at all times and I accomplished my goal.''

"With that big lead, I honestly felt nobody could catch me. If I played par golf, Jack would have had to shoot a 63 and I just didn't think this course would yield that score under the conditions.''

Twenty-one of the 29 previous Masters had been decided by one stroke or in playoffs and only six had been decided by more than three strokes. Nicklaus' nine-stroke margin over Arnold Palmer and Gary Player is the record.

In addition to gaining a share of the 72-hole record, Floyd broke three other Masters standards. His 65-66-131 broke the 36-hole mark by four and his 54 hole total of 201 cut Jack's 1975 record by a shot.

And, Floyd played par fives in 14-under-par, which broke Jimmy Demaret's record of 13. Floyd's domination of the Augusta National was in direct contrast to Nicklaus' march in 1965.

Many people only think of Nicklaus' length but in 1965, the difference really came on the par threes. He was seven under there and was only nine under on the par fives.

If dropping a box of balls on a soft drink and not spilling a drop (as he did in the locker-room) didn't tell us something, the way Floyd played the first hole did.

With the wind in his face, he didn't think he could carry the trap so he aimed left. That's exactly where he hit it, landing 2 feet from a young pine tree.

The tree restricted his follow-through but ``I forgot about the club and hit it.''

He landed on the green and two putted from 40 feet for a par.

``I thought that was a good indication of what he would do today,'' Ziegler said. ``He must have had a lost of confidence in himself to make that shot. He had no follow-through and almost broke his club. I'm sure the tree bent it.''

``It must not have hurt the club because I made a birdie with it (20-footer) on 12,'' Floyd laughed.

The head wind caused Floyd some indecisive moments on the 220-yard par three fourth hole. He though about using a four-iron ``but I could just see that wind stopping and you know, that street (Berckmans Road) is right behind that hole.'' So he took a five-iron, had the wind ``blow it like a marshmallow'' off to the right, chipped up and missed the 10-foot putt.

But he came right back with that magnificent three iron on five for a birdie to go back even for the day.

After the 20-footer at 12, a piece of bark got in the way on 13 and possibly cost him a birdie on 13. The bark made the ball jump dead left on a chip and he missed the 19-foot birdie putt.

On 14, he hit a nine iron over the green, chipped back and made a clutch 15-foot par putt. And on 15 he was ``20 yards behind my go mark,'' layed up with a four iron and hit a sand wedge to 15 feet for a birdie.

Crenshaw pushed his drive, had to chip out, missed the green and sank a two-foot bogey putt on No. 1 but got it back with a 10-footer on three. He then sank a 20-footer on seven and blasted to six feet on eight for birdies to turn two-under.

On 13, he hit a 240-yard three-wood shot that stopped 20 feet from the hole and he made it for an eagle. Ben drove into the trees but faded a two-iron low and onto the green where he made a 15-foot birdie putt.

He almost came up with birdie on 15 despite having his three-wood second shot roll back down the bank and onto the mud. Crenshaw pulled off his right shoe and sock, rolled up his pants leg and blasted it to 15 feet but pulled the putt.

That brought the loudest response from the gallery until they gave Floyd his fitting tribute on 18.