1977

By Robert Eubanks
Chronicle Sports Editor

Augusta, Ga., Monday, April 11, 1977 -- The question was inevitable.

``Does this mean an end to the choker image,'' Tom Watson was asked.

``What do you think? I'll let you answer that question,'' Watson replied.

The questioner never answered -- he didn't have to.

Thomas Sturges Watson had let his golf sticks do the talking.

Watson had the game's most feared player, ``Golden Bear'' Jack Nicklaus, crawling up his back but he didn't flinch.

The 5-9 160-pounder from Kansas City exploded for birdies when he had to en route to a 67 and a 276 total, which edged the Bear by two strokes in an Easter Sunday windup of the 41st Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

``It was just one of those days,'' said five-time winner Nicklaus, who had started the day three shots off the pace and blazed to a near perfect 66. ``No matter what I did right, somebody else did better.''

``I knew I had to make some birdies to win,'' Tom said. ``I couldn't make pars to beat Jack.''

``It looked to me Jack was making no mistakes at all - just solid golf shots,'' said Ben Crenshaw, the third round co-leader who soared to a 76 285.

``Watson was just as solid except for the first hole (where he made par out of the trees),'' said Rick Massengale, who ended with a 70 and a tie with Tom Kite (67) at 280. ``I would hit it close and he would hit it right beside me all day.''

Watson's best shot of the day was a four-iron to within 10 feet of the pin on the 450-yard fifth, which set up the first of four straight birdies. But his best putt of the afternoon was a 20-footer for a birdie following a nine-iron on 17.

Nicklaus had held the lead for ``about half a hole'' when he birdied 15, going 11 under par while Watson was getting a bogey on 14 to drop to 10 under. But Watson pulled back even with a bird at 15.

``I felt like my swing was well enough to make birdie,'' Watson said. ``When I missed that putt on 16 (a 15-footer), I said I have to birdie one of these next two holes.''

He did.

``I had a great feeling when it was six feet from the hole,'' Watson said.

It was pivotal because it forced Nicklaus to change his thinking. Jack had planned to play safe for the middle of the green, hope his putt would fall in for a birdie and if not, go on to the sudden death playoff.

``I heard Tom make the birdie of 17,'' Nicklaus said. ``As soon as he made the putt, I changed my strategy. I hadn't planned on somebody making a birdie. My mind wasn't ready for it.

``I had a six-iron in my hand. I had a thin lie and tried to `soft' a six-iron in but I hit it fat in the trap. A light shot is hard to hit under pressure and I didn't think I could get there with a hard seven.''

He blasted to within 12 feet but missed the putt, giving Watson a two-stroke advantage. Watson used a four-wood because it was downwind and didn't want to drive into the trap on 18. He still didn't know that Jack was putting for a bogey when he prepared to hit his six-iron shot into the green.

``The main thing I thought about is `What is Nicklaus doing?' I thought the short putt was for a birdie. I asked the gallery and they said he was putting for a bogey. I said, ``Oh my God, let's go,'' Watson said.

The windup was in direct contrast to the 1976 Masters, when Raymond Floyd equaled Nicklaus' record of 271 and won by eight shots over Crenshaw. It was reminiscent of the great 1975 Masters slugfest in which Nicklaus out-dueled Tom Weiskopf and Johnny Miller down the stretch, running in a 40-foot putt on 16 to win by a stroke.

Watson was paired with Nicklaus that day, but put two shots into the water on 16. Watson went on to win the 1975 British Open, temporarily removing the label as a man who had a tendency to hit costly shots at critical times.

That talk returned recently when Watson, a winner on consecutive weeks earlier in the year, let victories slip away in the Tournament Players Championship and the Heritage Classic. He had entered the Masters as the leading money winner with $135,185 and Sunday's $40,000 first prize gave his total a healthy boost.

In so doing, Watson put off for another year Nicklaus' hopes of winning the world's four major championships, a Grand Slam.

``I guess I'm the only one who can do it now,'' grinned Watson.

He had said his recent troubles were problems with swing rhythm, not choking, but nevertheless the finale appeared very interesting as Watson and Crenshaw teed off tied at 209 with Massengale just a stroke behind and Nicklaus lurking along with Jim Colbert just three strokes off the pace.

The day evolved as an early sparring session between Watson and Massengale with Nicklaus taking over for Massengale in the main event, the final nine. Kite made a great run to gain his third-place tie. Former U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin, who had closed with a record-tying 64 in 1975, tossed in a 68 for 282 and a pair of Grahams, ex-Open champ Lou and Australian David, scored 69s for 284.

At 285 were Floyd (71), Crenshaw (76), first-round leader Hubert Green (72), Don January (71), Gene Littler (69) and John Schlee (68). Colbert shot himself out of it with a 39 on the back nine for 74 and 286.

Nicklaus admitted it was an unnerving experience to turn in a three-under-par 33 and ``actually lose ground.'' Causing that were Watson and Massengale, who almost matched each other shot-for-shot.

Massengale went over and chipped back for a four-foot birdie at two with the long-hitting Watson finding a bunker and missing birdie.

The fireworks started on five. The four-iron second shot started Watson off on his spree. Following the 10-foot birdie putt, he rapped a five-iron to 15 feet on six, a pitching wedge to four feet on seven and although he pushed his three-wood second shot on eight, he pitched on and sand a 15-foot birdie putt.

Meanwhile, Massengale was getting birdies on three of those four holes. He made a 12-footer on five, barely missed a 20-footer from the same general area of Watson's shot on six, ran in a four-footer on seven and two-putted from 20 feet on eight, making a three-foot birdie putt.

Nicklaus hit a driver and eight-iron to 20 feet on four and two-putted after a two-iron got him to 50 feet on two for a pair of quick birdies. After missing birdie putts of 12 feet on six and 18 feet on seven, he hit a one-iron to eight where he two-putted from 40 feet, making a five-foot birdie putt.

He missed a 15-foot birdie at nine, letting him turn four shots behind Watson and three back of Massengale.

On the backside, Nicklaus birdied four of six holes to catch Watson, who had two bogeys, two birdies and a pair of pars over the same stretch. The wheels ran off quickly for Massengale, who bogeyed 10 and 11.

The course is so situated that Watson was able to look down on his pursuer, playing a hole ahead. The setting was reminiscent of 1975 when Nicklaus had the added advantage of having his competitors see his handiwork firsthand, rather than having to depend upon the gallery sounds or the scoreboard figures relaying the message.

Watson got an eyeful but he didn't waver.

At 10, an eight-iron set up a 20-foot birdie putt that dropped Nicklaus to four under for the day and eight under for the tournament. Watson hit a two-iron off the left edge and jerked a four-foot par putt, sliding to 10 under.

Massengale put his second shot into the trap and missed a 12-footer. Nine under, Nicklaus saved a par from the bunker on 11, sinking a 12-footer.

This is where Massengale retired for the day. He hit a three-iron way right, chipped short and missed from the same distance.

``That killed my run at it,'' he said.

Watson and Nicklaus now were going head-to-head with some of the prime playing and viewing holes coming up. Nicklaus zinged an eight-iron to 12 feet and ran it in for a birdie on 12.

Meanwhile, Watson was concerned with a fly resting on his ball, which was on the fringe, 30 feet from the hole. He feared the bug might make him hit it over the green and into the water hazard.

``I asked a USGA official could I lift it and he said `Of course you can't'' Watson related. ``I waved at the ball but I was afraid I would move it accidentally. It was a tough situation. Nicklaus makes birdie and this little bug was on the back of my ball.''

The bug crawled under it, then back where Watson's club would hit it ``so I just hit the bug and the ball'' and he escaped with a par.

Watson parred 12, leaving him a shot ahead of Nicklaus coming into one of the two real birdie holes on the back side. Jack hit his three-iron second shot within 40 feet of the hole and two-putted for the birdie, gaining a temporary tie at 10 under.

``When Nicklaus birdied 13, I knew I would have to birdie right on top of him,'' Watson said.

He did, pulling his two-iron approach to the left rear fringe but chipping down to three feet. Nicklaus lost a golden opportunity when a 15-foot birdie putt curled away from the hole at the last minute on 14.

Watson hit a seven-iron that hit the ``elephant'' bank on the green and bounced back, 45 feet from the hole. He lipped out a five-foot par putt and had to make a 3-footer coming back.

That made them both 10 under and Nicklaus briefly took the lead when he birdied 15 first.

Jack's four-iron second shot went through the green on the 520-yard hole and he almost chipped it in four an eagle three. A three-foot putt gave him a birdie, putting him 11 under par and on top.

But Watson came right behind him with a driver and two-iron to the back fringe, eventually making a 3-footer for a birdie and a deadlock.

That set up the pivotal swing of two shots on Watson's birdie at 17 and Nicklaus' bogey at 18.

U.S. Open Champion Jerry Pate, plagued with injuries, and Tom Weiskopf, one of the pre-tournament favorites, each shot 71 for 286.

Lee Elder, wo became the first Negro to play in the Masters but missed the cut in 1975, appeared on the way to a second straight 68, putting him at four under par for the tournament midway through the back nine. He faltered for a 71 and 287 but earned a return trip for finishing in the top 24.