1988

Sandy first Scot to capture title

By David Westin
Sports Writer

Augusta, Ga., Monday, April 11, 1988 -- Displaying coolness under fire not seen at Augusta National since Arnold Palmer in 1960, Scotland's Sandy Lyle used a brilliant birdie on the final hole to win the 52nd Masters Sunday.

Not since Palmer's victory 28 years ago had a golfer won the Masters in such dramatic fashion - making a birdie on the final hole of regulation while playing in the final group of the day.

With Mark Calcavecchia waiting in the wings, Lyle needed a par on No. 18 to assure a playoff. Calcavecchia, playing in the group ahead of Lyle, had scrambled to par the hole for a 2-under-par 70.

Lyle's drive on the par-4 final hole found the front left fairway bunker, more than 140 yards from the pin. Playing in his seventh Masters, Lyle could see victory slipping away as he took his stance in the shifting sand.

``I personally thought it was over,'' said the first Scotsman to win the Masters. ``That front bunker has a steep face. The place I didn't want to hit it was in the front, lefthand bunker. I didn't think I'd have a chance of getting it out of that bunker and getting it to the green.''

The long-hitting Lyle lofted a magnificent 7-iron to about 30 feet above the hole. The gallery cheered as it slowly trickled down the slope, resting 10 feet from victory.

``I was lucky it was up the face (in the bunker) and I had a good lie and I had enough club to get it there,'' Lyle said.

The 10-foot birdie putt awaiting him had no break, ``but it's not a putt you want to have every day of the week,'' he said. ``Anybody in that position, for what it is worth and the honor of winning that tournament, you're not going to feel that confident. Your knees are knocking a little bit. You've been there so many times, like in playoff conditions. You've got to go through the motion. I've learned to keep my nerves under reasonable control.''

Lyle kept his nerves in check, but stunned Calcavecchia as he rolled in the birdie for his second major championship.

``I'm still a little bit stunned,'' said Calcavecchia. ``I didn't think he would make birdie on the hole from where he was and under those circumstances. It would have been pretty easy to make bogey.

``What can you say? He hit just an awesome putt,'' added Calcavecchia. ``I had a feeling he was going to make the putt after hitting that kind of bunker shot. I've said many times that he's one of the greatest putters in the world.''

``I had a clean hit and the pace was right and it all came together - bingo,'' said Lyle.

The victory, the fifth in America and third this year for the 1985 British Open winner, brought him the $183,000 first place check. Lyle, who came into the Masters as the leading money winner on the tour this year, boosted his total to $591,821.

The dramatic birdie brought the 30-year-old Lyle home in 71 and 7-under 281 for the distance. Last year's winning total was 285 by Larry Mize, who shot 79 Sunday and finished tied for 45th and last place among those who made the cut.

Calcavecchia, a 27-year-old Floridian playing in only his second Masters, won $110,200 for second place after rounds of 71-69-72-70. In third place, two back of Lyle, came 1982 Masters champion Craig Stadler, who closed with a 68 and won $69,400. Ben Crenshaw, the 1984 Masters winner, finished fourth, three back, after a 72, He won $48,000.

Fred Couples (71) and Don Pooley (70) tied for fifth place, along with Australian Greg Norman, who had a 64 Sunday, one shot off the 18-hole Masters record.

The globetrotting Norman put together an eight-birdie, no bogey round to move from a tie for 25th place, 11 shots off the lead, to within four of the winning total. He tied a Masters record with a 6-under-par 30 on the front nine, established by Johnny Miller in 1975.

Lyle is the first golfer from Great Britain to win the Masters. Though he was born and still lives in Shrewsbury, England, Lyle considers himself a Scot.

``My parents were born in Scotland,'' said Lyle. ``I've got Scottish blood inside of me. When I turned pro, I had to choose between playing for England and Scotland. I chose Scotland.''

Following rounds of 71-67-72, Lyle carried a two-shot lead over Calcavecchia and Crenshaw into the final round.

Lyle enjoyed a three-shot cushion from holes No. 4 through 10.

On the back nine, which Lyle had played in even par the first 54 holes compared with 6-under on the front nine, he suddenly began to give strokes back to par at an alarming rate.

``Everything went smoothly, then everything went a bit wild,'' said Lyle.

Lyle three-putted No. 11 for bogey, then visited the water on the devilish par-3 12th hole and emerged with a double bogey. With that, Lyle had lost three shots to par in two holes and found himself back to 1-over-par for the day and tied with Calcavecchia and Stadler at 5-under for the tournament.

When Calcavecchia two-putted for birdie on the par-5 13th, the lead was his momentarily. Stadler, playing two groups ahead of Calcavecchia, had bogeyed the hole but rebounded with a birdie on No. 15 to reclaim a share of the lead at 6-under.

Calcavecchia reclaimed the lead on No. 15 where he made one of his patented, scrambling pars. After flying his second shot over the green, Calcavecchia chipped short, to 10 feet and made the putt for par.

Calcavecchia flew the par-3, No. 16 hole, but once again saved par. Again with a 10-foot putt.

``I birdied No. 13 and parred all the rest coming in,'' said Calcavecchia. ``I guess I needed one more. There have been a lot of people panic out there on the back nine over the years. I'm proud of the fact that I played the last 11 holes four under. I'm proud of that. I'm a happy golfer.''

Lyle, playing one group behind Calcavecchia, answered with a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 16 to claim a share of the lead.

Meanwhile, by this time, Stadler was in the clubhouse with his 5-under-par 283 total. His only hope for a playoff would be if both Calcavecchia and Lyle played the final two holes in 1-over.

Neither of the leaders obliged. Calcavecchia played the two holes in even-par and Lyle was 1-under.

``When I walked off the 16th green, I didn't want to make two pars, I wanted to make two birdies,'' said Calcavecchia. ``I felt I could birdie at least one of the two holes. My caddy said, `play smart.' I said, `play smart, hell, I'm making birdies here.'''

On the par-4, No. 17, Calcavecchia finally hit a green in regulation and two-putted for par, making a pressure-packed, 4-foot comebacker. Lyle hooked his drive on the hole, it hit the gallery and bounced back into the fairway. On No. 18, Calcavecchia hit the par-4 green into the fringe in front. He chipped to within a foot of the hole and made the putt for his 70 and 282. That set the stage for Lyle's heroics.