1994

By David Westin
Staff Writer

Monday, April 11, 1994 -- Spain joined the United States as the only country to produce more than one champion in Masters Tournament history Sunday when Jose Maria Olazabal became the latest in a line of foreigners to win at the Augusta National Golf Club.

Mr. Olazabal, who played his final 49 holes of the 58th Masters in 11 under par, closed with his second-straight 3-under 69.

In what was a three-man race over the final 13 holes for the title, the 28-year-old Mr. Olazabal won by two shots over Americans Tom Lehman (72 Sunday) and three over Larry Mize (71).

The man known to his fellow competitors as ``Ollie'' finished at 9-under-par 279 for the grueling 72-hole test. Mr. Olazabal had just two bogeys over the final 56 holes of play. For the tournament, he had 11 birdies, two eagles, six bogeys and 53 pars.

Only 13 golfers in the field shot par or better for the tournament on the firmed-up Augusta National greens. In contrast, 25 golfers were at par or under in 1993.

It was also the first time in five years that the winner wasn't at least 10-under par.

Foreign golfers have now won six of the past seven Masters titles. While South Africa, Germany, Wales, England and Scotland have produced Masters champions, Spain is now the only foreign country to have two different players win Masters titles.

Fellow countryman Seve Ballesteros, who has been Mr. Olazabal's mentor and teammate in 4-Ball Ryder Cup matches, won the Masters in 1980 and 1983.

A note Mr. Ballesteros left in Mr. Olazabal's locker Sunday morning was just the inspiration Ollie needed to go out and win the 58th Masters.

``It was very nice,'' said Mr. Olazabal, who said he would not reveal the contents of the note. ``Seve has had a great influence on me. He's given me courage and confidence to keep on playing. That is very important coming from a man like Seve, who has won (five) major championships.''

Mr. Olazabal, of Fuenterrabia, Spain, has won nearly half a million dollars in the past two weeks. He won $129,600 last week for finishing second at the PGA Tour stop in New Orleans. First-place money in the Masters paid $360,000. For his last eight rounds, Mr. Olazabal is 21 under par.

``I have won 19 tournaments,'' Mr. Olazabal said of his eight-year professional career. ``I think that is pretty good for someone my age.''

Mr. Olazabal is the youngest Masters champion since Mr. Mize in 1987. Mr. Mize was 28 years, 8 months old. Mr. Olazabal is 28 years, 2 months old.

``What can I say?'' said Mr. Olazabal, who was the runner-up in the 1991 Masters despite making a tournament record 7 on the par-3 sixth hole in the second round. ``It's like a dream come true. I've been working hard. At the end, I got it. I couldn't be a happier man.''

Mr. Olazabal was tied for 26th place after an opening 74 on Thursday, moved into a tie for fifth place after a second-round 67 and was all alone in second place, one shot off Mr. Lehman's lead, after a third-round 69.

He was eight shots off the leader after the first round, two shots off the pace after the second round and just one shot behind Mr. Lehman after three rounds.

On Sunday, Mr. Olazabal birdied No. 8 to pull into a tie for the lead with Mr. Lehman and Mr. Mize at 8 under par for the tournament.

Mr. Olazabal took the lead for good when he parred No. 13 from the right rough to remain at 8 under par. Mr. Mize, playing in the group ahead, bogeyed No. 14 and dropped to 7 under. Mr. Lehman, in the same pairing with Mr. Olazabal, was also one shot back of Mr. Olazabal after making bogey on No. 12.

Mr. Olazabal lowered the boom on Mr. Lehman and Mr. Mize when he rolled in a 30-foot eagle putt from just off the front of the green on the par-5 15th hole. On Mr. Olazabal's second shot, he had 208 yards to the pin, and his 3-iron shot barely cleared the pond in front of the green.

``I knew it would clear the water,'' Mr. Olazabal said. ``But after I hit it I thought it might roll back into the water. It was one foot short of going into the water.''

Mr. Olazabal capitalized on the break, rolling in the putt for his second eagle of the tournament. He also eagled the par-5 eighth hole on Saturday. Only three golfers eagled No. 15 on Sunday.

``The putt was left to right and uphill,'' Mr. Olazabal said.

``He's a great putter; I wasn't in the least bit surprised he made it,'' Mr. Lehman said.

Mr. Lehman then tried a 15-foot eagle putt of his own. It looked true all the way, then caught the edge of the hole and stayed out. With that, Mr. Olazabal led Mr. Lehman by two shots and Mr. Mize, who had bogeyed No. 14, by three shots.

``I put my heart and soul in that putt,'' Mr. Lehman said of the eagle attempt on No. 15. ``When it missed, it was like a stab to the heart. I though it was in, my caddy thought it was in. It just didn't go in.''

When Mr. Mize saw the ``10'' go up on the leader board, indicating Mr. Olazabal's eagle had pushed him to 10 under par for the tournament, he said, ``I wish the guys (scoreboard operators) had been joking. I wish they'd taken that down and put another number up.''

After the eagle missed on No. 15, Mr. Lehman missed birdie attempts of 4 feet and 15 feet on Nos. 16 and 17, respectively.

``When you see things like that happen, you think maybe it's your turn to win,'' Mr. Olazabal said.

``After 15 I said to myself, `You have to keep cool.' I knew two shots was not too much playing these last three holes,'' Mr. Olazabal said. ``When he (Mr. Lehman) missed the putt on No. 16, I said to myself, `Well, this is the best chance you're going to have to win the tournament.'

``After No. 17, when I missed my putt (for par), I said, `You better be careful now.' When I saw he missed the putt on 18, that was the turning point. Then it was my turn.''

When Mr. Olazabal made bogey on No. 17 and Mr. Lehman par, Mr. Lehman trailed by one shot going into the 18th hole. Mr. Lehman's conservative strategy - he played a 1-iron off the tee hoping to stay short of a fairway bunker - backfired. The shot ``ran like a little rabbit'' and went in the bunker, 265 yards from the tee.

From there, he hit a 7-iron ``a hair fat'' and came up 20 yards short of the green, missed a 15-foot par putt and took bogey.

Mr. Olazabal missed the green to the left, chipped up to 7 feet and ran that in for a par.

Mr. Mize, in the group ahead, had bogeyed No. 18 for the third straight day to drop out of the picture.

``My hat's off to Jose Maria,'' Mr. Lehman said. ``He played a super round.''