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Gay comes back strong, wins duel for '67 Masters
By Robert Eubanks
Chronicle Sports Editor
Augusta, Ga., Monday, April 10, 1967 -- Gay Brewer, who gained notoriety as the man who blew a seven-foot putt in the Masters, redeemed himself for all eternity Sunday when he stormed past a three-man deadlock to win the 31st edition of the tournament by one stroke.
Until somewhere around 6 p.m. Sunday afternoon, Brewer was known for that miss on the last green last year. That enabled Jack Nicklaus and Tommy Jacobs to tie him and Big Jack went on to win his second straight.
However, Big Jack was around only to have the honor of bestowing the fabled Green Coat on Brewer, who was the sole remaining survivor of that historic playoff. Both Nicklaus and Jacobs failed to make the cut this time around.
Brewer birdied three straight holes on the back side in firing a five-under-par 67 that enabled him to finish at 280, a shot better than playing partner Bobby Nichols, a longtime pal from Kentucky.
Grim Determination
They had played golf together ``since we were kids.'' There was a certain looseness only friends can have when they come head-to-head. But, there also was a grimness in Brewer's determination to atone for something he likes to forget.
The 35-year-old Brewer, a veteran of 10 years as a pro, had been tied with the immortal Ben Hogan at 213, two shots back, at the start of this perfect Sunday afternoon, the fourth great day of weather.
However, he caught them all just past the turn and went ahead for good with a birdie on the par 5 13th hole. He almost made an eagle, but still got down in two from 30 feet at 13, hit a driver and six iron to within 20 feet for another birdie at 14.
Then came the decisive hole of the day, the one which won the tournament.
Brewer hit what he thought was a perfect four wood shot onto the green at the par 5 15th, but he was forced to chip back up and sink a 10-footer for the birdie.
He needed it because Nichols also birdied 13 from eight feet and two-putted 15 from 40 feet for a birdie. The first place finish was worth $20,000 to Brewer and more than a half million indirectly. Nichols picked up $14,000, which was $1,700 more than the second place man, Jacobs, received laster.
A Belated Charge
Yancey, who had led or shared the lead for all three previous rounds in his initial Masters, shot a 73 and finished at 284. Arnold Palmer made a belated charge and had 69 for 285 and was followed by Gary Player at 287.
Hogan, the 54-year-old Hawk who stunned the golf world with a blazing 66 Saturday, finished out with a 77 for 290 and a tie with the likes of Sam Snead, Roberts de Vicenzo, Mason Rudolph and Bruce Devlin.
Brewer wins Masters by one shot
Nichols, Yancey, Arnie runners-up
By Robert Eubanks
Chronicle Sports Editor
Augusta, Ga., Monday, April 10, 1967 -- Gay Brewer, the man who left a Green Coat waiting on the 18th green of the Augusta National course last year, came back to pick it up Sunday.
Brewer, who stated the day two shots behind, blazed out a five-under-par 67 to win a head-to-head duel with longtime friend Bobby Nichols coming down the stretch.
His score of 280 cut Nichols by a stroke and earned the $20,000 first prize that is only a tasteful morsel of what the championship actually will mean in added benefits.
To win the Masters, some say, is worth at least a half million dollars.
Brewer, 35, ended the seven-year domination of three-time winner Jack Nicklaus and four-time champion Arnold Palmer. Nicklaus missed the cut and Palmer, making a belated charge after bogeying the final two Saturday, finished in fourth at 285. Brewer now is the leading money winner with $63,273.21.
BUT, THE MOST IMPORTANT thing at least for Brewer was atoning for a missed seven-foot putt on 18 last year. He came into the final hole needing only a par to tie, but three-putted from 40 feet. Nicklaus went on to win a playoff with Tommy Jacobs and Brewer.
Sunday, Brewer did it be recording thee straight birdies to break from a deadlock with Nichols and Bert Yancey, who had led or shared the lead for the first three rounds.
At. 13, Brewer hit a driver and four iron on and two-putted for the birdie from 30 feet, after almost making an eagle.
NICHOLS PLACED HIS FOUR-WOOD second shot into the rear bunker and had to scramble out for par. Yancey, coming along right behind, three-putted for a par and Brewer, a 10-year-veteran on the tour, was on his way.
Nichols matched him shot for shot all the way in, but it was to no avail.
Brewer hit a driver and six iron within 20 feet of the hole and sank it for a birdie on 14, but Nichols knocked in a six-footer for a bird right behind him.
Then, both birdied 15 with Brewer making what he thought was a perfect shot. His four-wood second hit on the front of the green and he thought he had a two, but it bounced on the back side and he had to chip it to 10 feet for the birdie four.
Nichols got his routine fashion, knocking a three iron on and two-putting from 40 feet.
BOTH PARRED the 16th hole where Brewer got a slight scare by pulling his tee shot close to the water.
Brewer's tee shot hit the trees to the right on 17 and bounced back, requiring a four-wood shot that fell short and he had to chip it up with a six iron. But, he canned a four-footer for the par while Nichols was two-putting from 18 feet.
On 18, Brewer used a three-wood off the tee, hit a six iron just on the front of the green and made sure to leave his putt short. He then canned it from 1 foot for the par. Nichols actually had a shot at him right to the very end. He aimed his tee shot right at the bunker and allowed it to slide off slightly so he would get maximum distance out of it.
His nine iron approach went 20 feet above the pin and his initial putt wound up a foot below the pin. Nichols then canned it for the par and his 70.
THE SECOND place finish out of the $168,350 purse earned $14,000 for Nichols.
Yancey, who bogeyed 16 and 17 to finish up with a 73 and 284, earned $9,000 in his appearance in the Masters. Then came Palmer, who picked up $6,600 for his fourth-place finish and Julius Boros, who had gone into the final round in a tie with Nichols and Yancey, fifth with 75 for 286 and $5,500.
Gary Player shot 71 and Paul Harney 69 to tie at 287 and pick up $4,150 and Georgian Tommy Aaron and Lionel Hebert deadlocked at 288 to collect $3,350.
BANTAM BEN Hogan, who had stirred the hears of the thousands watching this great event, came back down to reality and shot a 77 for 290.
Hogan, the 54-year-old wizard who has won just about every conceivable honor (including two Masters) had fired an incredible six-under-par 66 Saturday and was just two shots back of the lead going into the final day. The low amateur was A. Downing Gray of Pensacola, Fla,., for the second time. Gray, who was low in 1965, shot 70-76-75-76-297.
Nichols, Yancey and Boros started the day with a two-shot edge over Brewer and Hogan. But, it didn't stay that way for long. Nichols hit what he called his best drive of the tournament to within 94 yards (he paced it off) of the green on the 400-yard par 4 first hole and then lofted a sand wedge to within 10 feet where he hot a birdie. He held that advantage as Brewer began to make his move on two with a birdie that left him two shots back.
BREWER USED a three-wood off the tee and hooked his drive down into what he called perfect position. He then hit a three-wood between the two front traps and the ball rolled over the green. However, he chipped back to with a foot and made it for the bird.
Yancey and Nichols meanwhile were getting pars and Boros birdied six with a 10-foot putt to tie Nichols at six under. Brewer birdied both seven and eight and Yancey eight to go six under while Nichols birdied eight to take the lead at seven under par.
A wedge to 10 feet got Brewer the bird at seven and he almost made an eagle at eight when his 40-foot putt went in and came right back out. Yancey hit his five-iron approach on the left edge and chipped to within five feet for his birdie on eight. Nichols got his on a driver, two-iron short and a pitching wedge to within 1 foot. That gave him a one-shot lead a the turn.
HE KEPT it as Yancey and Brewer joined him in bogeying while Boros threatened to come back by birdieing the 10th hole.
A bad chip from a trap went over and Nichols had to come back with a six-foot putt for his bogey. Brewer also got caught in the trap following his worst drive of the day and a pushed two-iron shot. He blasted out and two putted from seven feet. And Yancey found trouble in the bunker for his bogey. Boros holed out a 25-footer when he hit into the water for the birdie, but bogeyed 11 and came back with another bogey on 13. His five-iron tee shot went over and he three-putted from 15 feet.
That took care of the Moose and it was left up to Nichols, Yancey and Brewer as Nichols missed the 11th green to the right and missed a five-footer after chipping up.
THEY THUS were in a tie at five-under until Brewer got the first of his three straight birds to sew it up. Boros did birdie 13 by two-putting from 60 feet, but a trap got him on 18 and he wound up with a bogey. Palmer twice looked like he was going to move into contention.
Starting out at even par for the tournament, Arnie birdied three when he sank a 15-footer from the fringe. However, he went back even with a wedge to a trap and a miss from six feet on seven. On the back, Palmer sank a 15-footer for a birdie at 11 and chipped to within two feet for another at 13. The he two-putted from 15 feet for another on 18.
He barley missed an eagle and he said had he made it and rolled in the four-footer he barely missed on 16, he would've been right in contention.
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