Jack Nicklaus won his sixth Masters on Sunday, April 13, 1986, at Augusta National, confirmed by Jim Nantz’s account. jack nicklaus entered the final round tied for ninth and six strokes back, confirmed by Jim Nantz. Jim Nantz, a first-year broadcaster who watched from the tower behind the par-3 16th, described the finish as surreal, confirmed by Jim Nantz.
Jim Nantz at Pebble Beach
Jim Nantz recalled that in January he was at Pebble Beach for the first event of the season and was told by Frank Chirkinian, confirmed by Jim Nantz, that "You are here only to observe how we present a telecast." Jim Nantz said Chirkinian told him he would "be included in the Masters broadcast 10 weeks later" if "things went well in the coming weeks, including an on-air premiere at the Doral Open," confirmed by Jim Nantz and quoted verbatim: "If things went well in the coming weeks, including an on-air premiere at the Doral Open, he planned to include me in the Masters broadcast 10 weeks later."
Park Meadows C.C. Exhibition
Jim Nantz recounted that in June 1984 he caddied for Jack Nicklaus during an exhibition at Park Meadows C.C. in Park City, Utah, confirmed by Jim Nantz. Jim Nantz said Johnny Miller joined Jack Nicklaus for the 18-hole debut round and that two local sports broadcasters served as caddies, confirmed by Jim Nantz. Jim Nantz said he was one of those two local sports broadcasters and that he "steered Nicklaus to a birdie-free 73" in the 18-hole debut round, confirmed by Jim Nantz; that 73 included "17 pars" and "one three-putt bogey," confirmed by Jim Nantz.
Jack Nicklaus's Final Round
Jack Nicklaus entered Sunday tied for ninth, six strokes back, confirmed by Jim Nantz. Jack Nicklaus was 46 years old at the time and had not won a major in six years, confirmed by Jim Nantz. The Sunday leaderboard included Greg Norman, Nick Price, Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Tom Kite, Corey Pavin, Tom Watson and Sandy Lyle, confirmed by Jim Nantz. Jim Nantz noted that Nick Price had shot a course-record 63 on Saturday and that Greg Norman was the third-round leader, confirmed by Jim Nantz.
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Jim Nantz said the tower was so close to the action that he learned to lower his voice so as not to distract players, confirmed by Jim Nantz, and that in March he had first seen Augusta National when asked to record promotional spots for the tournament, confirmed by Jim Nantz. Jim Nantz also said late in the day the setting sun was at his back and "the intense light made the golf balls appear larger than they were," confirmed by Jim Nantz. Jim Nantz said he used the broadcaster parlance "lay out" at Augusta National, quoted word-for-word: "lay out," confirmed by Jim Nantz.
Jack Nicklaus’s comeback was seen on television by 7 million TV viewers, confirmed by Jim Nantz. Jack Nicklaus’s sixth Masters win is described in the account as the most anyone has won, confirmed by Jim Nantz and presented here as the central fact marking this 40 years retrospective, confirmed by Jim Nantz and the timeline noted in the record: 40 years since the April 13, 1986, finish.
Jim Nantz’s personal timeline in the account shows he was 26 years old when hired by the network the following summer, confirmed by Jim Nantz, and that his earlier caddying connection to Jack Nicklaus in June 1984 preceded his broadcast role at Augusta National. Frank Chirkinian asked network brass to include Jim Nantz on the broadcast team, confirmed by Jim Nantz, and Nantz shared a Pebble Beach villa with Bob Drum during the early-season event, confirmed by Jim Nantz.
Jim Nantz’s account leaves specific play-by-play scoring for Jack Nicklaus’s Sunday holes unspecified in this record; it is unknown from the provided account exactly which holes or shots produced the decisive scoring swings and which other participants will publish detailed contemporaneous accounts. It is also unknown when further first-hand recollections or a scheduled anniversary interview will appear; no publication date or event is noted in the account.
