De Vicenzo dies at 94

Roberto De Vicenzo, known as much for his scorecard error at the Masters as his British Open victory that made him Argentina’s first major golf champion, died Thursday afternoon at his home in Buenos Aires. He was 94. De Vicenzo broke his hip last month.

De Vicenzo amassed 230 titles worldwide, mostly in South America, but he achieved fame on the biggest stages in golf. He outlasted Jack Nicklaus at Hoylake to win the 1967 British Open by two shots for his only major.

But even De Vicenzo could not forget the 1968 Masters.

After a birdie on the 17th hole to move in front, he made bogey on the final hole for a seven-under 65 to share the lead with Bob Goalby and presumably face a playoff the next day. Except those scores were not on his card kept by Tommy Aaron. The birdie three on the 17th hole had been marked as a four, and De Vicenzo signed it. Under the Rules of Golf, he had to keep the four. The 65 became a 66, and instead of a playoff, De Vicenzo was a runner-up to Goalby.

That led to one of the most famous lines in golf when De Vicenzo lamented, “What a stupid I am.”

“Forty years later, he still talked about it,” Nicklaus said. “I think he always dwelled on the fact that he screwed up. He had the Masters in his hand.”

Jack McCloskey, the general manager who built the Detroit Pistons’ “Bad Boys” championship teams, died Thursday in Savannah, Ga., at 91, the Pistons said. He had fought Alzheimer’s disease.

Led by McCloskey draft picks Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars and Dennis Rodman — all Hall of Famers, along with coach Chuck Daly — and trade acquisitions Bill Laimbeer, Vinnie Johnson, Rick Mahorn, Mark Aguirre and James Edwards, the Pistons won NBA titles in 1989 and 1990.

Known as “Trader Jack,” McCloskey was a Lakers assistant coach before taking the Pistons job. He helped guide Detroit to nine straight playoff appearances.