Legends share memories of jackets, dinners
When Tom Watson won the Masters in 1977, things didn’t quite fit right when they had the green jacket ceremony.
“They donned the green jacket on me down there in Butler Cabin, and it was a 44 long,” said Watson, who also won in 1981. It came down below my fingertips like this (as he held his hand another five inches down). Did I care? Not in the least. I’d wear a tent, as long as it’s the green jacket. That’s my story.”
That was one of the memories Watson, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player joked about during their usual Thursday press conference after hitting their ceremonial tee shots to begin the 87th Masters at Augusta National.
When a player first wins the Masters, they borrow the jacket of a member which may, or may not, fit the new champion for the green jacket ceremony. Nicklaus, found out the hard way, too when he won the first of his six Masters titles in 1963, but his jacket issues continued on for an additional 35 years.
“I had a 46 long they put on me, and I was a 43 regular,” Nicklaus said. “The next year I came back and Tom Dewey, former governor of New York that ran for the presidency (against Harry Truman), his (jacket) was in my locker, and fit me perfectly. I won the Masters a few times after that, and I kept wearing Tom Dewey’s coat.
“Finally in 1998, a week before the tournament, I was having lunch with Jack Stevens (the chairman of Augusta National at the time. I told him the story that I didn’t have a green jacket, and never had a green jacket.
“He said, ‘What?’
“I said, ‘No, I’ve won the tournament six times and nobody has ever given me a green jacket.’ So I went home, came back over the weekend, and there was a note in my locker that said, ‘You will go to the pro shop and you will be fitted for your green jacket.’”
Nicklaus finally got his own jacket, but Player figured out a way to get two. These days the Masters champion is allowed to take the green jacket with him to be used during his personal appearances. That wasn’t always the case and when he won his first of three titles, Player committed what the club at that time considered a sin.
“In 1961, I win the tournament, and obviously being the first international
player to win it, I was extremely excited, to say the least,” he said. “I’m going back to South Africa the next day, and I take it with me. Now, in those days, unlike today, they go to “Good Morning America” and go out to dinner with the jacket, etc., etc.
“I took the jacket back home. Three days later, the phone rings.
“’Good morning, Gary, this is (Augusta National Chairman) Clifford Roberts. Did you take the jacket back home?’
“I said, ‘I did, Mr. Roberts.’ “He said, ‘Well, nobody ever takes the jacket off the grounds,’
“I thought very quickly. I said, ‘Mr. Roberts, why don’t you come and fetch it?’
“He did see the funny side of it. He said to me, ‘Don’t ever wear it in public.’
“I said, ‘I promise you, I won’t.’ And I put it in a plastic bag (and hung it in my closet). And it’s certainly changed today. Of course, change is the price of survival. It’s a vast different story today.’”
For the 73-year-old Watson, Nicklaus (83) and Player (87), they are a few of the last players who had an opportunity to play with the players who created the Masters. They tell the stories. They can be the voice of reason and in many ways they are now the final layer of entertainment in the leadup to the main tournament.
They are also still very tuned in with the way the game is being played today and are open to talk with current Tour players to give advice when asked.
Plus, they can easily hold the interest of the younger Masters champions when they get the chance, especially at the annual Champions Dinner held on Tuesday night of Masters week.
“I think one of my favorite stories was last year at the dinner,” Watson said. “The emcee, Ben Crenshaw, asked if anybody had any comments, and there was silence. So I piped up, as sometimes I’m wont to do, and I said, ‘Jack, tell us about the last nine holes of 1986.’”
Watson was in contention that year and played in the group behind Nicklaus when he made his charge. In fact, he rushed an eagle putt on the 15th hole so he could get done before Nicklaus made birdie on 16 to tie for the lead. If Watson had made his putt he would have been one shot back with three holes to play.
“You could have heard a pin drop,” Watson said. “All the champions were there listening to the shot-by-shot that Jack played. Because we all have been in that position before. We all won the tournament. We all knew the pressure. We all knew the shots he had to play. And here he is, talking about shotby-shot on the last nine holes.”
Nicklaus would birdie the 17th hole to take the lead by himself for the first time in the tournament. Many people remember CBS announcer Verne Lundquist’s call of Nicklaus’ putt. When it went in the hole, Lundquist yells out,
“Yes sir!.” While he gets all the credit for the call, it was the same thing Ben Wright yelled when Nicklaus made eagle at No. 15 just minutes earlier.
“That was my favorite part of any of the dinners,” Watson said.
This year is the 60th anniversary of Nicklaus’ first title, and when it was time to host the Champions Dinner in 1964, he knew an easy way to make sure things went well. Roberts had a reputation of being difficult to get along with, so Nicklaus used that knowledge to his advantage.
“The Masters champions set the menu,” Nicklaus said. “Bowman (Milligan) used to be a maître d’, and he came to me and said, ‘What would you like to have for your Masters dinner?’
“I said, ‘Bowman, what do you think Mr. Roberts would like to have?’
“He said, ‘Mr. Roberts would like to have a shrimp cocktail, a New York strip medium rare, some green beans, a baked potato, a tossed salad with some bleu cheese, and he’d like to finish off with Georgia peaches.’
“I said, “Then that will be just fine.’
“So that’s what we had for my first Masters dinner.”