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Gerry Dulac: Ahead of his final year at Augusta National, Verne Lundquist is something of a Masters legend

Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on

Published in Golf

To this day, no Masters moment has been replayed more times than Nicklaus' birdie at No. 17 that was the titillating height of his improbable back-nine charge to victory in 1986. And it was capped by the succinctness of Lundquist's stamp of approval, timed perfectly on cue with the Golden Bear thrusting both arms triumphantly in the air.

"I can remember thinking to myself as he walked up, 'Keep it simple and get your butt out of the way.' And I managed to do that," Lundquist said. "I boldly predicted 'maybe' when [the putt] was about that far from the hole. I reacted with what I said with a little 'yes sir,' with slightly more emphasis than that."

Indeed.

Lundquist said he "leans" toward that call being his favorite because of the magnitude of the moment and "I know Jack so much better than I know Tiger." But, if the Nicklaus putt is 1A, he said Woods' chip-in nearly 20 years later is his personal 1B.

He said he wants to say goodbye to both players when he sees them after the Champions Dinner on Tuesday night.

"Those two guys have had a terrific impact on my professional career, and I'm in deep gratitude to them both," Lundquist said.

On Tuesday, Lundquist began his final routine at the Masters. He planned to jump in a golf cart and tour the course backward "to re-invigorate myself to get emotionally ready for the week." At his age, he no longer climbs into the tower at No. 16, his vantage point for the past 25 years, but he would stop there on Wednesday as part of his ritual, perhaps like visiting an old homestead.

"It will be emotional," Lundquist said. "It's the best-run tournament in captivity, and it's on the best golf course, in my view, in America, if not the world. I've got so many wonderful memories tied up with our visits to Augusta."

 

Then, he added, "There's a spot on my left thigh that I'll be pinching to make sure I don't shed a tear on the air. It's been a great run. Hey, I'm 83 years old, and I've been blessed to have a sensational professional life and a wonderful personal life. I wasn't the first to say this, but thanks for the memories."

Five storylines to watch at the Masters

— Great Scott, he's hot: Scottie Scheffler, the 2022 Masters champion, is on a Tiger-like heater. The world's No. 1 player has finished 1-1-T2 in his past three starts and has separated himself as the PGA Tour's dominant player.

— Hoping to roar: Rory McIlroy is trying to become the sixth player in history to complete golf's Grand Slam, but it has been 10 years since he won a major. In that time, the four-time major champion has finished inside the top 10 seven times at Augusta National, though he has missed the cut two of the past three years.

— LIV it up: Defending champ Jon Rahm heads 13 LIV Tour players looking to rock the Masters leaderboard, just like last year when three-time Masters champ Phil Mickelson and reigning PGA champion Brooks Koepka finished second and former Masters champ Patrick Reed tied for fourth.

— Been a long time: Not since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 has a player won the Masters in his debut appearance. However, two first-timers should not be discounted from winning the green jacket — reigning U.S. Open champ Wyndham Clark and young sensation Ludvig Aberg.

— A Tiger tale: Since his incredible comeback victory at the Masters in 2019, Tiger Woods has struggled to compete — and even finish — in major tournaments. In his past 10 major starts, he has withdrawn twice, missed the cut four times, and his best finish has been a tie for 21st.


(c)2024 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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