1986 Masters Tournament: Nicklaus' Final Charge
Winner: Jack Nicklaus, 279
Where it was played: Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia
Tournament dates: April 10-13, 1986
Leader after first round: Ken Green and Billy Kratzert, 68
Leader after second round: Seve Ballesteros, 139
Leader after third round: Greg Norman, 210
Notable Notes: It had been six years since the 46-year-old Jack Nicklaus had won a major, two years since his last win of any kind. He started the final round tied for ninth, four strokes off the lead, essentially an afterthought.
Through eight holes, Nicklaus wasn't making up ground. Then he birdied holes 9, 10 and 11. A bogey at 12 dropped him to three behind the leaders. Then Nicklaus went on an old-style "Nicklaus charge": a birdie at 13, eagle at 15, birdie at 16, birdie at 17. Suddenly, Nicklaus was in the lead, and Augusta National was ringing with the loudest cheers golf has ever heard.
Seve Ballesteros, Tom Kite and Greg Norman were all in position to catch or pass Nicklaus, but couldn't do it. Norman was tied for the lead as he reached 18, but bogied, and Nicklaus had his sixth and final Green Jacket, his 18th and final major, his 73rd and final PGA Tour win.
Final Scores
| Jack Nicklaus | 74-71-69-65—279 |
| Tom Kite | 70-74-68-68—280 |
| Greg Norman | 70-72-68-70—280 |
| Seve Ballesteros | 71-68-72-70—281 |
| Nick Price | 79-69-63-71—282 |
| Jay Haas | 76-69-71-67—283 |
| Tom Watson | 70-74-68-71—283 |
| Tommy Nakajima | 70-71-71-72—284 |
| Payne Stewart | 75-71-69-69—284 |
| Bob Tway | 70-73-71-70—284 |
| Donnie Hammond | 73-71-67-74—285 |
| Sandy Lyle | 76-70-68-71—285 |
| Mark McCumber | 76-67-71-71—285 |
| Corey Pavin | 71-72-71-71—285 |
| Calvin Peete | 75-71-69-70—285 |
| Dave Barr | 70-77-71-68—286 |
| Ben Crenshaw | 71-71-74-70—286 |
| Gary Koch | 69-74-71-72—286 |
| Bernhard Langer | 74-68-69-75—286 |
| Larry Mize | 75-74-72-65—286 |
| Curtis Strange | 73-74-68-72—287 |
| Fuzzy Zoeller | 73-73-69-72—287 |
| T.C. Chen | 69-73-75-71—288 |
| Roger Maltbie | 71-75-69-73—288 |
| Bill Glasson | 72-74-72-71—289 |
| Peter Jacobsen | 75-73-68-73—289 |
| Scott Simpson | 76-72-67-74—289 |
| Dave Edwards | 71-71-72-76—290 |
| David Graham | 76-72-74-68—290 |
| Johnny Miller | 74-70-77-69—290 |
| Fred Couples | 72-77-70-72—291 |
| Bruce Lietzke | 78-70-68-75—291 |
| Dan Pohl | 76-70-72-73—291 |
| Lanny Wadkins | 78-71-73-69—291 |
| Wayne Levi | 73-76-67-76—292 |
| Rick Fehr | 75-74-69-75—293 |
| Hubert Green | 71-75-73-74—293 |
| Larry Nelson | 73-73-71-76—293 |
| a-Sam Randolph | 75-73-72-73—293 |
| Tony Sills | 76-73-73-71—293 |
| Don Pooley | 77-72-73-72—294 |
| Bill Kratzert | 68-72-76-79—295 |
| John Mahaffey | 79-69-72-75—295 |
| Ken Green | 68-78-74-76—296 |
| Phil Blackmar | 76-73-73-76—298 |
| Jim Thorpe | 74-74-73-77—298 |
| Lee Trevino | 76-73-73-77—299 |
| Mark O'Meara | 74-73-81-73—301 |
