One for the Ages

January 1, 2011

A stirring account of the most memorable victory of golf's greatest champion.

In 1965, marveling at the talent of the young Jack Nicklaus, Bobby Jones remarked, "He plays a game with which I am not familiar." Nicklaus would go on to win a record 18 professional major championships, but by the 1986 Masters he was winless for two years, with no majors for six. Most thought him well past his prime, too old at 46 to win another. And then, for four days in April, the Golden Bear did the improbable, reminding everyone why we've never seen a golfer with such focus, discipline and pride. Former New York Times reporter Clavin (That Old Black Magic: Louis Prima, Keely Smith, and the Golden Age of Las Vegas, 2010, etc.) pays principal attention to the '86 tournament and Nicklaus' daily progress, focusing particularly on Sunday's back nine. However, the author frequently departs from what might otherwise be a prosaic stroke-by-stroke report with discussions of Augusta National's evolution and descriptions of the course and its famed magnolias, pines, dogwoods and azaleas; the history of the Masters, where the parade of glittering contestants amounts to a history of modern golf; the impressive 1986 field, featuring Ballesteros, Price, Norman, Langer, Kite, Crenshaw, Floyd, Watson, Strange, Couples and O'Meara, all of whom figured far more than Nicklaus to emerge triumphant; and Nicklaus' stellar career, his unprecedented achievements and the rich experience he brought to this moment that thrilled the gallery and brought many observers to tears. Nicklaus always had the respect of golf fans, but in 1986, Augusta's "patrons" gave themselves to him wholly, pulling unabashedly for him to prevail.

For golf fans, of course, but also for anyone who cherishes signature moments in sports history.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

January 1, 2011

At this writing, with Tiger Woods in a tailspin, Jack Nicklaus has a lock on "the best golfer ever to play the game." Clavin (Sir Walter: Walter Hagen and the Invention of Professional Golf) writes about the last major championship, the 1986 Masters, that Jack won. What is particularly notable about this last championship is that Nicklaus was considered an unlikely contender: he was near the bottom on the PGA money list and hadn't won a major in six years. Considering the narrow focus of the title, Clavin spends a considerable amount of time on the creation and lore of Augusta National, material covered in other books such as Curt Sampson's The Masters and David Owen's The Making of the Masters. Nicklaus himself (with Ken Bowden) recounts the 1986 Masters in his own Jack Nicklaus: My Story. Additionally, most golf magazines cover this subject in their March/April editions, and it is brought up in Masters television coverage as well. VERDICT Owing to the abundance of similar coverage, golf readers can pass on this. There is better material available.--Steven Silkunas, North Wales, PA

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2011
Ask any golf fan to name the most thrilling major championship in the last 25 years, and the answer is almost automatic: the 1986 Masters, when 46-year-old Jack Nicklaus came from behind to shoot a 6-under-par 30 on the last nine holes and claim the green jacket. For fans of a certain age, thoughts of Nicklaus comeback prompt misty eyesthe eagle 3 on the par-5 15th hole, followed by the two birdies on 16 and 17 to take the lead, the last with the putter raised in triumph as the ball dove into the hole. A book about this classic tournament almost writes itself, but Clavin spins his wheels early on by retelling too-familiar tales of distant Masters history. Still, when he comes to 1986, hes hitting on all cylinders, recounting the skepticism of critics as to whether the aging Nicklaus would ever compete seriously again. Its a sneaky challenge to retell a story fans know so well, and Clavin wisely keeps a low profile, letting the facts of that now-iconic back nine drive the narrative. A must-read for fans anticipating another magnolia-bright spring in Augusta.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)