Greg Norman once described Augusta National as a “cruel temptress”, a course which offered up more heartbreak to one player than most would be able to handle.

In 1987, his heart sank as he watched Larry Mize chip in from an improbable position on the second playoff hole to deny him the green jacket. While nine years after that, Norman would suffer the darkest moment of his career, surrendering a six-shot 54-hole lead to Nick Faldo to eventually lose by five.

However, preceding both of those occasions was the 1986 Masters.

The tournament now so synonymous with The Golden Bear, could so easily have been the Shark’s, and down the years Norman has continued to cite one shot at the event as the biggest regret of his career.

Norman led going into the final round by one stroke, but down the stretch on that Sunday afternoon he found himself very much on the back foot. A barrage of birdies and an eagle from Nicklaus on the back nine looked to have secured an 18th major for The Golden Bear at the age of 46.

The Australian knew that only the most special of finishes could prize the tournament away from Nicklaus, and it sparked Norman into life.

After birdies on 14 and 15, Norman trailed Nicklaus by two. Stepping up to the famous par-3 16th hole, Norman struck a beautiful iron shot, and watched the ball land, spin and take the slope to set up his third straight birdie.

Nicklaus, now in the clubhouse, would say years later: “Norman started making birdies, and I said, ‘I’m not going to sit here and watch this, I’m going to get up and walk around.'”

His nerves would only ramp up on the 17th hole, after Norman having pulled his tee shot, pulled off a spectacular approach under and between two trees which ran up the fairway, on to the green and settled 12 feet away from the cup.

The birdie putt was all that remained between Norman and a share of the lead heading down 18, and the Shark made no mistake, pouring the left to right putt into the center of the cup to kick things into overdrive.

Tied for the lead on 18, Norman hit a perfect 3-wood off the tee, leaving himself 187-yards for his approach to the pin located on the back of the green. It was here where it all went horribly wrong for the Australian.

Norman settled on 4-iron, which would result in one of the worst shots of his career. Almost as soon as he struck it, he hung his head as the ball sailed high and right, landing amongst the spectators – leaving him with an almost impossible up and down.

Despite giving himself half a chance to save par and force a playoff, Norman’s putt never had a chance, damning him to the first of many heartaches at the iconic championship. Directly after his round, the Aussie asserted that he “just didn’t put a good swing on it.”

However, years on from the incident, Norman revealed how bitter a disappointment that 1986 Masters was for him – calling his 4-iron approach to 18 his ‘biggest regret in golf’, all down to choosing the wrong club.

“My first thought was to hit a hard-5, but I talked myself out of it. Wrong choice. I should have stayed in attack mode rather than trying to finesse a longer club. That’s what had been working for me all day. Unfortunately, I was so pumped that I hit it too hard and pushed it into the gallery. If I could have one career mulligan, I’d take it there.”

Playing partner Nick Price had a similar opinion, saying:

“If I’d been his caddie that day, I think I would have been more prone to give him the 5-iron. And see if he could have hit a hard one and run it up that slope. And if it got down to the bottom of that slope, see if he can make a 30-footer to win…He was so fired up. It was wonderful to watch.”

His nemesis at Augusta National that year, Jack Nicklaus, took all the glory, and it remains the most iconic of his record 18 major victories.

Later that year, Nicklaus found the Australian on the Saturday evening before the final round of the Open Championship. Per The Golden Bear, this is what he told the Queenslander who led the event by one going into Sunday:

“’Remember the swing you made at the last hole at Augusta, and the position you put yourself in? When you come down the stretch tomorrow, don’t put the club in that position again.’ Greg won the next day. I don’t know if my advice helped him, but I did want to pass it along.”

Norman led all four majors that year after 54-holes. The Open was the only one where he landed the title; he would win another Claret Jug in 1993 for his second and final major championship triumph. 

Greg Norman 1986 Masters WITB

Driver: MacGregor M85 Eye O Matic “Bore Thru” (9 degrees)
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Steel X400 43.5″

3-wood: Toney Penna (13 degrees)
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Steel X200 42.5″

Irons: Spalding Tour Edition (1-PW) (52 degree PW)
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

Wedges: 56 degree SW Macgregor hand ground

Putter: Wilson 8802

Ball: Spalding Tour Edition 00 with SHARK