Tommy Aaron being given the green jacket by Jack Nicklaus. (Photo credit: The Augusta Chronicle))
Gators Alum Tommy Aaron's Masters Victory Had a Backstory Unlike Any Other
Wednesday, November 11, 2020 | Men's Golf
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Tommy Aaron rode a Greyhound bus more than 10 hours for a scholarship tryout, turned professional without a financial safety net, and rewrote the narrative of his pro career with 1973 Masters victory
By: Zach Dirlam
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Tommy Aaron sat in Butler Cabin and dreaded the thought of a playoff.
The 1973 Masters Tournament was already in its fifth day. Rainy weather washed out Saturday's penultimate round at Augusta National Golf Club, forcing a Monday finish. And it would be another three years before the Masters adopted a sudden death playoff, meaning another 18 holes awaited Tuesday if J.C. Snead played the 17th and 18th holes at 1-under par. Aaron watched helplessly as Snead chased a tournament-tying birdie.
"If you're in contention four or five days there, walking that course under the stress, it's exhausting," Aaron said. "I thought I'd better get ready to play another 18 holes."
Tommy Aaron (right) watches J.C. Snead (left) on the closing stretch of the 1973 Masters (Screenshot: Masters YouTube channel).
Although a potential playoff loomed overhead, Aaron was on the verge of a stunning victory, one with a backstory rivaling even the unlikeliest of men who slipped on the green jacket.
For starters, Aaron was born in 1937 in Gainesville, Ga., a town of just under 10,000 residents. It grew to nearly 12,000 by the time Aaron's father took a job at a General Motors assembly plant in Atlanta and moved the family moved back there in 1950. Gainesville's only golf course had tee boxes predominantly comprised of red clay, no tee markers, and rags tied atop bamboo poles instead of flagsticks. Hardly anyone played. Aaron knew of three high schools in the county back then, and none of them fielded a golf team. His senior year at Gainesville High School, where he also started at quarterback and played basketball, Aaron competed as an individual and won the state title.
"All they knew was Georgia Football and chickens," Aaron said of his hometown, which eventually declared itself the poultry capital of the world as part of a marketing campaign. "The football and basketball coaches discouraged me from playing golf. They didn't know anything about golf, had never been on a golf course. They saw no future in it."
Money was tight for Aaron's working-class family, and given the fact nearly all the available athletics scholarships went to football players, college golf seemed like a longshot. In letters to every Southeastern Conference golf coach, Aaron inquired about a scholarship.
Only Florida's Andy Bracken replied.
Athletic director Bob Woodruff gave Bracken one scholarship, then referred to as an SEC grant in aid. Bracken arranged a tryout round for Aaron, who bought a Greyhound ticket and took a 10-plus-hour bus ride from Gainesville to Gainesville.
Aaron took the same bus home, scholarship offer in hand.
With a proper golf course finally at his disposal, Aaron became a two-time individual SEC champion and the first two-time All-American in Gators history.
Shortly after Aaron left for his first semester at Florida in the fall of 1955, though, his hometown flooded the nine-hole golf course as it finalized construction of Buford Dam and created Lake Lanier. This meant the closest course to Aaron was in Athens, roughly 40 miles away, as he spent summers at home and practiced for high-profile state and national amateur tournaments.
Luckily, Aaron found a driving range: an open field behind the town mill.
The college kid without a legitimate practice facility swept the Georgia Amateur and Georgia Open the summer after his sophomore season in 1957. Aaron followed it up the next year with a win at the Southeastern Amateur and an appearance at the U.S. Amateur Championship -- which was considered one of golf's major championships until sometime around 1996, when Tiger Woods won his third in a row. A 10 & 9 victory (about as lopsided as a golf match can be) over UCLA's Dick Foote in the semifinals made Aaron the first debutant to reach the title match in a dozen years. Writers were equally shocked and fascinated as Aaron discussed his makeshift driving range.
"They could not believe it," Aaron said as he recalled the questions. "You don't have a golf course? You've got no place to practice? I even had some local people that didn't know they had a PGA TOUR. They acted like I was wasting my time."
Clipping: The San Francisco Examiner
In the 36-hole final (which there are highlights of), Aaron faced 34-year-old Charles Coe, the 1948 champion and one of the most decorated amateur golfers in history (he never turned professional and found success in the oil business). Coe pulled away on the second 18, but Aaron's runner-up finish earned him a spot in the 1959 Masters and on the United States' Walker Cup team.
Tommy Aaron in the 1958 U.S. Amateur final. Follow the link above for highlights. (Screenshot: USGA)
As impressive as the summer of 1958 was, Aaron's summer of 1960 topped it.
Within a two-month span, Aaron breezed through the Southeastern Amateur, carded the lowest round of tournament golf in state history (a 10-under par 62) en route to his second Georgia Amateur title, topped an international field at the storied Western Amateur, and won the Georgia Open by three shots. A month later, he lost in the third round of the U.S. Amateur and turned professional.
Then came the biggest gamble of Aaron's life.
With around $800 in the bank, Aaron and his wife, Jimmye, drove to Los Angeles in January 1961 for the PGA TOUR's season-opening tournament.
In the TOUR's infancy, most professionals either holding or chasing TOUR cards began their careers with financial backing. Whether it be a company sponsorship, or a group of local investors enamored with a player's talent, expenses were typically covered in exchange for a percentage of winnings. Such investments essentially provided a parachute in case life on the professional circuit produced more missed cuts than sizable paychecks.
Aaron turned pro without any financial support.
No family money. No country club members in his corner. No safety net. Just that $800.
Unlike today's PGA TOUR, players in the 1960s did not get five-figure payout if they simply made the 36-hole cut. Only winners of the three major championships and Tournament of Champions collected such a check back then. Plenty of payouts barely covered hotel and transportation costs.
"I could've missed the cut there and the next week in San Diego, and I'd have been broke," Aaron said. "I would've been trying to go back home and into East Lake in Atlanta to try and get some financial backing."
Despite an opening-round 74, Aaron tied for seventh place with eventual nine-time major champion Gary Player and three other pros at the Los Angeles Open. It was worth $1,500.
By season's end, Aaron turned his self-investment into $11,731 of TOUR winnings. Quite the take for an $800 bet.
"I don't even remember focusing on the prize money," Aaron said. "I just knew if I shot low scores, I was going to beat a lot of people and make money."
Fast forward to 1973.
Aaron carved out quite a life for himself on TOUR. In 11 full seasons to that point, he finished inside the top 20 of the TOUR's official money list six times, including a career-high ninth place in 1972. About the only knock on Aaron was his lack of victories (two) contrasted against his abundance of runner-up finishes (14). One writer dubbed him "pro golf's most reliable choker." Whenever Aaron crept into contention, particularly at major championships, the press focused more on his near-misses than successes.
While Aaron admits some of the criticism was fair, he just never understood why the media made second place seem like 70th. Especially given the fact his entire pro career was a massive longshot.
"That started my second full year," said Aaron, who skipped much of the 1962 season for a six-month stint in the U.S. Army Reserve, then returned to the circuit in 1963 and finished second in four events. "Well, that's not too bad for a guy in his second year, but the press didn't think it was worth a crap. I'm finishing sometimes in the top 20 on the money list, but hell that's no good, according to the media. It was all so negative toward me."
Expectations for Aaron were low ahead of the Masters. Not even Aaron was optimistic about his game.
He missed significant time when Jimmye underwent surgery and encountered complications. There were four operations required, and Aaron remained at her side until she left the hospital.
Practically everyone was awestruck when Aaron fired a 4-under par 68 and grabbed the outright lead on a cool, windy Thursday. The second and third rounds were not as stellar. Aaron fell into a tie for fifth place, four shots behind the leader, European Tour star Peter Oosterhuis.
Three birdies in the first three holes of Monday's final round brought Aaron back to 4-under par for the tournament and vaulted him into contention again.
Aaron faced an uncomfortably long second shot into the reachable par-5 15th. A mishit off the tee left him some 10 or 15 yards behind the spots he played from during practice round. Tied atop the leaderboard with Snead and Oosterhuis, it was birdie or bust in Aaron's mind. When Aaron pulled the 3-wood out of his bag, concerned murmurs rippled through the gallery.
"That doesn't do a lot for your confidence under those circumstances," Aaron said, noting another mishit or even a slight hook would find the water short of the green. "I could not hit a better shot. It carried just over the green, and I played a beautiful pitch back to about four feet for a birdie.
"I could've dropped 100 balls down there and never hit a better shot."
Aaron parred the last three holes and took a one-shot lead to the scorer's tent, where he and Johnny Miller, his playing partner, reviewed their cards. Tournament rounds are not official until scorecards are signed by both the player and whichever playing partner kept their score. Aaron saw a five penciled in for the par-5 13th. That was incorrect. Aaron actually birdied it. He talked through the hole with Miller, who confirmed the error and corrected the score.
Aside from the obvious implications, Aaron previously endured the fallout of a scorecard mishap from the 1968 Masters. That year, Roberto De Vicenzo matched Bob Goalby's overall score of 11-under par, setting up an 18-hole playoff. Aaron accidentally credited De Vicenzo with a par instead of a birdie at the par-4 17th. Deflated from a bogey on the final hole, De Vincenzo never reviewed the card. He just signed it and headed to his press conference. Aaron saw the card on the table, looked over at the scoreboard, and realized there was a significant problem.
Officials discussed the issue, but the rules were clear: players were responsible for the scores they signed for. Since De Vicenzo officially signed for a 6-under par 66 rather than the 65 he actually shot, there was no playoff. Goalby won the tournament by a single stroke.
Photo: De Vicenzo (left) and Bob Goalby (right). Clipping: The News Journal.
"I feel sorry for Roberto," Aaron said. "I don't know why he didn't check his scorecard. I got so involved with him trying to par the last hole to win the tournament it was the only thing on my mind. It happened quite often on TOUR. But it won't happen if a guy checks his card. You aren't finished until you sign a correct card. That's the way it works. But it was a terrible thing for Roberto, and I'd do anything if it hadn't happened."
With a one-shot lead in hand, Aaron headed for Butler Cabin.
Out on No. 17, Snead left his approach shot in the front bunker, knocked his third shot to eight feet, and lined up a slick, downhill par putt. A miss would effectively hand Aaron the tournament.
Jack Nicklaus, seated next to Aaron, knew the putt well. So well, in fact, Nicklaus lent Aaron his expertise. The two had a cordial friendship from their time together on the amateur circuit, and Nicklaus hoped his observation would ease some tension.
"There's no way he can make that putt," said Nicklaus, the reigning champion and a four-time Masters winner at the time. "You've got the tournament won."
Naturally, Snead sank it.
"I thought to myself, Nice observation there, Nicklaus. If you have any more, keep them to yourself," Aaron recalled. "On 18, I'm sitting there watching J.C. putt a 20-footer down the slope to the left front pin placement, and I'm thinking he's going to make it. I'd seen it too often."
There was no jinx the second time around.
Aaron joined Claude Harmon as the only other native Georgian in history to win the Masters. Larry Mize became the third in 1987, but no Georgian has done it since then.
"Winning this tournament, it's difficult for me to put into words just what it means to me," Aaron said in the live television interview. "I would've liked to have won any tournament, but to win this one here is a fantastic thrill for me. I know my wife is watching on TV, and she's very excited about it. This is a good time for me to say thanks for all the people who have pulled for me over the years – local people in Georgia, and other parts of the country."
In addition to being the oldest player in Masters history to make the cut (he played the weekend as a 63-year-old in 2000), Aaron remains the only Gators alum to win the green jacket.
Mark Calcavecchia and Chris DiMarco came close in 1988 and 2005, respectively. Both were runner-up finishers and lost on what was virtually the same putt on the 18th hole – a downhill 10-footer to the traditional front left pin placement. DiMarco's runner-up finish, however, is among the most famous Masters of all time because 1) Tiger's iconic chip-in at the 16th hole 2) DiMarco forced arguably the greatest golfer who ever lived into a playoff amid the second dominant stretch of his career.
While this will be the first Masters ever conducted outside of March or April, and without any patrons in attendance, there is at least one tradition still intact. The Champions Dinner. And it is quite the perk for previous Masters winners.
The gathering began in 1952, when Ben Hogan invited Augusta National Chairman Clifford Roberts to a dinner with previous Masters champions. Each year, the reigning champion selects the menu for his fellow winners and the club chairman (now Gators alum Fred Ridley). Winners through the years chose everything from a classic cut of steak and potatoes to dishes influenced by their home country like haggis, Spanish paella, or Wiener schnitzel. Aaron stuck with a relatively classic selection of a beef dish and a crab cocktail. Aaron's favorite meal was curated by Fiji's Vijay Singh, who hired Thai chefs from Atlanta and had ingredients flown in from Thailand.
The catch, however, is champions are responsible for paying the bill. Seeing as the winner's take is now over $2 million, players spare no expense.
Aaron attends the dinner every year, and he made the trip Tuesday evening for Tiger's latest menu.
"They are all great," Aaron said. "You just get all different personalities. It's great to sit there. You don't have to eat what the champion is serving, but I usually do. I'll try some of it. I didn't particularly go to the haggis, but it's a big deal in Scotland and that's why Sandy Lyle picked it."
Although Aaron retired from professional golf in 2006 with more than $3.6 million in combined official earnings from the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour (formerly known as the Senor PGA TOUR), he never gave much thought to settling anywhere other than his hometown.
From his home in Gainesville, Aaron hardly watches the weekly TOUR events. About the only tournaments he watches are the majors, and he always tunes in for the final round of the Masters.
"It's amazing how they have those fantastic finishes every year," Aaron said.
There have been and will continue to be far more thrilling finishes than 1973, but as far as unlikely champions go, Aaron is tough to beat.
