A Taste of Honey

One of the spectators jokingly advised that they cancel the fourth round and declare the Golden Bear winner by a T.K.O. An Atlanta newsman suggested that the Augusta National Golf Club could save money by not awarding the traditional green blazer to the victor, and instead adding hash marks to the Bear's sleeves. Lee Trevino, still yappy despite a mediocre performance of his own, could hardly contain his admiration: "He's gone. He's a freak. That's what I told him. He might even beat two people. Beat their best ball. Nobody'll beat him. He could beat the Man Up There on a wide-open course."

Such was the talk inspired by Jack Nicklaus as he won the Masters golf tournament for the fourth time, a feat previously accomplished only by Arnold Palmer. Nicklaus' success in the Masters (which boosted his earnings to $134,473 so far this year, and to $1,517,637.19 for his ten-year pro career) was notable not merely for where it left him--firmly established as the world's top golfer--but for where it might lead him. For this year the 32-year-old Golden Bear is unabashedly in quest of golf's sweetest pot of honey: a Grand Slam of victories in the four major championships.

Grand Slam. No golfer has ever won the Masters, the U.S. Open, the British Open and the P.G.A. in the same year, although some, including Nicklaus, have taken all four of the tournaments at one time or another. Nicklaus has won the other three big titles twice each; before turning pro, he also took the U.S. Amateur championship twice. That leaves him just one short of the late Bobby Jones in total major titles (13). Although any golfer's chances of achieving the Grand Slam are slim at best, this could be the year that Nicklaus does it.

For one thing, the other big tournaments this year are on three of his favorite courses--California's Pebble Beach for the U.S. Open in June; Scotland's Muirfield for the British Open in July; and Michigan's Oakland Hills for the P.G.A. in August. Furthermore, as Nicklaus demonstrated once again at the Masters, even when he is not at his best he still stands a few feet taller than the competition.

Playing amid cold, blustery breezes that shook the dogwood and azaleas, Nicklaus shot closing rounds of 73 and 74 over Augusta's long, hilly par-72 course. But he still managed to win by three strokes with a total score of 286. "Nobody made a run at me," said Nicklaus, seemingly disappointed.

Palmer came in at 300. So did Trevino, who was ending a two-year boycott of the Masters. Apart from Nicklaus' brazen attempts to reach the green in two on the 520-yd., water-guarded 15th hole, most of the excitement was in Augusta's parking lot, where Trevino used his red Dodge Charger as a locker room and interview post. Apparently miffed over the near eviction of his driver-valet for not wearing the proper badge during a practice round, Trevino gave the clubhouse wider berth than a curl-lipped bunker. Nicklaus, of course, could not. He had to collect the winner's check of $25,000 and another green jacket.

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