One of the most significant moments of Bernhard Langer’s incredible career came in 1986 when it was his job to place the green jacket upon Jack Nicklaus after the Golden Bear’s famous victory at The Masters.
Jack Nicklaus rolled back the years by winning The Masters for the sixth time in 1986. It was nearly six years since his 17th major win, while it had been 11 years since he triumphed at Augusta National.
Given that it had only been a year since Bernhard Langer‘s first victory at The Masters, it was the German’s job to present Nicklaus with the green jacket he had won five times previously.
But it was far from being the first time that their paths had crossed. In fact, Langer’s first experience of playing alongside Nicklaus came in the early 1970s.
Bernhard Langer recalls playing his first round alongside Jack Nicklaus at the age of 16
Of course, the American was already one of the biggest names in the game. He had won nine majors by that time, while he would add two more in 1972 itself – including at The Masters.
And it was around that time that Nicklaus and Langer teed it up together for the first time, with Langer explaining on The Masters’ YouTube channel how their paths ended up crossing.
“I’m barely about 16 years old and they announce that Jack Nicklaus is going to play an exhibition match at our home course here in Munich, and he’s going to play with three guys and they invited two of the best amateurs from Germany, and myself. And I’m thinking why am I invited? I’m a nobody, I’m just an assistant pro,” he said.
“I was thrilled and nervous as heck, I’ve never really competed in anything big, and this was huge. The day arrives and Jack shows up, and I think it was the fifth hole, a par five, I hit a good drive and I pull-hooked a three iron left of the green and I hit one of my members on the shoulder, and the ball bounced back to the green. So I went down and apologised and made sure she was okay, and she says ‘yeah I’m fine, just go make the putt’, and I made the putt for eagle, so that was my highlight of the day.
“At the end of the day the media was there, it was Jack’s first appearance in Germany period. And they asked him, ‘well, what did you think about the young pro, the 16-year-old?’ And Jack said, ‘oh, he’s got a lot of heart’. Didn’t say a lot about my technique or my swing or whatever, but he thought I had a lot of heart, and I guess that goes a long way in golf.”
Langer discusses presenting Jack Nicklaus with the green jacket at the 1986 Masters
Nicklaus’ win in 1986 is arguably one of the most iconic in golfing history. He became the oldest winner of The Masters, and it was a moment which almost allowed fans to show all of their appreciation; with an awareness that he may not win another major.
Langer had a poor final day 39 years ago, going from tied second to tied for 16th. Nevertheless, he clearly values having that honour of presenting Nicklaus with the jacket. He also shared what happened when he mentioned the round in Germany to Nicklaus years later.
“I’ll never forget that moment. Jack, the Golden Bear, winning a sixth green jacket, nobody expected him to do it. And I was an eye-witness, I was in contention myself, and here I am putting the green jacket on him. It was cool being there and being part of the history of the game,” he said.
“I did [ask him about the round in Germany] when we were both at the Champions Dinner, and I pulled him aside and I said, ‘Jack, remember the day you were in Munich?’ And he said, ‘yeah, you were a little guy and we played together’. So he remembered a little bit of it.”
It is strange how events can play out in such a way. No-one could have ever known that day in Germany that within two decades, the two men would be sharing such a special moment on one of the most iconic courses in the world.
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