The Contradictory Feelings of Finishing Second in The Masters
Pride, disappointment, regret, and a feeling of what might have been all mix together in the mind of a Masters runner-up. Especially for those who never win a green jacket.
It’s Master’s week! It doesn’t get better than this, especially if you’re a golf historian. There is just so much material to draw from. We have filled this week’s newsletter with links to some very special Masters content. We hope you enjoy it.
“It was obviously disappointing. It was great to end up second, it was great to come that close. But, I would’ve loved to have won that just to be able to have been a fly on the wall at the Tuesday night dinner when your past champions get in there and talk.” Dave Stockton on finishing second in the 1974 Masters.
We’re writing about a small, exclusive club; those who have finished second in the Masters and who never won a green jacket. In the newsletter, we’re covering the last man to make it into that club in the era we cover here at Tour Backspin. We also have a long read that covers the nine players who are members of the club from the 1960s. See the article HERE. This is premium content for our paid and legacy subscribers (If you’ve been receiving this newsletter for over a year, you are a legacy subscriber and have access to this article).
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Ed Sneed Becomes Last Member of the 1960s and 1970s to Join The Club in the First Sudden Death Playoff in Masters History
Photo: Sports Illustrated
It’s late afternoon on Easter Sunday, April 15, 1979, and Fuzzy Zoeller was playing what he thought would be the last three holes of his first Masters tournament. He sat in third place, one stroke behind Tom Watson, and four strokes behind the leader, Ed Sneed. He could have been excused for thinking that this was a pretty good showing for his maiden Masters. No doubt, his feelings of accomplishment would outweigh the disappointment of finishing second. This would not be true for most of the players who belonged to an exclusive club of Masters runners-up who never would win a green jacket.
Zoeller finished par, birdie, par, while Watson finished with three pars to put both men into a tie for second place. Then things got crazy. Let’s backspin to find out how.
Ben Wright, who called the action for CBS at Augusta's 15th hole, bought Ed Sneed in the illegal CBS calcutta for $50. As Sneed walked past Wright's ad hoc CBS position that had been moved from a tower down to a more ground level position, Wright said (off mic) that he believed that Sneed had the championship all wrapped up. Sneed flashed him the thumbs up sign.
Sneed had reason to feel confident—he had only made one bogey in the first three rounds. But as he tried to secure his first major championship, he gave three strokes back to par in his first ten holes. He then got himself under control and secured birdies at the 13th and 15th holes.
He headed to the par 3 16th hole with a three-stroke lead. He then proceeded to bogey each of the final three holes. He three-putted the 16th hole then hit his approach over the 17th green. He chipped on and then missed a four-foot putt. He drove it into the fairway on the final hole but pushed his approach shot into a tough position resting against the rough on the lip of the bunker. He chipped to about eight feet below the pin and he left his putt hanging on the lip. The three straight bogeys resulted in the first ever sudden death playoff between Sneed, Watson and Zoeller.
All three players secured pars on the 10th hole hitting the fairway with their drives and the green with their approaches. They headed to the 11th where they all again hit the fairway with their drives, although Zoeller hit his well past the other two. Sneed’s approach skipped over the green into the back bunker while Watson found the green, some 20-feet from the hole. Zoeller put his much shorter approach shot to six feet, below the hole.
Sneed almost holed his bunker shot and Zoeller applauded the effort as he smiled broadly. He was clearly enjoying the experience. Watson then missed his putt and Zoeller stepped into his six-footer before calmly rapping it home for the victory and the green jacket. He was the first player (other than Gene Sarazen in the second Masters in 1935 and Horton Smith in the first Masters a year prior) to win a Masters in their first appearance in the tournament.
Sneed felt the contradictory feelings that came with finishing second in the Masters. Feelings of accomplishment that competed against feelings of disappointment and the realization that this might have been your only shot at a green jacket. He tried to explain these feelings to the press.
“I’m bitterly disappointed,” Sneed admitted. “You don’t get many chances to win a tournament like this. I wanted to win. And I didn’t. I’ll try to wipe it from my mind. But it won’t be easy. I wanted to win very badly. But I didn’t.”
But he also expressed some feelings of accomplishment when he said, “I don’t feel like I ever lost my composure. On 16 and 17, I hit every shot just like I wanted to. On the two playoff holes, I hit every shot just like I wanted to. The result was that I finished second. Somewhere in there I hope I’ve learned something.”
For Sneed, the feeling of disappointment and regret far outweighed the feeling of accomplishment. Welcome to the club, Ed.
Fuzzy Zoeller on the cover of the April 21, 1979 Sports Illustrated (photo: Sports Illustrated)
Check out the bonus fact below for more on sudden death playoffs in major championships.
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Tour Backspin Quiz | Masters Trivia
Who gave holes #11, #12 and #13 the name “Amen Corner”? Where did he "borrow” the name from?
Answer below
Bonus Story
The sudden death playoff in the 1979 was the first such playoff in the tournament’s history. It was also the second sudden death playoff in major championship history. In 1977, the PGA Championship was decided by a sudden death playoff.
Tom Watson played in both—losing both times. He finished second in the PGA in 1977 at Oakmont to John Mahaffey. The PGA Championship is the only major that eluded Watson in his career.
Watson finished his PGA TOUR career with a playoff record of 9-5, 1-3 on the European Tour, and 3-8 on the PGA Champions Tour.
Blind Shot
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Masters Links!
How has Augusta National changed over the years? See how HERE.
Dude Perfect plays Allsports Battle at Amen Corner. With Jim Nance introduction. This is crazy. Watch HERE.
Read our long form article on the Masters Runner-Up Club members from 1960 to 1969 (for paid and legacy subscribers).
Tour Backspin Quiz Answer:
Herbert Warren Wind gave the #11, #12th and #13th holes at Augusta National the name “Amen Corner”. He borrowed the name from a jazz recording called “Shouting at Amen Corner”.
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