Coody remembers Masters victory

By AL PICKETT
Sports Editor

How would it feel to walk down the 18th fairway at Augusta National with the lead on the last day of the Masters?

"Good," Charles Coody said rather matter-of-factly before laughing. "Tremendous. Al, you can use whatever adjective you'd like."

Coody, who grew up in Stamford and has called Abilene home for most of his adult life, is one of the few golfers in the world to know that feeling.

He belongs to golf's most elite fraternity, those who have worn the green jacket, symbolic of winning golf's most prestigious tournament.

In fact, when he took my pre-arranged telephone call for this interview Tuesday night, Coody had just returned from the annual "Champions Dinner" in Augusta, Ga. Twenty-eight of the 32 living former winners of The Masters were in attendance.

'It was an honor to sit in the room with all the former champions," Coody said. "It was a very special evening."

This year's Masters, which begins today, marks the 25th anniversary of Coody's win in 1971, a victory that certainly stands out as the highlight of his long career.

"Definitely," Coody said. "Unless you're a superstar like (Arnold) Palmer and (Jack) Nicklaus and win multiple majors, winning a major is the pinnacle of your career. It's on your resume for life."
A win at the Masters is also unique in that former champions are invited back to play in the tournament each year.

"If you win the Masters, you are exempt for life," Coody said. "They want their past champions to come back and play. Of course, they hope you'll use discretion on when to quit playing."
Coody, 58, now plays on the Senior PGA Tour, but he made the cut at the Masters as recently as two years ago.

"The great thing is I can come back every year without finishing in the top 24," he said. "The pressure's not on like it was when you realistically thought you had a chance to win the tournament. You've earned the best exemption you can."

Although it's been 25 years since his Masters' win, Coody remembers the details distinctly.
"It was a very good week," he said. "We had friends from Abilene (Dr. Jack and Molly Haynes and Dewayne and Virginia Chitwood, among others) here with us. My concentration was unbelievable. I've never been one who believed in bio-rhythms, but my bio-rhythms must have been very high that week. The weather was perfect. It one of those weeks you dream about."

Coody began the week with a 66 on Thursday to take a three-stroke lead after the first round. He slipped to a 73 on Friday to fall one stroke off the pace. He played 6 through 12 in four over that day.
"I played very consistently except for that stretch on Friday," he said.

Coody came back with a 70 on Saturday to tie Nicklaus for the lead going into the final round. He then closed with another 70 to finish two strokes ahead of Nicklaus and Johnny Miller.
"I putted very well that week," he said. "I think I made 20 birdies."

Coody says the credit for his win, however, may belong to the experience he gained two years earlier.
In the 1969 Masters, Coody arrived at the par-3 16th hole on the final day with a one-stroke lead.
"I committed a mistake," he said. "I seldom look at another bag to see what club someone else is hitting. The pin was back right, and I was thinking 6-iron. George Knudson hit a 4-iron, which ended up in the middle of the green. I got to thinking 6-iron wasn't enough.

"So I took a 5-iron, and I shortened my backswing and pulled it left into a trap and made a bogey."
Coody ended up bogeying the last three holes to lose the championship.
But in 1971, there Coody was again, standing on the 16th tee, this time tied with Miller for the lead.
"It was deja vu as much as possible," he said. "Same time of day, same shadows, same great weather, pin in the same spot."

This time Coody didn't hesitate on his club selection. He pulled out the 6-iron he should have used two years earlier.

"I hit it 12 feet behind the hole and made birdie," he said.
The birdie gave Coody a one-stroke advantage on Miller, who then bogeyed 18. Nicklaus, playing in the final twosome behind Coody, parred the final three holes, while Coody parred 17 and 18 to secure the victory.

Coody knew as he was walking down the fairway at 18 that all he needed to do was par the final hole to gain the victory. A par would leave Nicklaus with having to hole out on his second shot from the fairway just to force a playoff.

Coody put his second shot on the par-4 18th hole about 25 feet from the cup. He hit his first putt about a foot from the hole and then tapped in for his par and the victory.

Although Coody said no special recognition of the 25th anniversary of his win at Augusta was given at Tuesday's "Champions Dinner," there is a special article in this year's tournament program about his win.
Can he believe it's been 25 years since the crowning moment of his golfing career?
"In some ways, no," Coody said. "But in other ways, it seems longer. But 25 years have gone very quickly."

At least one thing hasn't changed in 25 years, however. Coody has returned to Augusta, Ga., the second week in April each year - and plans to continue to do so for the rest of his life.

A Masters' win is on your resume for life.