Q&A With John Boyette

Augusta Chronicle sports editor John Boyette is the only media member to have walked all 18 holes with Jack Nicklaus during the final round of the 1986 Masters.

On the eve of next week's event, you can listen to John talk to Rod Morri about his new book, The 1986 Masters. The book is not only a wonderful recap of the event but a beautiful production featuring excellent reproductions of 150 or so Chronicle images from the week.

Boyette answered a few of my questions via email about the book and what we can look for from the Augusta Chronicle next week.

Q: So you were an apprenticing journalist for the Aiken Standard with no assignment, no press badge and just a patron badge. And you decide to follow Jack Nicklaus around for the final round in 1986? Really?

JB: Yes. I know it sounds a little crazy, but it’s true! I was a Nicklaus fan from early on and I thought I would follow him around that day. Believe me, he didn’t have that big of a following after he bogeyed No. 4 and missed a short birdie putt at No. 6. By the time he made the turn, it was hard to get a good spot to see. I had been to the tournament plenty before 1986, but that was actually the first year I wrote articles that were published.
 
Q: When did you decide to create a book about the day and what did you do to flesh out  story that has been pretty well told?

JB: I guess I would think about it on significant milestones or anniversaries. When we got to the 20th anniversary, that’s when I started becoming a little more serious about tracking down some guys and interviewing them. But the bulk of the work was done in the last year. I had incredible cooperation from the Nicklaus family and several others associated with that day. My goal was to put all of the stories about that year – the article taped on the refrigerator, the oversized putter, why he wore the yellow shirt – in one volume. I hope diehard fans who know a lot about 1986 will learn something new, and I hope those who don’t much about it will enjoy it as the story unfolds.

I think the 1986 Masters is great for a number of reasons. Nicklaus winning at age 46 is the main story, but there are so many good subplots going on around it. Nick Price shooting 63. Seve Ballesteros feuding with Deane Beman. The rise of Europe. A lot of future major winners in the hunt that day. To top that will really take something special.

Q: The endsheets of the book features Nicklaus's scorecard. Where is that and other '86 memorabilia displayed these days?

JB: I really don’t have a clue. I know Augusta National keeps the scorecards. I would expect to see them do a display on 1986 in their exhibition area. The Response ZT putter, I’m told, is missing.
 
Q: There were so many goose-bump moments from that day, was there any particular point in the day that stood out for you?

JB: Everything from 15 in was pretty good, but I think my favorite moment was at No. 16. I used to work on the scoreboard at the sixth green that overlooks 16 green, and I had positioned myself behind the green. When Jack’s shot nearly went in the hole, the ground shook and the gallery went crazy. And, of course, the photo of him raising his putter on the 17th green is one of the all-time great shots.
 
Q: You write about the scene in the press center when Nicklaus came in and looked for Tom McCollister to have a laugh about the infamous column that motivated Nicklaus. It's rather remarkable imagining one of today's players taking getting such motivation from one column!

JB: Yes, I wish I had access back then to the old Quonset hut that served as the media center. What a press conference that must have been. I don’t think Jack gave the article much thought at the time, really, but it’s one of those things that has gotten bigger through the years. I can’t see any of the current players giving credit to something like that.
 
Q: What will the Chronicle be doing to celebrate the 25th anniversary and has there ever been any thought of reprinting the 1986 sports page as a commemorative keepsake?

JB: Of course, we’re selling the book on our Web site and at augusta.com. We’ve also got a story by me looking back at 1986 in kind of an alternative format. I try to point out how rare that charge was (no one’s shot that low on the final nine and gone on to win since Jack) and we also have some other goodies. Our special section will publish April 3. We have talked in the past about reprinting some pages, but we’ll see. For the last few years, we have offered a plaque of the front page featuring the Monday cover of our special section to celebrate the new champion.
 
Q: Augusta.com is a production of the Augusta Chronicle and is always a great place to view the tournament from afar, what can we expect this year?

JB: Thanks, we have a lot of great folks here who make our print and online products shine that week. Look for us to do more blogging with more of our writers and updates from the tournament each day. Also, we have launched apps for the Android and Apple iPhone, iPad and iTouch mobile devices. This should allow folks on the go to keep up with the tournament most anywhere.