April 1968. Martin Luther King, Jr., was dead; anti-Vietnam protests and race riots roiled the cities; and America verged on breaking apart. The Masters in Augusta offered some temporary respite from chaos. The rivalry between Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus was at its peak, and the public anticipated another thrilling duel. But in the end Palmer, Nicklaus, and Gary Player were surpassed by three relative unknowns: Bert Yancey, Bob Goalby, and Argentinean Roberto DeVicenzo. At the seventeenth hole, DeVicenzo's playing partner recorded that he'd made the hole in four. In fact, he'd made it in three, however DeVicenzo signed the card in error, and was not allowed to correct his score, meaning he lost the tournament to Goalby by one shot. DeVicenzo sobbed on hearing the news, and much of the world cried with him. In THE LOST MASTERS, Curt Sampson, utilizing access to all the key players (including DeVicenzo and Goalby) examines the personalities, events, and aftermath of that astonishing tournament. In recounting one of the most fascinating sports stories ever, he casts a light upon the continuing controversy of the Augusta Golf Club and the Masters, and on one pivotal year in American life.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
No one remembers the silver medalist, the second-place finisher, the runner-up. And no one remembers the first loser of the 1968 Masters Tournament. Sampson, a former touring golf pro and author of seven books, including the bestseller The Masters, hopes to change all that by retelling a story many people have forgotten and even more never knew. The '68 Masters was held under a cloud of war, racial tension and national mourning. The tournament began on April 11; eight days earlier, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn., Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated, and he was buried in nearby Atlanta, Ga., two days before the tournament began at Augusta National. Anti-war sentiment pervaded the nation's conscience as Bob Goalby lined up for the first tee shot of the tournament. What followed was four days of competition and controversy. While the world watched and waited for one of the two favorites, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, to take the cup, three virtual unknowns-Roberto Devicenzo, Bob Goalby and Bert Yancy-staged their own three-way battle for the title. It was one of the tightest tournaments in the Masters' history, and its ending further solidified its place in the history books. When the final stroke was tallied, it was Devicenzo-Goalby, one-two. But in a scoring error on the 17th hole of the final day, it was discovered that Devicenzo's partner recorded a four instead of the three he actually shot, and more controversy ensued. A marvelous look at a compelling event, this book is a surefire pleasure for golf fans.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
The worst sports scandals usually involve cheating, but golf's biggest controversy occurred when the rules were followed too closely. The 1968 Masters Tournament ended in a tie between Roberto Devicenzo and Bob Goalby, but the latter was pronounced the winner when it was discovered that Devicenzo signed a scorecard showing his score to be one shot higher than it really was. Veteran golf writer Sampson reprises the tournament and looks closely at the incident and its aftermath. Would Arnold Palmer have been allowed to correct his score, in spite of the rule? Does the whole fiasco illustrate golf's bedrock sportsmanship, or does it show, yet again, the arrogance of the rich white guys who run the Masters? Sampson gives all sides a fair hearing, but most interestingly, he looks at how the scoring mess turned Devicenzo into a fan favorite and became a permanent monkey on Goalby's back. The attempt to place the controversy in the context of Vietnam and the sixties in general is overstated, but all in all, this is a fascinating slice of golf history. Bill Ott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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More About the Author
Curt Sampson, golf professional turned golf writer, came from a large, athletic family. Golf was something his father did. Sampson caddied for his dad for years before trying to fit the game into his crowded sports schedule. Two things piqued his interest, both occurring when he turned 12. He began to caddie full-time at Lake Forest Country Club in Hudson, Ohio; and he discovered that he could not hit a Little League curve ball.
Sampson spent the money earned caddying on plaid pants, entry fees, and travel to tournaments. His most notable win before college was in the Mid-American Junior in 1970. He accepted a scholarship to Kent State University, where he won one tournament, finished second in another, and made the All-MAC team twice. And twice during his four years at KSU, the team missed qualifying for the NCAA by one shot. Current Kent Men's Head Coach Herb Page and Women's Head Coach Mike Morrow were teammates.
Sampson toiled as a club pro for several years following graduation. He toured internationally for a short time, and played in mini-tours in Florida. In his only try to get on the PGA Tour--at Pinehurst in 1977--he missed the cut badly, and applied for and received a return to amateur status.
Following a ten year career in sales (wiring conduit, hydraulic hose, labeling machines, lumber) Sampson began writing full-time in November 1988.
Texas Golf Legends, his first book, was collaboration with Santa Fe-based artist Paul Milosevich. Researching TGL gained Sampson introductions with people he has written about many times since: Hogan, Nelson, Crenshaw, Trevino, and a few dozen others. His next book--The Eternal Summer, a recreation of golf's summer of 1960, when Hogan, Palmer, and Nicklaus battled--is still selling 15 years after its debut, a rarity in the publishing world.
Sampson's biography of the enigmatic William Ben Hogan struck a chord. Both Hogan and his next book, The Masters, appeared on the New York Times bestseller lists. Subsequent books and scores of magazine articles cemented Sampson's reputation as readable and sometimes controversial, a writer with an eye for humor and the telling detail.
Sampson spent the money earned caddying on plaid pants, entry fees, and travel to tournaments. His most notable win before college was in the Mid-American Junior in 1970. He accepted a scholarship to Kent State University, where he won one tournament, finished second in another, and made the All-MAC team twice. And twice during his four years at KSU, the team missed qualifying for the NCAA by one shot. Current Kent Men's Head Coach Herb Page and Women's Head Coach Mike Morrow were teammates.
Sampson toiled as a club pro for several years following graduation. He toured internationally for a short time, and played in mini-tours in Florida. In his only try to get on the PGA Tour--at Pinehurst in 1977--he missed the cut badly, and applied for and received a return to amateur status.
Following a ten year career in sales (wiring conduit, hydraulic hose, labeling machines, lumber) Sampson began writing full-time in November 1988.
Texas Golf Legends, his first book, was collaboration with Santa Fe-based artist Paul Milosevich. Researching TGL gained Sampson introductions with people he has written about many times since: Hogan, Nelson, Crenshaw, Trevino, and a few dozen others. His next book--The Eternal Summer, a recreation of golf's summer of 1960, when Hogan, Palmer, and Nicklaus battled--is still selling 15 years after its debut, a rarity in the publishing world.
Sampson's biography of the enigmatic William Ben Hogan struck a chord. Both Hogan and his next book, The Masters, appeared on the New York Times bestseller lists. Subsequent books and scores of magazine articles cemented Sampson's reputation as readable and sometimes controversial, a writer with an eye for humor and the telling detail.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
gentlemen's game,
This review is from: The Lost Masters: Grace and Disgrace in '68 (Hardcover)
The book contains a fascinating report of two gentlemen that were the victims of two unfair events: Roberto De Vicenzo was the victim of an unfair (and recently modified) rule and Goalby was the victim of an unfair treatment by the media and some golf fans. The two of them had a very gentle reaction after the incident and remained close friends. The book is a refreshing story about excellence in sports.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining & Insightful,
By DaveHwriter "DaveHwriter" (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Lost Masters: Grace and Disgrace in '68 (Hardcover)
THE LOST MASTERS, the story of the controversial 1968 Masters championship. MASTERS is a slanted but colorful and enjoyable piece of work. Also read SUMMER, Sampson's best work, in my opinion.
4.0 out of 5 stars
An indeep investigation,
By
This review is from: The Lost Masters: Grace and Disgrace in '68 (Paperback)
This work covers the 68' Masters incident in thorough detail and with a fine style. I wonder why the book has not been translated to Spanish so far, since the Argentine public would be very interested in this complete and documented version of a half known story.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Mr. Jones waited for his company. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Augusta National, Marble Eye, Bobby Jones, Bob Goalby, New York, Crosshanded Henry Brown, United States, Cliff Roberts, Buenos Aires, British Open, Doug Ford, Roberto De Vicenzo, Bert Yancey, Sports Illustrated, Arnold Palmer, Butler Cabin, Tommy Aaron, Frank Stokes, Lee Trevino, Sarah Goalby, Ben Hogan, Bobby Locke, East Lake, Gay Brewer, Golf Digest New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
Mr. Jones waited for his company. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Augusta National, Marble Eye, Bobby Jones, Bob Goalby, New York, Crosshanded Henry Brown, United States, Cliff Roberts, Buenos Aires, British Open, Doug Ford, Roberto De Vicenzo, Bert Yancey, Sports Illustrated, Arnold Palmer, Butler Cabin, Tommy Aaron, Frank Stokes, Lee Trevino, Sarah Goalby, Ben Hogan, Bobby Locke, East Lake, Gay Brewer, Golf Digest New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 18
books:
See all 18 books this book cites
- United States of America (On the Map) by Daphne Butler on page 172
- Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare on page 236
- Romeo And Juliet (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Saddleback Classics) by William Shakespeare on page 236
- Romeo and Juliet (Simply Shakespeare) by William Shakespeare on page 236
- Full Court Pressure by Curt Sampson in Front Matter
See all 18 books this book cites
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