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Every golfer dreams of slipping into a green jacket on Masters Sunday.
Bert Yancey, a native son of Tallahassee, came tantalizingly close to doing it. That was no easy task playing during the era of Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Gary Player. However, Yancey channeled his love for Augusta into three top-5 finishes during a four year stretch from 1967 to 1970.
He remains the closest the Capital City has ever come to having a Masters Champion.
Yancey’s obsession with winning at Augusta was legendary. From a young age, his golf ambitions were solely focused on earning a Masters invitation and finding his way into Butler Cabin as the winner. He made his aim clear and even vowed to never attend the tournament until he earned a spot in the field.
Yancey grew up playing at Capital City Country Club when the course was still owned and managed by the City of Tallahassee as a municipal amenity. His father, Malcolm Yancey, was the Tallahassee City Manager from 1940 to 1952.
He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point and captained the golf team there until being discharged after his first bought with what would later be diagnosed as a manic depression. After a stint a club professional in Philadelphia, Yancey sought out a place on the PGA Tour, eventually earning his card in 1964.
The touring life began to pay off for Yancey in 1966 – winning three times that season and earning his first Masters invitation for the 1967 tournament. He prepared meticulously for the tournament consulting the likes of Byron Nelson and Ken Venturi during walks around the course. He studied the approach of Ben Hogan and developed a plan to play Augusta National Golf Club based on a combination of those inputs. All of which lead to a dazzling debut for the Masters rookie.
Yancey shot a blistering 67 in his first competitive round at the Masters and took a 3-shot lead of the tournament. He followed that stellar performance with solid rounds of 73 and 71, maintaining a tie for the lead going into Sunday. Unfortunately, Yancey carded a final round 73, losing the green jacket to Gay Brewer, who began the day 2 shots behind and shot a 67 to win the tournament. Yancey finished in solo 3rd four shots behind the winner.
Dispite coming up short in his debut, Yancey’s stellar week earned him an invitation to play again in 1968. He continued to study the Augusta National course as part of his preparations, going as far as to make clay models of each green to better understand the pin locations. The club is rumored to still have them in their archives.
Yancey’s 1968 Masters was in many ways the opposite of his debut the year before. He lingered near the top of the leaderboard all week with rounds of 71, 71, and 72 before catching fire on Sunday. Yancey birdied four of the last six holes to post a final round 65.
His blistering finish was good enough to place solo 3rd for the second straight year. Yancey wound up 2 shots behind eventual winner Bob Goalby, who took the green jacket after Argentinian Roberto De Vincenzo signed an incorrect scorecard, keeping him out of a playoff.
In 1969, Yancey made another strong showing in Augusta finishing tied for 13th at the Masters. Despite being 7 shots from making the playoff between winner George Archer and Billy Casper, he was able to find his winning form on tour the following month. Yancey won the 1969 Atlanta Classic and was able to secure his spot again for the 1970 Masters.
1970 would prove to be Yancey’s last best chance at winning the green jacket. He entered the tournament riding the momentum of arguably his biggest win on the PGA Tour – Bing Crosby’s Pro-Am at Pebble Beach where he bested Jack Nicklaus by a shot to take the title. Yancey never failed to have confidence at Augusta – his love for the course and self belief made him a tough competitor there each spring. Yancey once told Sports Illustrated, “If everything else is right and I can get my putts rolling during the Masters, I know I will beat anyone's brains in."
The 1970 tournament was arguably Yancey’s most complete performance at the Masters. He was in the top 5 on the leaderboard after every round even leading the tournament at various stages. His opening round 69 put him in second place and one shot back. He followed that with a second round 70 and entered the weekend tied for the lead with Gene Littler. Yancey shot a solid round of 72 on Saturday but lost some ground as others like eventual winner Billy Casper made impressive moves up the leaderboard.
Yancey was three shots back headed into Sunday, but well within striking distance. He got off to a hot start that final round, making birdies on three of his first five holes. From there, Yancey rattled off 12 straight pars while the other leaders fumbled around the course with more colorful scorecards. He grabbed a share of the lead after 9 holes and stayed there until his closest competitors, Billy Casper, Gene Littler, and Gary Player began to make birdies after Amen Corner. Yancey bogeyed the 18th hole for a final round 70, finishing in 4th place and two shots out of the playoff won by Casper.
Yancey understood the weight of trying to win at Augusta Nationa Golf Club. Maybe his obsession with the tournament put too much pressure on his swing and putting stroke. He said once that, "Despite what some players say, the Masters is not just another tournament. It comes only once a year. Miss it, blow it—and you must wait another year.”
After the 1970 tournament, Yancey’s Masters magic began to fade. He missed the cut in 1971, but did find his way on the first page of the leaderboard briefly in 1972. After opening rounds of 69 and 72 that year he was in third place and only two shots back before fading over the weekend with rounds of 76 and 75. He eventually finished tied for 12th place and six shots behind winner Jack Nicklaus. Yancey played again in 1973 and 1975 but never seriously contended.
His final Masters in 1975 was notable because it came on the heels of serious manic depression set back. He spent three months in a mental hospital after causing scenes while traveling for golf outings in Japan and New Jersey. Those episodes plagued him for years after and the treatments required to manage his disorder ultimately caused him to retire from the tour. Yancey made a comeback on the Senior Tour in the early 90’s but suffered a heart attack while playing an event in Utah and didn’t survive.
He passed away in 1994 at the age of 56.
Depsite having some talented and tour winning Tallahassee residents like Kenny Knox and Husdson Swafford play in the Masters in recent decades, Bert Yancey’s efforts remain the capital city’s strongest showings to date. His love for the tournament is still discussed in certain circles this time of year and those who knew and cheered him fondly recall what it was like to see a hometown guy come so close to winning the Masters. Yancey finished his career with 7 PGA Tour wins and 7 top ten finishes in majors.
He never realized his biggest dream, but maybe someday, when a Tallahassee golfer finally gets a green jacket, they’ll stop by Oakland Cemetery and show Bert Yancey how it fits.
I think he’d love to know how it feels.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Bert Yancey came close multiple times to winning the Masters
Continue reading...
Bert Yancey, a native son of Tallahassee, came tantalizingly close to doing it. That was no easy task playing during the era of Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Gary Player. However, Yancey channeled his love for Augusta into three top-5 finishes during a four year stretch from 1967 to 1970.
He remains the closest the Capital City has ever come to having a Masters Champion.
Yancey’s obsession with winning at Augusta was legendary. From a young age, his golf ambitions were solely focused on earning a Masters invitation and finding his way into Butler Cabin as the winner. He made his aim clear and even vowed to never attend the tournament until he earned a spot in the field.
PGA golfer Bert Yancey grew playing Capital City Country Club
Yancey grew up playing at Capital City Country Club when the course was still owned and managed by the City of Tallahassee as a municipal amenity. His father, Malcolm Yancey, was the Tallahassee City Manager from 1940 to 1952.
He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point and captained the golf team there until being discharged after his first bought with what would later be diagnosed as a manic depression. After a stint a club professional in Philadelphia, Yancey sought out a place on the PGA Tour, eventually earning his card in 1964.
The touring life began to pay off for Yancey in 1966 – winning three times that season and earning his first Masters invitation for the 1967 tournament. He prepared meticulously for the tournament consulting the likes of Byron Nelson and Ken Venturi during walks around the course. He studied the approach of Ben Hogan and developed a plan to play Augusta National Golf Club based on a combination of those inputs. All of which lead to a dazzling debut for the Masters rookie.
Yancey shot a blistering 67 in his first competitive round at the Masters and took a 3-shot lead of the tournament. He followed that stellar performance with solid rounds of 73 and 71, maintaining a tie for the lead going into Sunday. Unfortunately, Yancey carded a final round 73, losing the green jacket to Gay Brewer, who began the day 2 shots behind and shot a 67 to win the tournament. Yancey finished in solo 3rd four shots behind the winner.
Dispite coming up short in his debut, Yancey’s stellar week earned him an invitation to play again in 1968. He continued to study the Augusta National course as part of his preparations, going as far as to make clay models of each green to better understand the pin locations. The club is rumored to still have them in their archives.
Yancey’s 1968 Masters was in many ways the opposite of his debut the year before. He lingered near the top of the leaderboard all week with rounds of 71, 71, and 72 before catching fire on Sunday. Yancey birdied four of the last six holes to post a final round 65.
His blistering finish was good enough to place solo 3rd for the second straight year. Yancey wound up 2 shots behind eventual winner Bob Goalby, who took the green jacket after Argentinian Roberto De Vincenzo signed an incorrect scorecard, keeping him out of a playoff.
Strong showing at the Masters helps Bert Yancey win Atlanta Classic
In 1969, Yancey made another strong showing in Augusta finishing tied for 13th at the Masters. Despite being 7 shots from making the playoff between winner George Archer and Billy Casper, he was able to find his winning form on tour the following month. Yancey won the 1969 Atlanta Classic and was able to secure his spot again for the 1970 Masters.
1970 would prove to be Yancey’s last best chance at winning the green jacket. He entered the tournament riding the momentum of arguably his biggest win on the PGA Tour – Bing Crosby’s Pro-Am at Pebble Beach where he bested Jack Nicklaus by a shot to take the title. Yancey never failed to have confidence at Augusta – his love for the course and self belief made him a tough competitor there each spring. Yancey once told Sports Illustrated, “If everything else is right and I can get my putts rolling during the Masters, I know I will beat anyone's brains in."
The 1970 tournament was arguably Yancey’s most complete performance at the Masters. He was in the top 5 on the leaderboard after every round even leading the tournament at various stages. His opening round 69 put him in second place and one shot back. He followed that with a second round 70 and entered the weekend tied for the lead with Gene Littler. Yancey shot a solid round of 72 on Saturday but lost some ground as others like eventual winner Billy Casper made impressive moves up the leaderboard.
Yancey was three shots back headed into Sunday, but well within striking distance. He got off to a hot start that final round, making birdies on three of his first five holes. From there, Yancey rattled off 12 straight pars while the other leaders fumbled around the course with more colorful scorecards. He grabbed a share of the lead after 9 holes and stayed there until his closest competitors, Billy Casper, Gene Littler, and Gary Player began to make birdies after Amen Corner. Yancey bogeyed the 18th hole for a final round 70, finishing in 4th place and two shots out of the playoff won by Casper.
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Yancey understood the weight of trying to win at Augusta Nationa Golf Club. Maybe his obsession with the tournament put too much pressure on his swing and putting stroke. He said once that, "Despite what some players say, the Masters is not just another tournament. It comes only once a year. Miss it, blow it—and you must wait another year.”
After the 1970 tournament, Yancey’s Masters magic began to fade. He missed the cut in 1971, but did find his way on the first page of the leaderboard briefly in 1972. After opening rounds of 69 and 72 that year he was in third place and only two shots back before fading over the weekend with rounds of 76 and 75. He eventually finished tied for 12th place and six shots behind winner Jack Nicklaus. Yancey played again in 1973 and 1975 but never seriously contended.
His final Masters in 1975 was notable because it came on the heels of serious manic depression set back. He spent three months in a mental hospital after causing scenes while traveling for golf outings in Japan and New Jersey. Those episodes plagued him for years after and the treatments required to manage his disorder ultimately caused him to retire from the tour. Yancey made a comeback on the Senior Tour in the early 90’s but suffered a heart attack while playing an event in Utah and didn’t survive.
He passed away in 1994 at the age of 56.
Depsite having some talented and tour winning Tallahassee residents like Kenny Knox and Husdson Swafford play in the Masters in recent decades, Bert Yancey’s efforts remain the capital city’s strongest showings to date. His love for the tournament is still discussed in certain circles this time of year and those who knew and cheered him fondly recall what it was like to see a hometown guy come so close to winning the Masters. Yancey finished his career with 7 PGA Tour wins and 7 top ten finishes in majors.
He never realized his biggest dream, but maybe someday, when a Tallahassee golfer finally gets a green jacket, they’ll stop by Oakland Cemetery and show Bert Yancey how it fits.
I think he’d love to know how it feels.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Bert Yancey came close multiple times to winning the Masters
Continue reading...
