Nicklaus admitted that he heard the noise, and the article was even pinned up on his refrigerator as bulletin board material by his friend John Montgomery.

I had to look at it every time I opened up the refrigerator, Nicklaus said. That was okay. I think the article was very justified. I was getting old and I was playing not very well.

But as we all know, that was not the case that fateful week in Augusta. Nicklaus found his old form, culminating in a Sunday 65 that earned him his sixth green jacket and final PGA Tour victory.

As Nicklaus told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution years later, To tell you the truth, I kind of agreed with Tom, Im afraid, but it helped get me going.

McCollister poked the bear, and it resulted in one of the greatest triumphs in golf history.

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Jack Nicklaus recounts the jab that motivated him to win the 1986 Masters - Golf.com