Where were you in 1986 when Nicklaus won the Masters?

Where were you when Jack Nicklaus won the Masters in 1986?

Some of you, of course, weren’t born yet (go ahead and raise your hands, Justin, Rickie, Rory and Jason). But for those old enough to recall the moment 30 years ago, it will go down as perhaps the most unforgettable one in golf.

Here’s what we heard when asking players and other golf personalities about that magical Sunday at Augusta National, when Nicklaus defied time by winning at the age of 46. Enjoy their memories, and then tell us in the comments section what you remember.

RELATED: Jack Nicklaus II recounts caddying for his father during his iconic Masters win 30 years ago this week

IN THE FIELD

GARY KOCH (T-16): Bob Tway and myself were in the twosome right in front of (Nicklaus). He made a good putt at 10, he made another birdie at 11, and you kind of sensed from the crowd that it was Jack. You figured just by the noise that was made, you knew who they were cheering for.

We finished playing 15 and got over to the 16th tee about the same time he was playing into the (15th) green. Bob and I both said, ‘We better wait. We better not try to tee off until we let him hit this shot.’ And sure enough he knocks it up on the green about 15 feet from the hole. We teed off on 16 and we almost kind of jogged up to the green with the idea of hopefully putting out before he would have his eagle putt at 15. Didn’t happen.

We were literally standing on the 16th green, watching 15 as he putted when he made the eagle. We didn't want to get over a putt and potentially draw the putter back the same time as his ball goes in the hole. We waited for him to putt out at 15. He made the putt, the place went nuts, we putted out quickly and tried to get over to 17 tee to play before he hit at 16, but we couldn't do it.

We stayed on the 17 tee, watched him hit the shot into 16 and of course he almost makes it. At that point, the electricity, the energy in the air … I’d experienced it, but never quite like that, just because I was so close to what was going on. When he hit the shot into 16, the place just erupted. I mean, you have the grandstands on both sides of 15 that are watching, the hillside left of 16 that’s watching. The hair on the back of my neck was standing up. It was just that electric.

(The wait on 17 tee) wasn't a very long time. It was a few minutes. At that point, I think Bob and I had become as interested in what he was doing as we were in our own games. We just got caught up in watching what he was doing. It was pretty easy to do.

BOB TWAY (T-8): I've been asked about five different times about it because Gary Koch and I played in front of him the last day. It was kind of funny because I think Gary's told a few stations about it, basically on the back side we started playing all our shots around his shots because when he started doing all the stuff he was doing, the roars were the loudest I’ve ever heard.

When he made eagle at 15, we were standing on the 16th green and to this day it was the loudest roar I've ever heard in golf. We went to 17th tee and I said, "Well, we better not hit, we better let him hit on 16." I remember watching him hit on 16 and he bent down to pick up his tee really fast and I go, I wonder if that means it was a good shot or a bad shot, and he almost holes it. And then the roar was incredible. Just playing the last four or five holes around his shots is something I will always remember.

CURTIS STRANGE (T-21): I was playing decent, I was three or four groups in front of Jack. I think, if I remember correctly, I had just finished when he made the eagle at 15. And I tell the story always, because it's the truth, you know when we finished a tournament we're so quick to get the hell out of Dodge, to get to the airplane or get somewhere. But not a person left the locker room that day. They sat there and watched those TVs because Jack had eagled 15, almost made a 1 at 16, it was on and on. It was pretty cool to watch everybody in there watching it.

We're all rooting for him at the time. You're rooting for the guy. You're not rooting against Seve or Tom or anybody. The roars, as we all hear big roars down there, 17 -- it's almost like the clubhouse shook. I'm serious. And then of course, Verne having the greatest call of all time, as only Verne can do. We all remember it like it was yesterday. It was good stuff.

BEYOND AUGUSTA NATIONAL

Billy Andrade (college student): I was in my apartment at Wake Forest watching it on TV. I was just absolutely mesmerized by the whole thing. I knew Jack because Jackie played at North Carolina. Jackie had won the 1985 North & South and I lost in the semifinals. Jack was there (in Pinehurst) and I met him. I have been to their house. So I had a connection with the Nicklaus' that was a little different than the average college golfer.

What's cool is that I qualified for the Masters in 1987. I wrote Jack on Wake Forest golf stationary that Coach (Jesse) Haddock gave me to see if he would play a practice round with me. I have the letter he wrote back hanging on the wall in my house in Rhode Island. He said, great to get your letter. I have a practice round scheduled on Tuesday and I would love to have you join us. So I played a practice round with the defending champion on Tuesday and I was paired with Arnold Palmer) in the first round on Thursday.

Ernie Els (teenager): I was back home in South Africa, we watched it on TV. I still have goose bumps when I think about it. It’s the most amazing victory. I was just a youngster, and Greg Norman was a hero of mine. Seve Ballesteros was a hero of mine. Nick Price, who shot 63 that year in the first round – still a record – was a hero of mine. So all my heroes that year, plus Mr. Nicklaus winning it, was like a dream come true for a kid like me. Seeing him play like that was just unbelievable.

Steve Stricker (college student): I was 19, down at the University of Illinois, would’ve been my freshman year. That’s always been the greatest tournament to watch on TV, right? I can remember all the guys on the golf team watching it, watching that special moment and what he was doing. What a cool moment that was, watching it in a dorm room, just couldn’t believe what was happening. Just one of those things in sports that you remember exactly where you were.

Davis Love III (TOUR pro): I went early week with my dad and we watched a little bit. I can't remember which day. And then went home and I watched it on TV with him because he was so excited about Jack playing well and winning. And me watching Jackie, just coming off being on the team with him.

I didn't realize back then what (winning at 46) meant as much as I do now. I was just excited because it was Jack and Jackie. That was my big thing, and he was kind of out of semi-retirement. Jackie caddying, I was thrilled for both of them really.

Stewart Cink (teenager): That's my earliest memory from watching professional golf. I remember before that I always fought my dad. He wanted to watch golf on Saturday. I wanted to watch cartoons. And then I started watching golf a little bit with him and I remember jumping up and down for Nicklaus. When he almost holed out at 16, I remember jumping up from the couch. I knew that it was like a wow, the older guy that used to be the best is coming back and he's going to win and it was awesome.

MARK RUSSELL (rules official): I was watching it at my house with a couple of friends. I remember Jack had that big putter and he started making birdies and I remember Jackie was on the bag. And I remember he eagled the 15th hole, which was unbelievable and then he almost made a 1 at 16. It's like, this is unbelievable. He's right in there. He has a chance to win. And then he birdied the 17th hole. Then I was amazed how Greg Norman almost totally went south on the 18th hole. I mean, all he had to do was make, a par, I think, and he made bogey. He was tied for the lead with Jack. I remember he drove it good and he hit it way right and just couldn’t finish at 18.

I thought it was fantastic. Great for golf. I mean, here we are discussing it enthusiastically, 30 years later. It was an incredible afternoon. To me, it had a major influence on golf.

THE MEDIA

JIM NANTZ (CBS announcer): What Kenny (Venturi) said that day, when Jack and Jackie were walking off 18 arm-in-arm, I’ve often said how I’d love to be able to go there as a broadcaster. You could just hear the passion in Ken’s voice. He said on the air, "Look at that, it’s beautiful, That is just beautiful right there." You could hear the tears in his eyes as he said that. You could tell how emotional that was for him to see, that shared experience.

To be honest, that day, it doesn’t even feel real anymore. I’ve talked about it more than any single day in my life. It’s absolute magic. It’s such a wonderful memory in my life. I get asked about it constantly. That day is timeless. I can't believe I was lucky enough to have my first Masters experience coincide with Jack's epic sixth green jacket. A milestone. An epic Masters. Maybe the greatest one of all time.

HELEN ROSS (Greensboro, N.C. golf reporter): I had walked the front nine with Jack Nicklaus -- and a few thousand of his closest friends -- that Sunday. When he made the turn, though, Nicklaus still trailed by five strokes so I decided to head to the Quonset hut to watch the rest of the final round on TV.

With every birdie he made in that trademark and tremendous back-nine charge, the roars echoed across the Augusta National. The interesting thing, though, was how a group of normally cynical sportswriters were responding with equal enthusiasm in the Press Building, as well.

We knew we were witnessing history as Seve Ballesteros, Tom Watson, Greg Norman and Tom Kite all fell by the wayside. Incredibly, the 46-year-old Nicklaus, who had been branded by one writer as done, washed up even, earlier in the week, was going to win his sixth Green Jacket.

I went out to the 18th when Nicklaus finished because I wanted to be part of the experience and it didn't disappoint. The emotion was palpable with every step he took toward the green. I wondered how I would do the story justice, and to this day, I am not sure that I did.

Nicklaus waited in the Jones Cabin for the rest of the field to finish. He was soon whisked away, and his son Jackie emerged from the building, carrying his dad's clubs as he had all week, and headed for the Green Jacket ceremony.

As he walked briskly up the hill, Jackie told me that his grandmother was there that Sunday to see Nicklaus win. She had been at Augusta National for his first Masters victory, too.

I remember asking Jackie, who I had gotten to know while he was playing golf at the University of North Carolina, how old his grandmother was. He wasn't sure, so he suggested I ask his mom, who was following behind.

I dropped back and introduced myself to Barbara Nicklaus. Before I could ask about her mother-in-law, though, she started talking about how nice I had been to write such good things about Jackie during his UNC career.

I couldn't believe it. Her husband had just won a record sixth Green Jacket, and here she was thanking me for writing about her son. But that's the kind of people the Nicklauses are. (Helen Ross is a senior writer for PGATOUR.COM)