Jack Nicklaus
MacGregor Response ZT 615 putter
1986
The Golden Bear had been using a George Low Wizard 600 putter for much of his career – he won 15 of his 18 majors with it – but decided it was time for a change. He liked Tom Watson’s PING Pal putter and asked Clay Long, head of MacGregor’s R&D department, to make him something similar. What Long dreamt up was something Nicklaus initially thought was a joke, an oversized, high MOI, aluminum-headed flatstick called Response ZT 615. (The ZT stood for "zero twisting.") Nicklaus painted it black and stuck lead tape on the back of it to increase its weight.
Remarkably, during one of his practice rounds for the 1986 Masters, Nicklaus gave it away to one of his amateur playing partners. He had another in his bag – and that one would help make history.
On Sunday, 13 April, Nicklaus, at age 46, shot a remarkable 30 on the back nine playing holes 15 thru 17 in four-under to claim his sixth green jacket. The ZT 615 proved to be anything but a joke for MacGregor. They’d forecast sales of 6,000, but ended up selling 350,000 by the end of 2007.
Nicklaus won only that tournament with the ZT 615, but used it on and off for the next decade. Today, Nicklaus has no idea where it is. It’s the only club he used to win a major that he can’t locate. He suspects one of his kids gave it away.
