AUGUSTA, Ga. - Steve Pate was standing outside the clubhouse at Augusta National Golf Club on Wednesday, chatting about how much he loves The Masters.
"Unfortunately, I'd like to get a chance to play here more," he said with a laugh. "I haven't done a whole lot during the last few years to get here. It hasn't been too memorable, huh."
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| Pate played the par-29, seven-hole stretch in 22 strokes. |
The man they call the Volcano erupted on Saturday, however, posting his name in The Masters record book by making seven consecutive birdies on way to a 7-under-par 65. Pate is tied for third with Davis Love III at 211 going into the final round, two shots behind Jose Maria Olazabal.
"I have no explanation for what happened out there," Pate said with a chuckle. "I really didn't do anything differently than I did the first two days. I played real solid the first two days. I only made two birdies a day and today made seven in a row.
"I don't know why. I made a couple of putts and it just, well, (Friday) I can understand a little bit. I hit a lot of good shots, but the wind was blowing. Today was pretty calm. So there wasn't a lot of guessing."
It has been a long road back for Pate, who was nearly killed in an auto accident outside Phoenix in 1986. He had been among the top 50 players on the PGA Tour for several years in the later '80s-early '90s, but was struggling when, during a late-night drive back to his home in Southern California, he drove into the back of a truck. Although his car was totaled, he survived with only a broken right wrist. Then a few months later, he broke his other wrist when he slipped off a boat dock. Then while rehabbing from that injury, he was hurt again when a deer ran into the bike he was riding.
Pate worked hard to regain his previous form and finally cashed another winner's check last year at the CVS Charity Classic, a tournament that no longer exists. He finished second earlier this year in the Bob Hope, fourth in the World Match Play Championship, and tied for 11th at Bay Hill, giving him another strong start to the season.
But no one could have predicted what happened Saturday. The previous record was set by Johnny Miller during the third round of the 1975 event, tied by Mark Calcavecchia in the final round in 1992 and David Toms on Sunday last year.
Pate had a birdie at No. 3 to move to 1-over-par, but the Volcano's hot streak started at No. 7. With a small gallery watching him and playing partner Lee Westwood, he knocked in an eight-foot putt to move to even. Then at No. 8, he put a pitching wedge to 20 feet on the par 5 and dropped the putt. On the par-4 9th, he stuck an 8-iron to a foot for a tap-in and three-in-a-row.
But the zone really started at the turn when he hit a bad 6-iron to the green, but holed a 50-footer.
"That's when I thought something good might be happening," he said.
The crowds were started to get bigger as word spread through Augusta National that another player was on fire.
"There were a lot of people in the middle of the round that started appearing out of nowhere," Pate said. "They started appearing out of the trees like Bigfoot."
A solid wedge to the 11th resulted in a 20-foot birdie, giving Pate a shot of tying the record. As he came to the 12th, the famous 155-yard par-3, he was hoping to put the same smooth swing on the 8-iron that had helped put him on the run.
As the ball was launched toward the green, the crowd grew silent in anticipation. It hit below the hole and then slowly moved toward its target, stopping less than two feet from an ace as the gallery erupted.
"Anytime you hit a shot on 12 and it ends up the right distance, you get lucky," Pate said. "That hole's just a mystery."
The gallery seemingly doubled as Pate came to the 13th tee with the record in sight. The 485-yard par-5 is definitely willing to give up a 4, but can also fight back with a 7 or 8 if a player doesn't give it the proper respect. The hottest player on the course hit 3-wood off the tee, laid up with a 5-iron and hit lob wedge to six feet.
Moments later he had the record as the putt died at the edge of the hole and dramatically fell in. The gallery sitting in the surrounding bleachers gave him a standing ovation. Although the string ended with a par at the 14th , the stretch provided another memorable moment for the Augusta National time capsule.
"Everything I was doing was turning out well," Pate said. "It was probably the easiest stretch of holes I had all week. The first 36 holes, I played well and didn't get anything out of it and that seemed harder than watching balls dive into the holes left and right."
No one mentioned Pate's name when talking about pre-tournament favorites for the 63rd Masters, but his spectacular run on Saturday put him in contention.
"I'm looking forward to it very much," he said. "I've always thought The Masters was by far my best chance to ever win a major because of the way I putt. I don't three-putt very often, which is a good attribute at this course."
