569 $
Description
Up for auction is an original 1986 1st run MacGregor Response ZT MI 540 putter w/ early 1st Version Clay Long signature (club's designer). This is a very rare and hard to find putter an is extremely close to Jack Nicklaus's original Masters prototype. The putter is in all original condition except I replaced Pro Only grip with a $25.00 Super Stroke Mid Slim 2.0. I am original owner and the putter is in incredible condition for being 30 years old (please see photos) Putter is orig. 35" length. This features the original brass weights without wood screws (see info below). The wood screws were added to this model after the initial 200 pc. run, on most every one you'll ever see, this ONE is super scarce. TJack's original, and features a *** THIS IS A MUST FOR ANY FAN OF JACK'S INCREDIBLE '86 MASTERS VICTORY OR SERIOUS PUTTER COLLECTOR!!!*** Great story. This is only club missing from any of Jacks 18 Majors. I brought this putter to The Nicklaus Museum in Columbus, Ohio for the curator to look over. He actually had me send the club directly to Clay Long to see if it was by chance, one of the original 6 he gave Mr. Nicklaus to try out before the 86 Masters. As it turns out, the model he used was slightly different and was painted black so Mr. Long sent this back to me but not before offering to buy back himself. I decided to hold on to it but after all the hoopla over the 30 year anniversary of Jack's 1986 Masters, I've decide to list it on ebay! Please note my 100% positive feedback and check out the interview with Clay Long below!
CLAY LONG INTERVIEW on PUTTER TALK (a little history on this club designed for Jack Nicklaus)Mr. Long, "What's the story behind the making of this putter used by Jack to win the Masters in 1986?"
"It's a fun story to tell, but I probably don't have room here in one post. We were experimenting in the lab at Macgregor with a concept that required a really deep face. To get that deep face I scaled the the CNC programs we had written for the standard size Smoothie putter line. (We wrote CNC code by hand on a teletype in those days) So the 32% scale factor produced this big aluminum putter. The concept we were trying was killed by the USGA, so I ended up with some big flat face aluminum putters in my office".
Jack comes to the plant (a rare visit), I hand him one and he asks if it is a joke! I say no, he hits few putts on the carpet and then says to send him a few to try. He calls back about two weeks later and says, "you know that big putter is pretty good". So I go talk to the company president and he decides to make it into a product. It was a super high inertia putter, very forgiving, and we never dreamed Jack would actually use it.
But........he did! Ha!
The very first production run of 800, 200 per model, had my signature on them. "D. C. Long" was in my hand writing. Later it was plugged and Pat. Pending was put there. Those didn't have screws in the brass plates, except for the one Jack won the Masters with. It had my signature and wood screws in the brass plates. The first run wasn't painted black either. But again Jack's was at his request.
So the Masters putter itself was really a special part. Probably only 3 or 4 made just like that. Jack filled the back cavity with lead tape as well to make it swing about D3 or so. Production models were about C8. We made them light because people thought they were heavier than they were due to the size.
The original putter is currently lost. Jack has all of his old stuff except that putter. Thinks the kids might have loaned it by mistake. So if you ever run across a black M615 with wood screws in the toe and heel plates and "D.C. Long" on it, Call me!!!
I can't think of another putter that got more press and was so attached to a single water shed event in the 80's than the Response. I'm sure the Anser won more tournaments and money, but it was doing that in the 70's as well.
