Reimagined ‘Goofy’ Putter That Aided Nicklaus’ 1986 Masters Win Unveiled
Clay Long and Sean Toulon collaborated on a modern take. The new Small Batch Columbus blends stainless steel and aluminum. It is a reimagined ‘goofy’ putter that aided Nicklaus’ 1986 Masters win and has been unveiled to collectors.
From novelty to phenomenon
Long designed the oversized MacGregor Response ZT in 1986 while he led R&D at MacGregor Golf. He once told Filmogaz.com the head-turning design was treated as a novelty at first. Nicklaus adopted the club and used it to win the Masters that year.
MacGregor had projected selling about 6,000 putters for the year. By the tournament, 20,000 had already been sold. Demand exploded after the Masters. The company logged 5,000 orders between 8 a.m. and noon the Monday after the event. By year’s end they produced roughly 150,000 putters, and total wholesale sales reached about 350,000 units at $39 apiece.
How the putter came to be
The original concept began as a corrective-face design with an overhang. The USGA ruled that version non-conforming. Long altered the head to remove the overhang. The redesigned versions delivered high inertia and a different roll.
Nicklaus discovered one in Long’s office and tested it. He liked how the ball rolled and asked for more to try. He experimented at Loxahatchee Club in Jupiter, Florida, and set a course record. He carried the putter starting in the 1986 season in Hawaii.
Legacy and further use
Nicklaus continued using the Response ZT through 1988. He then shifted to an oversized model for about a decade. MacGregor originally planned to name the club “The Solution,” but Titleist held that copyright. The Response name came from a trademarked MacGregor shaft. The first 800 examples bore Long’s signature before “patent pending” replaced it.
MacGregor rewarded Nicklaus with a red Pontiac Fiero during a July sales meeting. The award was meant for a top-selling irons promotion, which never matched Response ZT sales. Long later worked with Nicklaus Golf on design projects while that company made equipment. He and MacGregor issued a 20th anniversary ZT Response model in later years.
The new Small Batch Columbus
Long teamed with Sean Toulon of Toulon Design, part of Callaway Golf, for the new release. The two overlapped at Cobra and TaylorMade in the 1990s and 2000s. They agreed against producing an exact replica.
The Small Batch Columbus is part stainless steel and part aluminum. Long calls it a modernized version that resembles the original. He has been testing it and praises its feel. Toulon posted on Instagram that Long broke his age on four separate occasions while putting with it.
Availability and numbers
The production run is tightly limited. Only 75 golfers will receive the new Small Batch Columbus. The model officially launches on Thursday. This release targets collectors and players who admire the 1986 Masters story.
Personal memories
Long remembers the final round vividly. He was in Albany, Georgia, doing taxes with the tournament on TV. When Nicklaus hoisted the putter after the 17th, Long celebrated and received calls from former Ole Miss teammates.
Long called the 1986 Masters the greatest sporting event he has seen. He said taking part in that moment remains the highlight of his career.
