Crenshaw Displaying His Magic Touch One More Time

"Now that was incredible," Crenshaw said. "I mean, first I hit the Ike [the Eisenhower tree on the left side of the fairway], and I was way back. Then I half-topped a 4-wood and had to hit a full 9-iron just to get on the green. I couldn't believe it when that putt went in the hole."

When the putt dropped, Crenshaw bent forward, hands on his knees in the exact position he tumbled into after his last putt in 1995. There were no tears this time, but he was clearly exhausted and overjoyed when the putt went in.

"That hole was work," he said. "The whole day is work on this golf course. There are no options out here anymore. Drive it straight, make putts on these greens or else you fail. It's very simple."

The par putt on 17 was about a 30-footer, and it curled left-to-right before diving into the center of the hole. Vintage Crenshaw.

"I couldn't believe it when that putt went in," Ogden said. "But the last few feet, you could see it was going right in the middle."

Someone asked Ogden if he had learned anything after playing with Crenshaw for two days. He nodded emphatically. "I've learned," he said, "that I have a lot of work to do on my putting."

Ogden shouldn't feel too bad. A lot of great players have walked away from rounds with Crenshaw shaking their heads after watching him use his putter as a magic wand. It just hasn't happened very much lately. In fact, Crenshaw's second Masters triumph was his 19th tour victory, but he never won again. Since turning 50, he hasn't won on the Champions Tour, his highest finish in a senior major being a tie for 27th place. Last year he failed to finish in the top 10 in any Champions Tour event.

But the Masters is frequently about memories, whether it is Jack Nicklaus charging up the leader board Sunday in 1998 at the age of 58 or Arnold Palmer simply walking up the 18th fairway to say goodbye -- on more than one occasion. For two days, it has been Crenshaw turning back the clock and conjuring up warm memories.

"It was a neat feeling," he said. "I loved the fact that people were clapping for my play today, not for my play in the past. Something is attainable for me this week. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm thrilled to have a chance to do something on the weekend." He smiled again. "The nicest thing Clay Ogden said to me after the round was, 'Good luck on the weekend.' I loved hearing those words."

As Crenshaw walked onto the final green, he gestured in the direction of his longtime Augusta caddie Carl Jackson -- who has been on his bag 30 times, including both his victories -- and asked the crowd to give him a round of applause too. Naturally, everyone complied. That gesture was as much vintage Crenshaw as the putt on 17.

On Thursday, when someone asked Crenshaw if he dreamed about winning here again, he laughed.

"My time here has passed," he said softly.

Perhaps his time to win here has passed. But, for at least two days, he was a factor on the golf course he loves the most.

One more time.