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Golden opportunity Nicklaus, son Gary to tee it up on PGA Tour
Posted: Monday February 07, 2000 06:08 PM
By Jim Huber, CNNSI.com PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (CNNSI.com) -- He has walked the world's stage for five decades. He's as good as there's ever been at the game of golf -- startling them first by casting a chubby shadow over their hero, Arnold Palmer at the Masters, and then amazing them a quarter-century later again at Augusta. Hardly the kind of distinguished icon that would wear a child's party hat over his nose at his own birthday celebration and clown around with much glee. And yet, Jack Nicklaus, freshly 60 years old, knows that soon the hats will change and the stage could be his one last time. "Yes, I am 60 years old," said the golf legend. "I know who I am. I know I'm not going go out and beat David Duval, or Tiger Woods or one of those guys on a regular basis. I might beat them occasionally. But that would be fun." A lot of folks are saying there might be some magic this summer on the PGA Tour. "Well, I hope so," Nicklaus says in reference to upcoming events. "I don't think they should expect too much magic. I'll just do the best I can." And we all know how magnificent his best can be. Nicklaus has won 18 major championships over a career that began in 1961. Five times he was the PGA Tour's Player of the Year. But the last of those was 25 years ago and things have been wearing out, bit by bit, ever since. "At 40, you couldn't tell any difference and a little bit at 50 but not that much," Nicklaus said of the years. "The difference between 50 and 60? Big! I mean, I notice a difference in stiffness and flexibility. I'm doing pretty good. I've worked pretty hard the last six to eight months, getting myself back into playing shape. But you know, I notice a lot of things I'm surprised I can't do." Some of those things he learned first-hand at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am where he found out the hard way that flexibility, cold weather and golf don't always go together. "I got so stiff by the end of the round, I wanted to figure out a way to get off the golf course because I couldn't move," said Nicklaus. A year ago, Nicklaus had reached the point where he could not walk without pain. His right hip was badly worn out. And though he had it replaced, the remnants of a few years compensation for that pain have left other problems which he suffers from now. "I have a horrible time walking right now," Nicklaus said. "My feet have been killing me and I had a hard time last fall. I can walk, but I'm having a tough time with it. How much I'll be able to walk week after week, that's something I'm questioning. That's the hardest part for me." A smaller version of Jack Nicklaus walks the same fairways now. 31-year old Gary, one of five children, has qualified for the PGA Tour and thus has complicated Jack's plans for senior citizenship. "Instead of playing Senior Tour golf, I'm going to play a lot of golf on the regular tour", said the proud father. "What opportunity do many fathers have in golf to play with their sons in the same tournament and compete? I'm going to take advantage of it and do it." "Since he got his hip replacement, he can walk better, move better, his attitude's better," says the younger Nicklaus. "I look to see a lot of good golf out of him this year because of that. It's a big difference." They are the best of friends and play off each other most times, giving each other help. "I think I know his game pretty well and I think I can give him some pretty good advice at times," says Gary. "I probably say a little bit too much at times [laughs]." "The father-son is one thing because we work together, help each other," Nicklaus said. "But here, I may be playing with him at Pebble Beach in my pairing, so I really can't say anything. I go along and play, watch and bite my lip and hope he does well." While he plays, the elder Nicklaus studies. His mind is always racing for he takes what he finds at one course and installs them at his own as he continues to design and build courses worldwide. On this particular day, there's a final walkthrough as he prepares to open Pasadera Country Club west of Monterey, California. "Yeah, it's pretty. People are gonna talk about this hole," he says as he looks over the 13th green. Nicklaus built 150 courses around the world, with another 50 in the works. His courses make up 20 percent of the top100 in America and thus he'll go down in history as one of the great architects, too. The golf great has somehow managed to mix business with golf for decades, not always with as much success. Golden Bear Inc. is just now working its way out of severe financial distress. But now he returns his focus to the game hoping to play all four majors this year for perhaps the last time. "The biggest problem I have now is in the office," Nicklaus explained. "The office was used to having me around last year because I couldn't play golf. Now this year, I say, 'I'm not going to be around as much. 'But Jack,' someone will say, 'we've got to have you here.' And I answer, 'I'm not gonna be around as much.' 'But Jack.' 'Work it out.' That's what I'm going to do. It's got to happen that way if I 'm going to play the golf I want to play. "After this year, I'll still play golf but, there's the running joke, 'This going to be the last time you play the majors?' I don't know," he answered. I may have to come back to defend next year." And if anyone doubts that, ask those who were at Oakmont in 1962 when the 21-year old Nicklaus won his first U.S. Open. Or the folks at Augusta in 1986 when he won his last Masters at age 46. Who would dare argue the fire still burns?
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