Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus, nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is a retired American professional golfer. He is widely regarded as the greatest golfer of all time, winning a total of 18 career major championships, while producing 19 second-place and 9 third-place finishes in them, over a span of 25 years. Nicklaus focused on the major championships, and played a selective schedule of regular PGA Tour events, yet still finished with 73 victories, third on the all-time list behind Sam Sneadand Tiger Woods...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionGolfer
Date of Birth21 January 1940
CityUpper Arlington, OH
CountryUnited States of America
It was very important for Phil, ... When he won his match I said, 'Well, you've doubled your allotment for the week.' So we gave him a hard time.
You're not going to tell me that you're going to find a person who's not a very good athlete and he or she is going to be a great player. But anyone can play the game. That's the nice thing about the game. You don't really have to be a world-class athlete to play the sport [golf] and have fun because of handicap systems.
They [my sons] all went to different schools and all did different things. They're about as different for five kids as you'll ever see. They don't do anything the same.
I played in a basketball league until I was 40 years old. I played every Monday night and the guys would say, "You take him out, and you'll see us afterwards."
You get the kids today into the sport, and then they can't get to the "next level." I mean, come on, that's a bunch of junk.
What's interesting about golf is that most athletes end up gravitating toward golf because it is such a difficult sport.
Age doesn't make a difference either. Whether you're 20 or 70, you can still play together. There are so many different things you can do with golf that you can't do in other sports.
I know what Augusta is trying to do. Whether they've gone overboard, I'm not sure. But they've eliminated a lot of guys who are able to win. That's the change at Augusta I have a hard time with.
Athletes today get into a single-minded, one sport routine. I can't stand it.
I know what they're trying to do; they're trying to make it the same golf clubs that players traditionally should play into the greens. Whether they've gone overboard, I don't know. I just know they eliminated a lot of guys who don't have the ability to do that.
I've said numerous occasions, I think that the potential of the Presidents Cup to be greater than the Ryder Cup is there, simply because the scope is larger. I think there are probably more good players, as it relates to world rankings, than probably if you played the Ryder Cup. I think the Presidents Cup has come of age.
I have always said that if I am healthy, competitive enough, and can contribute to the tournament by being a part of the field, then the Memorial Tournament is the one event I would like to play,
Hopefully when I get to St. Andrews I will have some kind of game. It won't be great, but I hope not to embarrass myself. I will enjoy it.
Also, there's nobody on the tour today who could hit the ball as well as Lee Trevino or Ben Hogan.