Thursday, August 17
By Bob Harig
Special to ESPN Golf Online
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- His major championship career is winding down, and Jack Nicklaus can look back with fondness at some rather remarkable occurrences, especially considering his history in the game.
|  | | Nicklaus struggled to a 77 during his date with Woods. |
Think about this: Nicklaus is playing with Tiger Woods in the first two rounds of the PGA Championship, 40 years after he played with Ben Hogan in the final two rounds of the U.S. Open.
It is amazing to ponder what happened in between.
Nicklaus won 70 PGA Tour titles, 18 professional majors, and became the greatest golfer of all time.
As a 20-year-old in 1960, playing alongside Hogan in the final two rounds at Cherry Hills outside of Denver, Nicklaus finished second to Arnold Palmer, who won his only U.S. Open.
Two years ago, as a 58-year-old grandfather, Nicklaus shot a final-round 68 at The Masters to tie for sixth, ahead of Woods, who was eighth.
For four decades, Nicklaus has been there to play with and against the greats of the game.
Although he has seen Woods' exploits on television and played practice rounds with him, Nicklaus was presented with a new opportunity Thursday at Valhalla Golf Club: a chance to play a competitive round with Woods.
"I was really happy with the pairing this week," said Nicklaus, who shot 77 and watched Woods shoot 66 to tie for the first-round lead. "I was absolutely delighted. I've never played with Tiger in competition before, and before I finished playing golf, I wanted to play with him in a major championship.
"I remember I played with Gene Sarazen, the only time I played with Gene, and it was at the 1971 PGA Championship. He was 66, 67 years old at that time. I enjoyed that very much and it was a real privilege for me to play with him. And it was fun. He had the opportunity to watch me in the prime of my career.
"And I am getting the opportunity to watch Tiger in the prime of his career in competition. It was something I have wanted to do. ... I don't mind the shoe being on the other foot. It has been on the other foot long enough."
For an aging champion whose mind was elsewhere due to the death of his mother Wednesday, Nicklaus would have been excused had he elected not to play. And nobody would have blamed him had he cringed at the thought of teeing it up with Woods, the unquestioned No. 1 golfer in the world who has a habit of making look inferior all those who play with him, including living legends.
But Nicklaus relished the opportunity.
"He reminds me a little bit of what I used to do," Nicklaus said.
And he uttered some painfully appropriate words, spoken with the same reverence once reserved for him.
It was the great amateur Bobby Jones who marveled at Nicklaus' extraordinary talents back in the early 1960s, when the Golden Bear began to dominate golf. This time, it was Nicklaus doing the talking.
"He plays a game with which I am not familiar," said Nicklaus, using the same phrase Jones once used to describe him. "Of course, I'm playing a game with which I'm not familiar, either.
"He shot the easiest 66. He missed a half dozen opportunities where it looked like they were in the hole. Phenomenal control, phenomenal concentration. That was a real treat to watch."
Although there was a good deal of commotion surrounding the threesome, which included Vijay Singh, Woods didn't appear to mind. In fact, he thought it was good because so much attention was paid to Nicklaus.
"It was a great day for me. Everybody was yelling out, "Jack,' not me," Woods said. "So I just kind of walked around. ... No one saw me."
That was hardly so. One legendary figure in the game had a front row seat.
"I wouldn't like to spend the next 20 years trying to beat him," said Nicklaus, who paused and wondered. "Yes, I would. I've always loved the challenge."
Bob Harig, who covers golf for the St. Petersburg Times, writes a column every Tuesday for ESPN Golf Online. |  |
