Jack Nicklaus will join one of the best fields in tournament history at the ACE Group Classic in Naples, Fla. this week. The 54-hole event is being held for the third year at The Club at TwinEagles, a Jack and Jack Nicklaus II co-designed course. The Bonita Bay Group, owners of TwinEagles, announced Wednesday that they have renewed their contract to host the ACE Group Classic through 2006.

"I'm delighted," Jack Nicklaus said. "Obviously, Jackie and I are very proud that the golf tournament came to TwinEagles to start with.

"That's why I came to play in the golf tournament - because it was played here."

The two additional years for TwinEagles would make it five years at the course, tying the longest stretch the 17-year event has been played at one venue. Both tournament director Jason Camp and Bonita Bay Group Vice President Ed Rodgers mentioned the association could go on even further.

"I think the association with the Champions Tour has been excellent," Rodgers said. "The fan support for the event has been marvelous. We try to create great golf venues and great golf experiences for our members. This is one of the things that we believe that's added to the experience for our members."

Having Jack Nicklaus in the field the last two years has also been a draw, and if Wednesday's pro-am served as an appetizer, the galleries will grow again this week.

The Golden Bear made eight birdies during his pro-am round, and although he said he didn't keep exact score, he estimated his shot a six-under 66. That included a 32 on one nine. Tack that on to a 32 in a nine-hole Skins Game later in the day, and Jack shot his age-sort of.

"That was something I hadn't done before," he said.

Jack is coming off an impressive start to the season. He finished sixth in the season-opening MasterCard Championship, shooting three rounds in the 60s (68-66-67)-the first time he's done that in a 54-hole event.

Nicklaus set another record last year, playing in nine Champions Tour events, the most starts he's had since joining the senior circuit in 1990. He had two top-10 finishes, including a 10th in the JELD-WEN Tradition, the season's last senior major. Only Nicklaus wasn't so happy being 10th.

"I thought I had a pretty darn good tournament and finished 10th," Nicklaus said. "I said, 'Maybe it's time to hang up your spikes.' "

"Maybe it's still time to hang up my spikes, but I'll just let them get a little rustier and see how effective they are. I'll just kind of figure it out as I go."

But this week in Naples, the Golden Bear is not only coming off a strong MasterCard Championship, a solid Skins Game (where he became the Skins Game all-time money leader with career earnings of $1.665 million), and a week of fishing and course design work at Kinloch in New Zealand, he's coming off a pro-am that must serve notice to the field.

Thirty of the top 31 golfers from last year's tournament will begin teeing off Friday morning. Jack will be grouped with Fuzzy Zoeller of Floyds Nob, Ind., and Leonard Thompson of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. On Friday, the group will start from the first tee at 9:01 a.m.

The Golf Channel will air the 2004 ACE Group Classic Friday through Sunday from 1:30-4:00 p.m.