Thrill Of Competition Still Energizes Golden Bear

Courtesy of Mick Elliott
The Tampa Tribune

He's Jack Nicklaus, for gosh sakes. Nobody cares that the man hasn't won since 1996 or that he played only two events on last year's senior tour. Yes, he's 63, his back hurts and Tiger Woods is chipping away at his records that were supposed to be untouchable. So what?

He is and forever will be the Golden Bear, and when the man committed to play this week's Verizon Classic at TPC of Tampa Bay it raised the tournament's profile like it was being lifted by a hydraulic Jack.

When Nicklaus made his first appearance in the Verizon Classic in 1995, tournament volunteers named a parking lot after him because an overflow crowd forced the opening of a distant field that had never been used. His win in 1996 is the tournament's high-water mark. The event's best attendance figure - more than 150,000 for a week - was set with Nicklaus in the field.

That was then. This is now. Nicklaus knows his best golf is behind him. He had hip replacement surgery in 1999. A degenerative disc in his lower back has him in pain and diminished his playing schedule. A thriving golf-course design business and other corporate obligations demand his time.

Still, competition is a magic elixir.

"I still enjoy playing golf," he said.

This year he's going to try to make it happen more often. Nicklaus will arrive Thursday at TPC Tampa Bay a svelte 180 pounds, his old playing weight on the PGA Tour. He's committed to a new nutritional program and a long-term exercise regimen.

He played in the season-opening MasterCard Championship in Hawaii and posted a final-day 66 to finish 11th. He shot 76-71-72 last week in Naples, bombing his driver.

"I'm feeling better," he said. "I'm not good yet, but I'm greatly improved. That allows me to play. I'm still not 100 percent by any means, but I'm getting better. As long as it continues to improve, I'll play as much as I can."

Whether he's on or off the course, one thing will remain the same. He is one of golf's driving forces. He is its conscience, its sounding board. If the game has an issue, it wants to hear what Nicklaus thinks.

So you ask and you learn.

*On Annika Sorenstam's venture onto the PGA Tour: "I always felt if somebody could pick up a set of golf clubs, play from the same tees and play the same course, the best person should win. We always said the best man should win. Why shouldn't it be a girl? I don't have a problem with that.

"I think it will be very interesting. She drives the ball fairly well for a gal. Colonial is not an extremely long course. I've played a reasonable amount with her. I'm impressed with her ability. Could she win? Probably not. If she plays very well, she could finish in the top 20 or something. She's certainly capable of making the cut."

*On Augusta National's membership controversy: "I am a member at Augusta. I'm proud to be a member of Augusta. I'm a member of Augusta not because I'm a business icon or some genius. I'm there because I won six Masters. That's why I was invited.

"I sort of ride the fence. I try not to offend. I'm a member there, but I also try not to impose my own feelings. Am I tired of hearing about it? Yeah. Am I unhappy it's not been resolved? Yes. It should have been resolved."

*On the Champions Tour's fan-friendly campaign: "I think the senior tour is a bunch of old guys - the Champions Tour, excuse me ... heavens to Betsy, don't call it the senior tour - it's a bunch of old guys who are quite fortunate to have a place to make a living playing golf.

"Anything they can do to promote their game and promote what they do, they should."

*On Tiger Woods' reluctance to lend support to different social causes: "People ask Tiger to solve every social issue. I think that's unfair. He's a golfer. That's all I am.

"Yes, people do listen to him and are interested in what he has to say. He's really happy to have won the Masters three times. Does that make him an expert on social issues and make him an expert at carrying everyone's cross? No, he's got a big enough cross to carry being the leading golfer in the world who everybody looks up to while handling himself properly and doing what he's supposed to do."

* On incredible driving distances: "I think every golf course that was done in 2002 is already obsolete. The jump in the golf ball this year is ridiculous. Frankly, I'm playing the golf ball that I can get a jump out of like everybody else. I want as much as I can get, like everybody else.

"But look at the golf ball. Look at the statistics per average player. It's something like 11 yards per player. You take 11 yards and add that to 18 holes, it's almost 200 yards.

"I'm playing roughly the same clubs, and maybe less, into a green than I did in my prime. If I'm doing that, what are guys like Ernie Els and Tiger doing? ... There's only one thing to do and that's to change the golf ball. Get control of the golf ball."

*On the oldest senior tour winner being 60: "Really? That's another goal for me. Do I think I can? Yeah, I think I can. If I'm healthy enough."

VERIZON QUALIFYING: Champions Tour veterans Bob Duval and John Schroeder along with Norm Jarvis each shot a 3-under- par 68 Monday at Fox Hollow in open qualifying to earn the final three sports in this week's Verizon Classic.

The three golfers advanced from a field of 144 players.