Watson, Nicklaus make quite a pair

Legends enjoy company, competing

Courtesy of The Kansas City Star

Tom Watson is 55. But if there's one place where he still seems like a kid ... it's when he's in proximity to Jack Nicklaus.

Of course, the first time they ever played together, Watson really was a kid. A 16-year-old, as a matter of fact. Watson recalls it was an exhibition event at Topeka Country Club on a chilly day in March 1966. He thinks he shot a 75 and Nicklaus a 72. Watson wanted to be the world's best someday, and so he watched everything Nicklaus - who is nine years and eight months older - did.

"When you're a kid, that's what you have - a lot of dreams," Watson said.

"That's one of the reasons I became a golfer."

All these years later, they will be paired together today and Saturday at the Bayer Advantage Classic. They tee off on No. 1 at 8:52 this morning and on No. 10 at 1:27 on Saturday.

Thursday at Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate, Nicklaus came into a news conference and faced another round of "Is this really it, Jack?" questions. Here's the deal: Nicklaus is 65, and his exemption at the British Open is over after this year. So, talking to reporters in London last month, he mentioned that the event at St. Andrews would probably be his last "competitive" tournament.

But in Nicklaus' mind, this was no big deal, no grand pronouncement. The media made much more of it than Nicklaus ever intended.

As far as he's concerned, he hasn't really been a competitive golfer since 2000. He's played here and there, winding down, basically trying to "retire" but not quite getting all the way there.

"It's not that easy to say, 'I'm done,' " Nicklaus said.

His wife, Barbara, who's been at his side since they married while still college kids at Ohio State in 1960, put it like this: "It's a tough thing for a golfer, because at times he knows he can still play.

When you've been competitive all your life and love something, it's hard to put that last little dot at the end of the sentence."

But the other hard thing about retiring is ... no one wants him to do it. No one even seems to accept it, really.

Case in point: Watson wandered into Nicklaus' news conference and took a seat in the corner. When someone asked whether Nicklaus understood the emotion a lot of the fans might feel here, seeing him at the end of his career ... "He's not quitting," Watson said.

Nicklaus got that "see-what-I-mean?" look.

"OK," Nicklaus said. "But anyway ..."

Watson also wondered aloud where the tees would be set up for the Bayer on the course Nicklaus built.

He asked Nicklaus whether they would play a practice round together at the British Open, and kept at it until they had set a time.

Then, when Champions Tour media official Dave Senko asked Watson whether he'd like to just come over and "formally" join the news conference, Watson said, "No, it's his show."

Nicklaus, with perfect timing, shot back, "Well, then shut up over there." Watson laughed along with everyone else. It's clear the long years of both rivalry and friendship have been important to both men.

"We enjoy competing against each other and enjoy each other's company," Nicklaus said. "We enjoy seeing how the other plays."

However ...

"Once we both tee it up, I have no desire to lose to Tom, and he has no desire to lose to me," Nicklaus said. "That's the competitive nature."