An Interview with Jack Nicklaus

Scott Tolley: Good morning. My name is Scott Tolley and I'm Director of Communications for the Nicklaus Companies. We'd first like to welcome you and thank you for participating in today's teleconference.

As many of you know, this is Jack Nicklaus' final appearance in the British Open Championship, which fittingly, is being held on the old course at St. Andrews, and begins two weeks from today.

Jack won two of his three open championships at St. Andrews, 1970 and '78. And in 18 open championship appearances from 1963 through 1980, Jack finished no lower than six, actually only once did he finish lower than six, while recording three victories and seven runner up finishes. So clearly, Jack's open championship legacy is firmly in place.

So with that, I'd like to hand it over to the operator, who will explain the process for asking questions, and we'll then queue the calls. Operator.

Operator: Thank you, sir. Today's question-and-answer session will be conducted electronically. At this time if you do have a question, you may signal by pressing star one on your touch-tone phone. If you are using a speakerphone, we ask that you make sure your mute button is turned off, to allow your signal to reach our equipment. So once again if you do have a question at this time, please press star one on your touch-tone phone. And we'll pause for just a moment to allow everyone a chance to signal.

And we'll take our first question from Bob Harig, "St. Petersburg Times."

Bob Harig: Thank you. Good morning, Jack. I appreciate your time today.

Jack Nicklaus: Hey, Bob. How are you doing?

Bob Harig: Good. Thank you. I guess I'll start off by just asking, if you could tell us why the British Open has meant so much to you, and specifically St. Andrews?

Jack Nicklaus: Well I think that the British Open is a place that for some reason, particularly Scotland, where they basically sort of took me as one of theirs and - from the first time I went over there. And when I won it at Muirfield in '66, it was, you know, a very, very special thing for me, and a place I wasn't supposed to win on and so forth and so on.

And then, I went to St. Andrews, or (Sanders) before that actually in '64. But I mean when we went to St. Andrews in '70 and I won, you know, it was like a Scot winning, and that's sort of the way they treated me, both times that I won at St. Andrews.

And it was a place - and I always loved the British Open anyway. I always loved going over there to play on the different golf courses, get the break from the heat of our summer. Plan, you know, all of the different conditions, the type of golf you had to play. And every year, the conditions would be totally different. I mean it would be dry some years. It would be wet some years.

It would be windy some years. I mean you just have so much variety, and I just love the challenge of it, and the fun of it. And the golf courses, for all intents and purposes, relatively stayed the same throughout most of that time, and an occasional new tee, but not just - not revamping golf course forever. You knew what you were going to get into when you went over. You knew what was going to be there.

And St. Andrews, in particular, I mean I played over there, in May I was over. And it was, you know, the same golfers, yes, they've added a few tees, I mean the golf course, I mean here we are in the middle of May and you expect it to be soft and so forth. I mean it was as hard as a rock.

It looked like it was ready to play the British Open on. It was just a - it's a very special place. And when you go back and think of all of the people that played at St. Andrews over the years, and how they - the game is going through St. Andrews, but it's still a challenge, and a competitive challenge to the golfers of today. It's just - it's something that - I'm kind of a sentimentalist, I suppose, in many ways from that standpoint.

And it just sort of gets me every time I go there. I mean I go there just - I mean when I was over there in May, I just walked out on the 18th, look at the round over there and I was sitting there, I get welled up even then, and nobody's there, just because it is what it is and what it meant to the game of golf, and what it's meant to me.

Bob Harig: Jack, if I could follow up real quick, there's been a lot of players over the years, who the first time they went to St. Andrews, maybe didn't appreciate it right away. I think (Bob Jones) might have been one of those. Did you get it from the start? Or did it take a little while?

Jack Nicklaus: Well I sort of go back to 1959, when I was over for the Walker Cup matches, when my did and three of his friends went over to play St. Andrews, and they came back and said you won't believe it, that's the worst golf course I've ever seen.

And then I said well why is that? He said it's just hard bumpy things bounce all over the place. He said the greens are - you can't make any puts on them. I found out they all three putted 13 or 14 greens. And, you know, they just had a horrible time. So I was - what I was prepared for when I showed up in '64 was not very much.

But when I got there, I looked at it, and I said, well my dad didn't look at it from the direction that I thought he would want to look at it. Because we had talked about after we were there, and he talked about it and he says, you know, that was - it was so different that I guess we just didn't like it. He says, but I think you're going to like it, because he says because of what it is. And that's right, I did. I liked it for what it is. So when I got there in '64, I just fell in love with it right from the first day.

Bob Harig: Thank you.

Operator: And we'll go next to Doug Ferguson at the Associated Press.

Doug Ferguson: Good morning, Jack. Thanks for your time, again.

Jack Nicklaus: Hi, Doug.

Doug Ferguson: Bob just asked the question, so I'm kind of making this up as we go along. No, be careful now. I'm just curious if the reason you felt so taken in and so appreciated over in Scotland, did that have anything to do with early on in your career in the U.S., how there was more kind of love showered on Arnold through '62 to '66, and maybe in Scotland, they treated you for who you were?

Jack Nicklaus: Not necessarily. I think they showered on Arnold over there too. And I just think that's the way they are. I think they're probably a people, I suppose you could say, a people who really appreciate their golf. They understand their golf. They appreciate something that's being done, and done well.

They're probably - the golf audience over there is more golfers, they're not so much a sports audience. And I think that they just - I just like their approach to the game. I think that their approach to the game was - it was their game, and the sort of felt like, you know, gee, we embrace the - a lot of the golfers.

And I think that it was just - it wasn't any, especially me or somebody else, but they still, they just embraced us all. Maybe then as time went on they embraced me a little bit more, simply because I guess I was more successful every time.

Doug Ferguson: The other thing I wanted to ask you as well Jack, I mean people will look at the six Masters, or even the four U.S. Opens, I wonder if you could make an argument that you were as dominant in the Open, as any of the majors, when you stack up your seven runner ups, and I think there's probably three or four other top three finishes in there?

Jack Nicklaus: Well, you know, for some reason, I went to the British Open, and every year I felt like, you know, I was going to win, or if I didn't win I was going to be right there, and I was. And, you know, I don't know why, but I didn't feel like that here.

I always felt like well this course suited me better here, or this course - boy this year we're going to play at Pebble Beach or, you know, this year, we're going to play at (Baldis Roll), and I'll be able to do really well there, but we might find someplace else I didn't feel I was going to do as well.

Well I felt comfortable with most all of the British (roda). And they all just sort of, and I suppose it's the type of golf. I sort of like creative golf. You have to create what you want to do to create the shot, and improvise and do all of those kinds of things, I just thought that was just great. I just loved this. To stand there, and hit a shot, and have a totally target, and go splat on the green, I never really got a big kick out of, and even though I played cement, and played reasonably well.

I just liked the way they played the game. And I thought it was fun to play, and power was not necessarily - as a matter of fact, power really wasn't a very big issue over there, it was certainly on any golf course, as I've always said, it was an advantage, but it was never the prime thing that dominated the game.

Doug Ferguson: For your final open, Jack, if you had your druthers, would you like to see it benign, like it was in 2000, or the way it was in 1970, when you won?

Jack Nicklaus: I'd much rather see tough conditions. You know, it will be tougher on me, but it will be tougher on everybody else. And I want to - I might see St. Andrews play like St. Andrews. We all - you know, you get over there, and 64 is the first time we're there.

You know, I got caught on the bad side of the weather conditions. I played late and early, and there was a storm that came in in the afternoon, and it lasted through the next morning. Well, you know, the guys that played early in the first round got easy weather. And the guys that played late the second round, which obviously, (Lima) was in that section, we're well ahead of the rest of the field.

And, you know, that makes a big difference in the British Open. I mean, obviously, I don't like to see it from that standpoint, but I like to see tough weather conditions, and weather has always been part of the British Open. I think, when Arnold won it at (Berkdale) in '63, it was just absolutely coming down in buckets and sideways. And he's always talked about how he loved that experience of winning under those conditions. And I've always liked that too.

Doug Ferguson: Thanks, Jack.

Operator: And we'll go next to David Shedloski, PGATour.com.

David Shedloski: Good morning, Jack.

Jack Nicklaus: Hello, David.

David Shedloski: How are you? I just wanted to ask you basically about the wonderful honor being bestowed on you by RBS and the people of Scotland with this note, that's going to bear your likeness, I guess. And I'm wondering if you could tell me and everyone a little more about that, and how you feel about, you know, that kind of honor when it's, you know, I mean I think it's only been bestowed on royalty and some other folks, and not necessarily an athlete.

Jack Nicklaus: Well (Davie), obviously when they approached me and said, Jack would you - we'd like to put you on a five pound note, and we would like to know your feelings on that. And I said, obviously, I'm deeply honored. Only the Queen and the Queen Mother have been on there as living people. And, you know, I said that's pretty special.

And particularly, I mean I'm an American not a Scot or a Brit. And, you know, I realize, St. Andrews and Scotland, RBS, has realized that's been a special part of my life and my career, and they wanted to commemorate my last championship - open championship with that, and I'm just - I thought that was just something very, very special.

It certainly had nothing to do with my, you know, I supposed it had nothing really to do with my golf per se, today. It had to do with my relationship and involvement over the years. And I was just very, very flattered with that. And I just - I really - it's hard for me to say anything more about it, other than it's a great honor.

And, you know, I don't want to say anything more about it. I know people like to know more about the note, and I think that they're not going to formerly announce that or launch it until the British Open. So we best not maybe say any more about it then, just to say that it's one of the most significant memorable honors that I've hard during my career.

David Shedloski: That's great. Thank you very much.

Operator: And we'll go next to Ron Kroichick, "San Francisco Chronicle."

Ron Kroichick: Good morning, Jack.

Jack Nicklaus: Hey, Ron, how are you doing?

Ron Kroichick: Good. Sort of two unrelated questions, first, at the Masters you talked about how you thought St. Andrews is a course you could be a lot more competitive on, and I'm curious, how well you expect to play two weeks from now. And the unrelated question is sort of your reaction to the changes at Augusta that (Hootie) announced two days ago.

Jack Nicklaus: OK. Well, you know, I look at St. Andrews as being golf course, which I talked a minute ago, about, that power is not necessarily the big element at St. Andrews. Sure power - you have the type of power that Tiger used and displayed in 2000, where he took all of the (bunkers) out of play, and that's a special type of power.

But most of the fellows don't have that. And you've really got to keep the ball in play. And I feel like if I'm playing halfway decent, I don't know how I'm going to play. I mean I haven't played enough golf to fill a thimble. You know, I try to play at memorial tournament and Kansas City and I got in four competitive rounds which is my preparation for the British Open. And none of them have been - you know, my scoring average this year is over 75. So I can't say I'm too excited about that.

But I've been - I've made a few changes in the last week or so, and my swing is actually a little bit better. And hopefully, that will - I'm working on that. I'm going to play a Canadian skins game next week to try to just a little bit of competition. So, hopefully, I'm going to be decent. I'm looking forward to it a lot. I certainly want to finish my career on Sunday and not on Friday, and that's my big goal.

Now you asked me about Augusta, and the - well I don't think they need any more length, but I guess (Hootie) thinks they need more length, so I don't want to criticize that. I just think it just makes it more of a long hitters golf course. More and more and more power is what happens in the game, and I don't know whether that's - I've felt for quite a while that I don't think that's good, but I mean that even accentuates it more.

I mean I'm sure that the changes they'll make on the golf course, you know, will play by number one, you know, they'll have 80 percent of the field heading into the face of the hill now, and which means that, you know, that 10 percent or so that can hit it over the top of the hill, will have a 60 or 70 yard advantage, rather than 20 yard advantage.

Number four, they said that they were going to lengthen that (back). And that hole is so tough to start with and I don't understand that but that's - they do have the space to do so. Number seven, I mean last year, I remember I had a three iron in the practice round into that green.

I mean that's not a green to be hitting a three iron into. And it's designed for a wedge. And these guys, even back, adding the 35 or 40 yards they're talking about adding, good gracious, they're going to be back there - even half the field is going to be back to playing five iron into that green, or a six iron. And that green is not - doesn't accept that.

Eleven, I don't think it makes much difference. That hole is long, and you can have a bounce and approach and the type of shot you play is fine. Fifteen, probably won't make a lot of difference. It will just actually make it play more like a par five, which is all right. And 17 is all ready so long now, that, you know, 75 percent or 80 percent of the field can't get to the top of the hill.

I know they're trying to get 100 percent of the field not to the top of the hill, but I don't think they'll be successful. I think that same 10 or 20 percent will now do the same thing they did at the first hole, they'll be 60, 70, 80 yards in front of the other players, rather than just 20 or 30. So I think it actually plays into the hands of the long hitters more than it did before. Is that good? I don't know. That's what they decided to do, and that's, you know, that's certainly their prerogative.

Ron Kroichick: Thank you.

Jack Nicklaus: OK.

Operator: And we'll take our next question from Dex McLuskey, Bloomberg News.

Dex McLuskey: Good morning, Jack. As a Scot, it's nice to hear you talking so fondly of your time at St. Andrews, and Muirfield and elsewhere. But just following on from the last question, actually, the (royal and ancient) has extended St. Andrews but almost 200 yards this year.

Do you think that has got a danger of taking away the essence of the old course? And without following on from that, without wishing to take away from the achievements of the likes of Michael Campbell and Ben Curtis and Todd Hamilton. Do you think the better technology and fallen clubs is making easier for middle ranking offers to close in on the top ranked guys this days?

Jack Nicklaus: I think just the opposite, frankly. But you can - because the majority of the golf is being played on golf courses, where you have to hit the ball long. Pinehurst was not a golf course that's extremely long, but it's a golf course, that they forced you to be very accurate on.

Most of your British Open courses, are really not long golf courses, but they're really forcing you to be accurate, and I think that's probably why the Ben Curtis' or Todd Hamilton's have the ability to win on those golf courses, and makes it tougher, sometimes for the longer hitter to - they're so used to just standing back and wailing it, but actually probably really some sand points makes it so that the longer hitter isn't - doesn't have as much advantage because you have to hit it straighter, which is what you're just saying.

However, St. Andrews is not that way. St. Andrews really doesn't have the rough. The things they've done at St. Andrews for length, I don't think most of the fellows who playing a one iron, or a two iron, or three, would offer the second hole anyway, and (Chiefs Bunker) is - tees back about 40 yards, and basically, I think with the length of the golf ball, they'll still be playing probably three (woods) off of their station, (shorter cheeks).

The third hole they put yardage on it, I don't think that makes much difference at all. The third hole is a hole that is not long to start with. And I don't think they can get it long enough to make it much difference. So the fourth hole, you've always got the (hammocks) there in the center of play. You've got the little area down to the right, that you can play down a little way.

That will probably make it a little tougher for the average pro to get across, but with the mouth of the added is about the difference in what's happened in the golf ball. So probably, for most of the field, it won't change. They went around then, to the 12 hole, and they tried to give some yardage at 12. And to try to, I think, to keep they guys from driving it over the green, which is what they did, the last time we played at St. Andrews.

And I don't that - I don't know whether they're going to accomplish much with that. I think they're still long enough that they want to hit a driver. They'll be hitting a driver. The only thing is if they don't hit it solid, the (growths) on both sides of that fairway will come into play. And the fellows who can't get it there, it's just one more club to put it up and lay it up in between the bunkers.

The 13th hole, most of the guys were playing out in to the sixth fair way, or if they played it to the right, they were trying to avoid the bunkers up the center of the fairway. And they were playing it with three (wood) most of the time, anyway, not they'll probably have to play driver, and I don't think it will make a lot of difference. But if the wins are awkward, it could make a little bit of difference. So that would make a little bit of difference on that hole.

And then on 14, it would probably be the hole it will make the biggest difference because it brings the wall on the right in play, and it brings the (birdies) into play, for most all of the field. I have, for the life of me, I haven't figured out where the average driver is going to hit the ball. I played over there in May and I hit it short of the (birdies) and over the junk, and there was only 20 yards in there to hit it in.

And it's a pretty small area; I just don't know where you play it. And so I think it will make a difference there. It will make a little bit of difference for 13, and a little bit at four, but for the most part, I don't think it will make that much difference on the overall scope of things at St. Andrews.

Dex McLuskey: And how do you feel, then, just on the second part of my questions about the development of technology in balls and clubs, do you think we're getting to a limit now, where there has to be a cap on further development for a while?

Jack Nicklaus: You haven't been reading anything I've been saying then, because for the last years, I've been talking about how far the golf ball goes, and how it's really changed and making the game different. And, you know, I think they should have put a cap on it a long time ago.

The - I don't think you're ever going to change the equipment from the club standpoint. I mean the young kids are all - have all grown up for the graphite (shaz) and the metal heads, and the perimeter weighting and all of the things that give them more distance. They're used to that stuff. The only thing we control it with is the golf ball.

And the golf ball is - there's nothing wrong with the golf ball it just goes too far. And if they just pull it back a little bit, they bring golf courses - I mean you see what - remember what Tiger did at the 2000 in St. Andrews. I mean there's a lot of guys who can do what Tiger did in 2000 now, can hit - eliminate all of the bunkers.

And I just don't think that that's what you really want, to have to change every golf course in the world, to suit the golf ball, to have - against modern day pros. I mean it would be much easier to coral the modern day pro a little bit with the golf ball, the - and that doesn't necessarily mean you have to even change it for the average golfer, because the average golfer can't hit that golf ball anyway.

The golf ball is designed - it's so high tech, the average golfer can't hit it anyway. So we're trying to play the same game, and all it does is it further separates the average golfer from the pro, and I don't think that's good. I think RNA and the USGA have got the right idea, wanting them to all play with the same equipment.

We shouldn't have separate balls. We shouldn't have separate equipment. But we should have something that is more middle of the road, where it's not so high tech, even that the average golfer can get something out of it, not just the pros.

Dex McLuskey: Thank you very much.

Operator: We'll take our next question from Greg Midland, "Golf Magazine."

Greg Midland: Good morning, Jack. I wanted to know what swing thought did you rely on the most when contending in major championships, specifically the British Open.

Jack Nicklaus: I wouldn't have a clue. Whatever was my swing thought du jour, I used to say. You know, whatever I was thinking of that day. I mean I don't know. I mean I never really had any - it's how I was playing. I mean I had 10,000 little different swing thoughts that I used, or little gimmicks that I used.

I mean, obviously, fundamentals area always the thing that I work on in my golf game, but, you know, head position, has always been an important part of me keeping it still. Tempo. How I take the club away. How my head position is at the finish of the swing. Balance. I mean normal fundamentals of the game of golf, nothing in particular for Britain versus some place else.

Greg Midland: OK. I also wanted to know several players and personalities who I've asked, have named you as the greatest putter of the ball that they ever say. And I just wanted to know who thought was the greatest putter that you ever saw?

Jack Nicklaus: Well I don't know. I mean I'll take myself out of that equation, which is, I think the proper thing to do for me. And, you know, I thought Palmer was about as good as I ever saw when he was in prime. But I think Tiger, today, I think, Tiger is the best putter I've ever seen now. He- when he has to make a put, and when it's important, he does.

And I think that's the key about putters. You hear about great putters, and guys - and you can go through the list and name them - that everybody calls a great putter, but have they made the putts that they need to make when they have to make them to win championships. And that to me is what a great putter is, is when you make them when you have to make them. And that's what Palmer did and that's what Tiger does.

Greg Midland: Great, thank you, Jack.

Operator: We'll go next to Todd Jones, "Columbus Dispatch."

Todd Jones: Hi, Jack; thanks for your time.

Jack Nicklaus: Sure.

Todd Jones: (Practice) is on vacation, by the way, I'm earning the money.

Jack Nicklaus: Good for you.

Todd Jones: Hey, is Steve going to caddy for you at the British Open? And what does that mean to you? And also, I assume you're going to have a lot of family travel with you. And I know a lot of people from your company will be going over. What's it going to mean for your family to have all - yourself, to have so many people there?

Jack Nicklaus: Well they're usually there at a lot of events. You know they're there at the Masters. They're at the Memorial tournament. They're even at a lot of British Opens, a lot of U.S. Opens, PGA's and what was the other one, Masters, I guess, did I say masters? I don't know which ever one I didn't say. And the, you know, they're there a lot and it's great to have them go.

I mean the support team I've had has been great through years. And, you know, it's been very beneficial to me. And I think it's very nice that my kids want to go over and watch me play in my final tournament. And I just hope they get to watch four days of golf. I hope they don't blink, you know, and it's over on Friday.

Todd Jones: I know it's obviously been a difficult year with the death of (Jake), is (Christa) going to make the trip? And does this make it a little - does this help some of the healing that your feeling has had to this year?

Jack Nicklaus: (Christa) is not going to make the trip. She's expecting in the first of August, so she's only going to be about three weeks away from delivering, so she's not going to make that trip. But Steve is going. Steve is going to be with me. And Steve, you know, obviously plans to be back well ahead of delivery. And she's going to have a little girl, which they haven't obviously named yet.

But they did find that out, which the only time anybody has ever found one out of the kids. But the - you know, they're doing fine. I think that they still, obviously, never going to get over it, but - and I don't think they ever will or should. But, you know, they want to keep his memory forever, and we'll, you know, we're looking forward to the little girl they're having. And, you know, hopefully, it will help some of the wounds there.

Todd Jones: Thank you, Jack.

Operator: And we'll take our next question from Steve Campbell, "Houston Chronicle."

Steve Campbell: Good morning, Jack. Let me echo everybody else thanking you for your time this morning.

Jack Nicklaus: Sure.

Steve Campbell: You talked about kind of becoming a sentimentalist; I'm wondering in your playing top prime, you certainly never projected that type of aura. You seemed so, you know, just practical and methodical about how you went about things. And I wonder what kind of flipped that switch for you, and just kind of how that's maybe changed the way you look at the game?

Jack Nicklaus: I think I've always been that way. I mean, you know, you may have looked - I mean because I was concentrating and focusing on what I was doing but it was meant, the sentimental things of my family or, you know, things that are important within - in my life or if I talk, you know, had - I mean I still can't talk about my dad or my mom, you know, I mean things like that.

They all just are tough things for me to do, that's just the way I've been. And so, there's no switch to turn me. I think that's just the way I've always been. So but, you know, and I've never been a guy, that, I don't - I tried to - when I play golf, try to control my emotions from a highs and the lows. And try to keep on a level thing, so I could focus and concentrate on what I was doing and what was at hand.

I always felt if I got too excited about what I was doing, I had to calm myself down because then I couldn't concentrate and focus on what I want to do. And obviously, I've walked up the fairways at - the last time I won the St. Andrews, walking about the fairway, I sort of wound up walking up with (Jim Dickinson) my caddy, who incidentally just passed away a couple of months ago.

And he looked over at me, and he took an elbow and whacked it into my side and he says hey, we've got a golf hole to play here, and we've go to win this golf tournament. He said let's get our mind back on what we're doing. You know, so I mean every once in a while that catches me, but most of the time, I try to keep myself fairly much on an even keel.

Steve Campbell: Thank you.

Operator: We'll take our next question from John Niven, "Golf Punk Magazine."

John Niven: Hi, Jack.

John Niven: I'm actually calling from (Ershon) in Scotland, near (Pumbery).

Jack Nicklaus: OK.

John Niven: You talked about the golf in Scotland, when I bring friends to Scotland, they're usually astonished to see a lot of young people playing a lot of golf on high quality accessible cheap public courses which is very much a way of life, in Scotland, when you're a young golfer. It's just, it's something about you've any headway in the States.

Jack Nicklaus: Say the last part again.

John Niven: Something - do you know if there's been any headway with in the States, golf for younger people becoming more accessible?

Jack Nicklaus: Well I think that golf is, you know, I would - I look at it from standpoint, when I look at designing of golf courses. I'd say, you know, 20 years ago, 90 percent of the golf courses I did were private golf courses. I'd say today, that probably 75 percent of the golf courses I do are public access, which obviously means, we're getting more people have the opportunity to play those golf courses.

And not just the - some of the municipal courses that sometimes didn't provide much of the way to learn to play quality golf. We're actually doing a variety of golf courses that provide not only, you know, affordable golf, but also golf that is good quality that is accessed to the public. So, you know, I see more of it, but I don't think we probably have enough of it. I think we need more access to good facilities for kids to grow up and learn.

I think a lot of that stuff has happened; the first key program has been a big program. It's been very successful here, around the world really. And have given a lot of kids who might not have ever had an opportunity to see or play the game of golf access to it. So, you know, and I think that's important.

John Niven: I was going to ask also, you're talking about getting younger playing the sport, perhaps a slightly more abstract question, do you feel there's way in which over the years, playing golf has made you a better person, a better human being.

Jack Nicklaus: Well I think golf is one of the few sports where you just don't win all of the time. And you have to - and mostly for kids, they grow up around adults because, you know, you go to a golf course, you're not just at a kids event, like you go to a little league baseball game or a soccer game or something like that, and it's all kids.

You're actually playing and competing with adults. So kids learn how to act and how to behave around older people with the game of golf. And so I think that for a large part, the game of golf teaches these kids to be better citizens at a younger age.

I think part of the first tee program is lessons for life, and trying to teach kids how to live their life and how to have good values. And golf is a game that teachers you and really forces you - it doesn't forces you, but it encourages you to have good sportsmanship and be involved in sports in the right way, and teach you the right values of winning and losing and how to deal with.

John Niven: Yes. Finally, is there any way, people have been talking a lot about the technology in the sport now, having changed, and that difference that's made. Is there anyway you ever feel you'd rather be a younger player coming of age in the game now, rather than the '50s as you did?

Jack Nicklaus: No, I'm quite happy with what I did.

John Niven: Thank you, Jack.

Jack Nicklaus: I'm not complaining about that. You know, I was a power player, you know, in a day and age, when power was not necessarily part of - the biggest part of the game. So I would have probably been successful today because that's the nature of the game today.

But I think that I want to change - would I prefer to play first today? No, I like when I played. I enjoyed it. I loved it. I have no regrets. And I enjoy watching the kids today, but it's, you know, it's a different game they play today than what I played.

John Niven: Thank you very much Jack.

Jack Nicklaus: Sure.

Operator: We'll go next to Jim Moore, "Seattle Post."

Jim Moore: Hi, Jack, good morning.

Jack Nicklaus: Hey, Jim.

Jim Moore: Just wondering what - you touched on it briefly, but just wondering what entered into your decision to play up in the skins game at Whistler.

Jack Nicklaus: Well it was at our golf course. And they turned them in, they said, would you like to play Canadian skins, and, you know, it's the week before the British Open, I said hey, I'm not going to be playing any golf, I think that might be pretty good.

And I have to do a west coast swing for design work anyway, so I'm heading out of here tomorrow morning. I've got San Antonio, Palm Springs, Nebraska, Utah, James Island, on the side of the Victoria, and then on up to Whistler. So I had a - I have a working trip and two days of golf to get ready for the British Open. It's - you know I thought it fit nicely into my schedule.

Jim Moore: And how competitive do you think you'll be Jack? And then, also, I was wondering if you could comment on Americas continued fascination with John Daly, one of the guys you'll be playing against?

Jack Nicklaus: Well, I don't know how I'll do. I mean I know I can play the golf course. I did the golf course. And I played skins up there what, 10 years ago, I suppose, or eight years ago, whatever it was. And I don't know, we're playing several onesomes, I guess.

I guess, Daly will be playing by himself, and Vijay will be playing by himself, and Stephen Ames playing by himself, and then I'll be bringing up the rear back about 100 yards. And just as long as I can get to the holes in two, and they don't over drive them in their first shot, then I'll be in good shape.

Jim Moore: And if you could just touch on John Daly and what you think about his career, and how America still seems enthralled by him?

Jack Nicklaus: Well I think it's kind of - Daly is an enigma to me. You know, he's kind of - I just never know which one is going to show up. I mean the one who shows up is a player, and is a good player is very, very good. John Daly is for the strength that he has, and the length that he hits the golf ball and the remarkable touch that he has around the green, he's a very, very good golfer. But I just - you never know which one John is going to show up.

And the one that I like to see is that one. And I know John has had his other problems, and I'm sure that probably the ups and downs is probably what has drawn the American public to him. And seeing those things and the trials that he's had and some of the things that other people have found that they relate to, the problems that John's had. So, you know, I think it's - he's a remarkable young man, but he still has come back from all of those things, and still has the ability to compete. And so, you know, I always try to wish him well.

Jim Moore: Thank you.

Operator: We'll go next to David Whitley, "Orlando Sentinel."

David Whitley: Jack, you spoke earlier about the honors you've received over the years, or the one with the royal bank there. I was just curious over the years, you've probably received a lot of keys to the city, and stuff like that, and even non traditional honors. A guy I know recently named his son after you. I was curious if that happens a lot? And if any particular honors or stuff like that stand out?

Jack Nicklaus: Well I don't see how you have one standout. They're all very nice. I mean I think they tribute that RBS has done to me, the five pound note is unbelievable. That one is something I have a hard time just fathoming. I mean the other ones are all very nice. I mean nobody would ever, you know, you can't downgrade one or take one down, or something like that. I mean nobody - they're all very nice. And everybody means well.

And everybody wants things to happen well. And, you know, I've had an awful lot of people who have named their kids after me, or Arnold or some other people. And there are several people that have got Palmer Nicklaus or Nicklaus Palmer. You know, my daughter even named one of her kids after us. She's got a Nicklaus and her second boy she calls Nick.

But, you know, it's a nice honor, a nice tribute. I hope that, you know, the parents who do it are doing it because they -I hope they liked what we stood for, and the values that we have for kids. I know one of the fellows I talked to this morning, Bob Harig, named one of his sons, Jack Nicklaus Harig. And, you know, that's very nice. And the - you know all of that is very nice. I mean how can you say it's not, you know.

David Whitley: I don't suppose you've ever named a child after a writer yourself?

Jack Nicklaus: Well let me think back on that. I'll have to go back through. Let's see I have a Jack, and I have a Steve. Do we have any of those out there this morning? I do have a Gary, we went after Gary Player. I mean Gary Player was always a good friend, and a close friend, and I have great feelings for Gary. So when my son Gary was born, we named him Gary.

David Whitley: Yes. Along those lines, there's a little dust up over there about the, I guess the community council not giving you the honorary citizenship, do you have any thoughts? I mean you certainly didn't seek out that honor, but any thoughts on that?

Jack Nicklaus: I don't know a thing about it to be very honest with you.

David Whitley: OK.

Operator: We'll move on next to Nick Greenslade, "The Observer."

Nick Greenslade: Jack, this is Nick here in London. How are you, all right?

Jack Nicklaus: Hey, how are you doing?

Nick Greenslade: Good. I know this will sound like a slightly strange question given you had such a successful career, but do you have any regrets looking back on your career?

Jack Nicklaus: Well I would have liked to have shot a few shots lower at Muirfield in '72. And I'd like to have shot a couple of shots lower at Pebble Beach in '84. And I would like to not have bogeyed the last two holes at (Livum) in '63.

Sure, we all have those, but that's part of the game. And, you know, I think (Livum) was the only time I really gave one away, and I think that, you know, I played pretty well in those other two that I was talking about at Turnberry, and did I say Turnberry? No, I said...

Nick Greenslade: Muirfield.

Jack Nicklaus: I said Muirfield and actually, Turnberry, too. Muirfield, Turnberry and Pebble Beach. And, you know, but, you know, I never really look at what the other person has done. If somebody beats me, they beat me and well done.

You know, go shake their hand with a smile on your face, hey you beat me. That's the way it should be. It's a game. And as long as I did the best I could do, and I didn't do something really stupid, or something to embarrass myself, then I don't have any issues with it.

I mean I look back '63 at (Livum), it was a learning experience for me, because I shouldn't have let that happen. And I look back on it, and the judgment call that I made on my second shot at 17, and my tee shot at 18 were poor judgment calls, but I learned from them, and that's what you're supposed to do.

And, you know, I won the next week, frankly, at the PGA in Dallas, after that. But the - I like the time period I played golf. I like the competition I had. I like the friends I've made. I like the, you know, the family that I was able to raise during that period of time. I've got good kids, and I've got nice grandkids.

And my kids all know me, which is far more important than any golf game as far as I'm concerned. And that's the important part. That, you know, I think I've still been part of life, and part of the community and part of things that have gone on, not just played golf.

Scott Tolley: Let's take one or two more questions.

Operator: We'll go next to Brad Ziemer with "Vancouver Sun."

Brad Ziemer: Good morning, Jack. You touched on your appearance at Whistler next week. I think you said recently that you'll continue to play in the odd event like skins games. Is it safe to say that in that type of format, where you're playing just the nine holes a day instead of the 18 and the courses aren't set up brutally tough that you can still compete very well with some of these young guys?

Jack Nicklaus: Well I hope so. That's why I'm going. I mean I think that they can't take the golf course at Nicklaus North and extend it too much. I don't think there's any more room for me to put the tees there to start with. So that part is fine. But I'm not going to quit playing golf.

I'm just going to quite playing golf competitively on a tournament type basis. I mean if I go play father/sons, or play an odds skins game or do that kind of thing and be around the game, I'd certainly, you know, continue to open up the golf courses that I design. And I certainly plan to be around.

But I have no desire to continue what I've done all my life, which is for 12 months a year keep my golf game ready and sharp to go play in a golf tournament. I really have other things I want to do that I enjoy doing. And that I'm never going to - and I'll never be able to play golf to a level that I played before. But I said many times that that bone fish that sees the fly coming by, and doesn't know whether it's a 35 year old or a 65 year old that threw it.

Brad Ziemer: One quick follow up. You mentioned, (James Island) which I think - are there any other Jack Nicklaus designed courses, that basically don't get hardly any play? And are you - is that correspondingly going to be finished?

Jack Nicklaus: Yes, I think it's - the golf course has changed hands to some degree, I think. I'm not exactly sure what that is. But we did the 10 holes, and we're going to go back up and finish it up. I'm going to make a visit up there and do the other eight holes now.

And the - I'm sure there's a few odd golf courses around the world that don't get much play, but hopefully that wasn't because of the way I designed them. Hopefully, it was because that was what they wanted. But for the most part, most of the golf courses that we do are pretty heavily utilized.

Male: Last question, please.

Operator: We'll take our last question from Bill Fields, "Golf World."

Bill Fields: Hi, Jack.

Jack Nicklaus: Hey, Bill.

Bill Fields: Jack, you clearly had a ton of confidence when you came on the tour, but just how much did winning at Muirfield in '66, do for you overall the rest of your career?

Jack Nicklaus: Well I never really thought of it in that terms, Bill. But, you know, I almost won it, (Livum) at '63. I almost won at St. Andrews in '64. So I had the confidence at the British Open. I just - it was a little bit like I almost won at Cherry Hills, and then almost won at Oakland Hills.

And when I got to Oakmont, I just felt like, you know, that was - I was due to win, it was my tournament. And I felt a little bit the same when I got to Muirfield, even though I new it was - because I played Muirfield in the Walker Cup Matches, and I sort of felt like, you know, going back there, it was like coming home in many ways. And I really had a lot of confidence going into that even.

But I never thought much about how it did for the rest of my career. I supposed if look back on it you say gee, well that - nobody had to ask me the question was I ever going to win the British Open, and complete, you know, winning all four of them. I never had that question.

So that, I suppose, probably meant a lot. It certainly told me that it wasn't necessarily that I had to find a golf course that suited me, that I really had the ability to take my golf game and adjust it to fit the golf course, which is what I think anybody who wants to be a champion needs to anyway.

Bill Fields: Thanks.

Scott Tolley: OK. I'd like to thank Jack for his time, and thank all of you out there for your time, and to reiterate what the Operator said. We will try to have a transcript available later this evening or tomorrow morning at the latest. And you can access that on www.nicklaus.com. Thank you once again for your time.

Jack Nicklaus: Thanks everybody.

Operator: And again, that does conclude today's conference call. Thank you for your participation. You may disconnect at this time.