Comment: Jack Nicklaus, an example for everyone

by William Leece
Courtesy of the Liverpool Daily Post

His days of playing at the very top may have come to an end, but Jack Nicklaus is still, for many golfers, their greatest hero of all time.

His fame has jumped out of the world of golf into the public at large, in the way that happens with all the greatest sports stars. Men like Stirling Moss, Bobby Moore and David Beckham have become the embodiment of their particular field in the public eye, and so, too, has Jack Nicklaus.

Over the years, he has become the complete ambassador both for golf and the United States, sweeping all before him in his prime, and accepting defeat with good grace as younger players seized his place at the top.

But he is still a formidable force. In golf he has proved a remarkable teacher and course designer, while in the world at large he has set an example that many can aspire to but few can equal.

The young players who were coached by him at Formby Hall yesterday will, we suspect, never forget the experience. They will have learned some lessons from a real master on the course, and hopefully about life as well.

Golf is a very different sport from team games like football and rugby. The spotlight can be merciless when the crucial putt has to be made, be it at Sunday afternoon scratching level on the local municipal course or the green on the 18th hole of a major championship.

Handle that kind of pressure and you can probably handle anything. Add into the mix the chance of a spell in the fresh air and an invigorating walk and the attractions of golf as a sport for all become more and more manifest.

It is also a game for all ages. He may no longer be winning tournaments, but at 69 Jack Nicklaus can no doubt still play a mean game. Long may he thrive.