Posted on 07/13/2005 1:17:11 AM PDT by beyond the sea
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- There is little doubt how he would like to go out. Jack Nicklaus plays in major championships to win them. So no words were needed Tuesday when the Golden Bear was asked what scenario would best satisfy him when he ends his competitive golf career this week at the 134th British Open.
Nicklaus merely held up his hands, one with the palm turned up and the other palm facing out, as if he were cradling the Claret Jug.
Three times in his 37 Open Championship appearances Nicklaus grasped the prized trophy -- and seven more times he was oh, so close as the runner-up. Sixty-five years old and making his third and final start on the PGA TOUR this year, Nicklaus is aware that he would have to catch lightning not in a bottle but in a thimble.
He corrected Stewart McDougall, the Open Championship press officer, when he mentioned this being Nicklaus’ last Open appearance. “I don’t like the way you phrased that,” Nicklaus said with a grin. “If I win it wouldn’t be my last.”
No matter how Nicklaus performs this week here at the Old Course, this championship is a milestone in golf. Over 163 starts in the majors Nicklaus has been the benchmark standard for all others to emulate. His record not only includes those 18 professional major titles plus two U.S. Amateur wins, but also 19 second-place finishes -- which might an even more unbeatable mark.
He chose the Old Course because of what it has meant in his career; he won the Open here in 1970 and ’78. He also chose it because along with Augusta National Golf Club, where earlier this year he played in his last Masters Tournament, St. Andrews is his favorite place in the game.
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ping
19 second place finishes in majors --- that is amazing. Here's hoping Jack plays well in what he suggests is his last major.
I believe your link is broken?
http://search.netscape.com/ns/boomframe.jsp?query=pgatour.com&page=1&offset=1&result_url=redir%3Fsrc%3Dwebsearch%26requestId%3Df3c915f4efcb0b79%26clickedItemRank%3D1%26userQuery%3Dpgatour.com%26clickedItemURN%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.pgatour.com%252F%26invocationType%3D-%26fromPage%3DNSCPIndex2%26amp%3BampTest%3D1&remove_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pgatour.com%2F
Thank you.
I always thought Jack had 24 second place finishes in Majors. Maybe that's top three.
I think he should have retired a bit ago, but his exemptions run out only now. I'm glad he intends to play on the weekend, and hope he gets there.
Jack was the reason I fell in love with golf. I'll never forget his incredible comeback to beat Greg Norman at the Masters in '86. People had written him off as too old, yet he stunned everybody.
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That would be great if he made it to the weekend. I'm praying.
That was a fabulous Sunday in the sun! One of the greatest days in sports!
............. check out the picture at the same site, if you wish, of Nick Faldo and Jack and their sons............ a picture that Nick had taken the other day! Great and meaningful picture!
At PGATour.com
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http://search.netscape.com/ns/boomframe.jsp?query=pgatour.com&page=1&offset=1&result_url=redir%3Fsrc%3Dwebsearch%26requestId%3Df3c915f4efcb0b79%26clickedItemRank%3D1%26userQuery%3Dpgatour.com%26clickedItemURN%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.pgatour.com%252F%26invocationType%3D-%26fromPage%3DNSCPIndex2%26amp%3BampTest%3D1&remove_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pgatour.com%2F
Thank you......
Jack Nicklaus, center, discusses the 14th hole with his son Steve, second from left, who was serving as his caddie during a British Open practice round Monday, July 11, 2005 on the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland. Nicklaus played a foursome with Fred Couples, right, Nick Faldo, at rear second from right, and Bart Bryant (not shown). (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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ST. ANDREWS — Nick Faldo had an up-close-and-personal view of Jack Nicklaus yesterday as the Golden Bear prepared for the British Open, his final major championship in competition.
Faldo, Fred Couples and Brad Bryant played a practice round with Nicklaus and Faldo came off the course believing Nicklaus can, indeed, make the cut. "He's been playing a fair bit the last couple of weeks, and he knows what he's doing," Faldo said. "He's still got that old, classic Nicklaus fade working. I had to shoot 68 to beat him, so that was respectable."
Asked if he thinks Nicklaus can make the cut, Faldo said, "Yeah, he's playing solid enough. He's got a couple of days to keep at it, but he knows what he's doing out there. I definitely think [he'll make he cut]."
Nicklaus is scheduled to play his practice round today with Tom Watson, Kenny Perry and Mike Weir.
Faldo, who's playing this week and working for ABC-TV, said he phoned Nicklaus' public relations person recently and asked if he could play a practice round with Nicklaus.
"I got my picture on [the Swilken] Bridge with Jack," Faldo said. "My son, Matthew is 16 and he's my practice round caddie for the week, so that was a pretty neat picture for him as well.
"I'm looking forward to whichever day he comes up 18 as his last competitive round in a major," Faldo went on. "He was an inspiration for me starting the game. I know I'll be emotionally feeling it."
Nicklaus was asked yesterday what he expected the emotional response from the galleries to be.
"The emotional response won't be from the galleries, it'll be from me," he said.
On Thursday and Friday in competition, Nicklaus will be paired with Watson and Luke Donald.
I heard Faldo during last weekend's tournament (while he was doing commentary), and he said he had a photo from way back of he and Jack at the Swilken Bridge, that he was going to get Jack to sign during Monday's practice round.
What a guy. I hope we'll be honored with his presence on the course for just one more weekend.
So much has changed. It's just not the same without Jack and Arnie out there to root for.
On another note, I bet the security at St. Andrews is awesome.
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Why is the British Open trophy called the "Claret Jug," and what is it's history?
The trophy awarded to the winner of The Open Championship is officially known as the Championship Cup, but it is much more commonly called the "Claret Jug" because, well, it's a claret jug.
Claret is a dry red wine produced in the famous French winemaking region of Bordeaux. The British Open trophy was made in the style of silver jugs used to serve claret at 19th Century gatherings.
But the winner of The Open Championship hasn't always received the Claret Jug as the trophy. The first handful of winners were awarded a belt. That's right, a belt. Or "Champion Belt," as it was designated at the time.
The first Open Championship was played in 1860 at Prestwick (now called Royal Prestwick, it's in Troon, Scotland, just down the road from Royal Troon), and that year also marked the first awarding of the belt. The belt was made of a wide, red Morocco leather and was adorned with silver buckles and emblems. This (seemingly) gaudy "trophy" might still be the British Open trophy today but for the golfing prowess of Young Tom Morris.
Prestwick hosted each of the first 11 British Opens, awarding the belt each year, which the winner would have to return to the club. But Prestwick's rules included one that stated that the belt would become the permanent property of any golfer winning the Open Championship in three consecutive years.
When Young Tom Morris won in 1870, it was his third straight victory (he would win a fourth in 1872) and he walked off with the Champion Belt. So the club members at Prestwick came up with the idea of sharing the Open Championship with the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. Prestwick proposed that the three clubs take turns staging the Open, and chip-in equally toward the creation of a new trophy.
While the clubs tried to figure out what to do, 1871 came and went without an Open Championship being played. Finally, the clubs agreed to share the Open, and each contributed money for a new trophy.
When Young Tom Morris won the 1872 Open, the trophy had not yet been commissioned. So the 1873 winner - Tom Kidd - was the first to be awarded the Claret Jug.
That original Claret Jug from 1873 has permanently resided at the R&A since 1927. The trophy that is presented to the British Open winner each year is a copy of the original, which the winner gets to keep for a year before returning it to the R&A to be passed on to the next champion.
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Four golfers who like to gamble a little wind up in the same foursome. The pot builds throughout the day until they reach the 18th green, where Charlie has a chance to putt for dough. If he makes his 10-foot putt, he wins $200.
Charlie lines up his putt, but just as he's about to take his stance, a funeral procession begins passing by on the road that runs alongside the 18th hole.
Charlie steps away from his ball, sets down his putter, takes off his hat and places it over his heart, and waits for the funeral procession to completely pass. Once all the cars in the funeral procession have passed, Charlie picks up his putter and begins lining up the putt again.
"Wow," one of his opponents says. "That was the most touching thing I have ever seen. You've got a makeable putt for $200, yet you stopped and paid your respects.
You really are something."
"Well," Charlie says, "we were married for 25 years."
I'll give you five possible winners. You give me five and on Sunday night we'll see who is closest:
Tiger Woods (duh)
Luke Donald
Ernie Els
Colin Montgomerie
Lee Westwood
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