European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 17, 1980, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday june 17, 1960 the stars and stripes Page 23 Champ admits he considered quitting its True Jack Nicklaus finally broke Down and confessed. He actually was kicking around the idea of quitting. No More though. With his fourth is. Open championship under hit Money Belt the still remarkably capable 40-year old Golden Bear now would like to become the first Man in golfing history Ever to win a fifth. Only 24 hours earlier Nicklaus had brusquely brushed off Tom Watson s spoken surmise that he might retire if he won the open sunday. Nicklaus said it was ridiculous and that he would keep on playing no matter what. Besides he did t wish to discuss any of his self doubts. That was on saturday while Nicklaus and Japan s machine like Putter Isao Aoki were tied for the Lead. After becoming Only the fourth golfer Ever to win the event four times Nicklaus opened up like a water faucet. You could t turn him off. He ushered everyone listening into the private Chambers of his heart revealing practically every thing he had kept concealed before he talked about How he was thinking of quitting because nothing seemed to be going right for him the past year and a half about All those self doubts he did have and about How some of those people who still believe he should retire now could be  though he either had the Lead outright or shared it with someone from the very first Day this open began Nicklaus kept looking for some disaster to befall Nim he admitted. I kept wondering All week when my wheels were going to come off he revealed. They be been com ing off the last year and a half. The big difference Here was that when i needed a putt i was Able to make it this week. But the Way things were going for me before that you wonder for the last year and a half if you should be playing this silly  Nicklaus said he thought about quitting when he went from july of 1978 until sunday without win Ning a tournament of any kind after having won 66 others previously including five masters four pea championships three British opens and two . Amateur titles. You Guys he said talking to members of the Media in inc interview area asked me if i were it i enjoy Golf. I think this old body still lion he has earned during his 17 years As a profs Ore wins in it. Maybe even this  signal. First prize Here was $55.000, but Nicklaus ing his fourth open title Over Baltusrol s picked up an additional $50,000 from a Golf mag g 7,076-Yard layout Nicklaus not Only Zinc for breaking his own open record. Aoki who going to retire. I la Stop it right Here. I m not. Maybe i should. I Don t have that much sense. If i looked at it sensibly i d probably say. That s it Fellows. Goodbye by has a few mor in capturing tight Testin broke his own previous open record of 275 for 72 holes which he shared with Lee Trevino but also became the first golfer Ever to win two opens on the same course. He set his record 275 in winning the 1967 open Here. The one that happens at the moment always is number one he said when asked to com pare which open Victory gave him greater satisfaction this one or the one in 1967. But this one is far More important for me after the Way i was playing for the last year and a half. Actually i did t think i was playing that badly. It s just that i Haven t been Able to get anything done. The worst part about the whole thing was answering the same questions every  meant the questions about whether he thought he was through. Pretty soon you Guys get me believing it he said. Winning the open four times gives me tremendous satisfaction. My goal now is to win the for the past six months. Nicklaus said he worked on his game the Way he never had before. What had once been sheer pleasure now had become a difficult chore. You wonder if it s right to Pat yourself through it he said. To put yourself your family and your friends through it. I worked hard for Augusta the masters and came up empty. I did t do Well at doral. Either. Now with the two other championships coming up he went on. Meaning the British open next month and the pea in August there won t be so much pressure on  Nicklaus open Victory was Worth a total of $105.000. Making a total of More than $3.5 Mil Lio. 1. Took second place Money Worth s29.soo, also got an extra $50,000 for his 274. Which also broke the pre Vious open  was far from the most exciting us. Open Ever played. Through most of sunday s final round none of the leaders looked that impressive. Several of Nicklaus drives strayed into the rough on the front nine before he settled Down on the Back nine and nailed it Down with Birdie putts of 22 and10 feet on the 17th and 18th holes respectively. Vokt s Putter which had worked miracles for him the first three Days suddenly deserted him and Tom Watson. Keith Fergus and ton Hinkle All of whom tied at 276, had troubles of their  Nicklaus the 37-year-old Aoki birdied the 17th and 18th. He made Many friends Here All week. As Nicklaus who played with him All four Days told him. Your 274 would pc won every open but this  Imd f m Mefi my japanese Star after 4th open Triumph Lesl the word is Jack is Back Springfield . Up in any Man s language applause cheers and shouts of encouragement translate to the same  so after being serenaded by such language for nearly four hours Isao. Aoki had to be pleased. Never mind that virtually All the words and motions of support were being directed at his playing partner. Jack  it was Over and Aoki had finished second to Nicklaus in the . Open Sun Day the 37-year-old japanese Star was asked if he had been disturbed by the vociferous gallery which Nicklaus described As about the most vocal he s Ever heard on a  Able to contain a laugh Aoki said through an interpreter since i Don t understand English i thought they were cheering me Aoki a Farmer s son who has won 31 tournaments during his career gained a lot of admiration Here not Only for his Superb game but for his  s been a Good lesson and 1 really appreciate playing 72 holes with Jack Nick Laus Aoki. Who was paired All four rounds with the Champion said. Nicklaus is the greatest player in the  by Ben Abrams staff writer Springfield. . Is Jack n Nicklaus has no fear of mighty Baltusrol. The last Lime he played Here in the . Open 13 years ago he set the tournament record with a 72-Hole score of 275. Sun Day he smashed that record by Bir dicing the 17th and 18th holes on what is consid ered one of America s toughest courses for a tournament finishing 68 round and a 72 Hole total of 272 on rounds of 63, 71, 70 and 68.immediately after his Triumph the Mes Sage was put upon the Leader Board along Side the 18th Fairway. It read simply Jack is Back and signified his first Victory inane tournament since the Philadelphia classic in 1978. It was his fourth . Open title tying him with Willie Anderson Bobby Jones and Ben  i want to know Nicklaus quipped to the thousands of fans seated behind the 18th Green is docs the open end on father s Day next year this is my fourth win in the open and All four have come on father s  had to pull out All the stops to get the Victory because Japan s Isao Aoki who started the Day deadlocked with Jack for the Lead but fell two strokes Back on the front nine matched him stroke for stroke coming in and both wound up with the acc under 33s on that nine. Isao stayed right in there All the Way and i had to go out and get the record just to get the win Nicklaus said. He shot 274 which would have won every other tournament but this one. He is a tremendous golfer a Champion All the Way. I certainly enjoyed playing All four rounds with  came Here to Baltusrol two  ago to try to figure out what i could do to prepare for a major championship which would bring better results  i have had in my most recent ones. Then Nicklaus added i broke one Tulsa drills drillers 3-1 Edmonton. Alberta up mid fielder Johannes Edvardsson scored once in each half sunday to Pace the Tulsa rough necks to a 3-1 Victory Over the Edmonton drillers in a North american soccer league game. Parsons cruises to Michigan 400 win Brooklyn. Mich. A  Parsons raced through the falling darkness to nip Cale Yarborough and buddy Baker at the wire and take the ram delayed Michigan 400 grand National Stock car race sunday. The 39-year-old Veteran formerly from nearby Detroit and now � resident of Ellerbe. . Jumped into the Lead for the eighth and final Lime with 28 laps to go in the 400-mile event at Michigan International Speedway winning for the second Lime this season and the first time in 21tries Here. Parsons picked up $24,800 for the Victorya he averaged 131.820 Mph in his Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Yarborough also driving Amonte Carlo earned $16,300 for his Sec Ond place finish. Parsons Yarborough and Baker who finished third ran single file and bumper to bumper the last 17 laps but neither Chal Lenger was Able to mount a serious threat to the former Detroit  Bonnett finished fourth followed by Richard Petty who passed his 20-year-old son. Kyle just four laps from the end. Fel Low Rookie Jody Ridley also slipped past the younger Petty on the last Lap dropping him to  Start of the race was delayed by ram for four hours and 45 Minics. But it appeared most of the estimated 60.000 spectators stayed around to we the action finally end at 8 20 . Of my traditions and played at Atlanta last week. In the past i be left the week before the open free. I did t play very Well at Atlanta but All of a sudden i Learned to putt  came out Here and putted Good in a couple of practice rounds and then on thursday. I put it together. I drove Well and i really putted Well and i shot a record equating 63. This source is built along the lines of the British courses and it reminded me of playing in Britain especially in the British open. I told myself i have usually done Well in the British open and and since this course bore such similarities there s no reason i should t do Well in the .  this open is the most exciting thing thai has happened to me in a Long time now. The course was in Superb shape the greens were Beautiful and it was a wonderful week he  win was Worth $55,000 in official Money to Nicklaus. However he picked up another $50,000 Courtesy of Golf mag Azine which has a standing offer of that sum for anyone who Breaks the individual round or 72-holc record in one of the major tournaments the masters . Open British open and pea. Aoki also got in on the extra Bonus in addition to second place Money. Jack missed a three foot putt on the 18th Hole of his 63 round or he would have collected twice. For Nicklaus it was the 18th Victory in a major  now has four opens five masters four pc As three British opens and two . Amateurs to his credit. All told he has won 67 tournaments and has made an official $3.515,213. He is scheduled to give a clinic at Frankfort s Nic Durrad Golf course july 9 before going on to Muir iced for the Brit ish open