European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 9, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Sports Jack Nicklaus the very Best to swing a club Bob Green associated press a i Jjo Wilh i sunday a Ali Rijuk the Georji Penl i Jack Nicklau provided ,1 watching world with Iluf i he greatest moments in sports history. A if he won i Sish Manors tournament. A Jials has promo Jack look on the world seve fall task pm of Spain Greg Norman of , Sandy Lyle of Scotland among Lofters and won. Ii had been six years since i d won a major. I was 4ti years Voltl i d Hail suf h a horrible Spring. From the standpoint that 1 was Able Louick my game and my body and my level of Competition Pul h together and then finish it off. Ii was probably the most competitive experience of my life he said Nicklaus was four shots Back going into the final round and really did l gel anything going until he Birdie i he ninth Hole. But he allowed with a thundering 30 Over the Back including an Eark on is. He left the 16th Green we a 65 and tears in his eyes his Arm around the shoulders of his Caddy son Jackie. But he was t a Winner Quile Yel All the right things still Hod to happen. Botille Skleros in make a mistake. He did hitting into the water on the Isle. Norman had to Linvil on i he 16th. He did missing the Green. Tom Kite Hail to miss an 18lh-Holepull. He did. Anil Nicklaus became the oldest masters Champion expanding his record collection of major professional til irs. To in along with two . Amateur crowns. It was pretty spec a Nie bus said probably Ihu most special of them All. It Lei me go out on lop people were saying i was through. 1 did l want to quit like that he said. He has t really quit or retired. I m Semi retired. I Don t consider myself a regular tour player anymore. I la play the majors and a few others. That s All he said. Can he still win a major of Mil he said is if surprised by the question not consistently hut i can still win. I can t play like i used to but once in a Groat while i can get it All together look at last year. Nobody gave me s Chance in Iho masters. That can happen in Ollil tradition of Booby ones ills golfing Roll Model. Nicklaus built his career and record around the . He redefined them. In Jones Era Liu majors were i he . Open and Amateur and the British open and Amateur ones inn those tournaments 13 limes. Now the majors consist of Hie . And British opens the masters and pea. Nicklaus won those tournaments jew Lime. Waller Hagen is next at 11. His collection includes six masters a i record five Gas ties the record four . Opens ties the record and three British opens. won his first major and his first pro tournament in a playoff against the King Arnold i Aliner in the 11 2 . Open it Oakmont pa., about 5, beating Palmer Anil Gary Puyer and became the first to successfully defend Llu title with a fiord breaking 9-Shol decision in f. He completed a career sweep of the big Lour in Muir Fiell Scotland in the British open. Niimi ius inn .1 second . Bajt nil i i 1 mi7,i Hen vent into Ihu first of several do diffs. Ali jul Llie mild la of 7 7 i working it it in i got Ltd by it my name did t work in Len ii r Dii d i1.nly in i j7ii. Uidl he Jolt give niiu.mslii1, Lisl Al ii a Etil atm in ill f Iok Imi i Itu , Tiu cd hilt1. Tiu of Tinl around hire in River i Lii Whitlo tit ottaus hat won 18 major tournaments. Enjoyment was watching me play and win in Golf turn amends. Maybe i just did t perform put out like i should have. So 1 hat got me Back to work again. After 701 played pretty Well again. I won .11 St. Andrews. Thai s where i started coming Back and playing majors Between 1970 and 1975, Nicklaus won seven major championships including the 1973 pea ill Canterbury Ohio where he surpassed Jones record of 13 majors. But there were losses. Some hurl badly some he shrugged Oil. At the 1977 British open a i Turnberry Nicklaus and Watson engaged in perhaps the greatest two Man show in Golf history. From a tie for the 36-Hole there is an appreciable reduction in the noise level when Nicklaus enters a locker room. It s called reverence. Lead nit Klaus partnered with Walson played the last two rounds 65-gb and loll. Watson played them f 5-Fis. That ," nit Uius a Iid. Ii happened during one of his town periods. I Gal in in i out 75," he said. I went through another Lull starting in Abdul 7f77. Then i Star two working Alii again in i lie Wos for a n Tuple of to off with victories in the i1ho . Open at Hallie sri and the pea. Nicklaus issues an audible sigh when ski d about his re Lesl disappointments Muir Lillif my filble . Here s Mil ninth to sip in i Letham Hei Iii. I the won the o7 my . Of in sweep us ill i Kerhin a he by the time he turned 13, beside Golf he played Center on the basketball team. He was he switch hitting Catcher on the baseball Leam. He Quarter backed punted and place kicked for the football team. Goaded by his father Charlie Nick bus even ran the 100 and 220-Yard dashes and High jumped in track. My dad was an 11 letter Man in High school. He played football basketball and baseball at Ohio stale he played pro football under an assumed name. What my dad did was introduce me to everything. Gel me interested then Lei me make up my own mind about what i wanted to do Nicklaus a. If i had t gone into Golf i d probably have played baseball. That probably was my Best sport he said. Football also held a Large attraction. Woody Hayes was a customer at the drug store and a Good Friend of the family Nicklaus said. My dad asked him for advice. But Woody said keep him away from football. He could to a very Good fullback bul he has a very special Talent for Golf. Lei him develop thai Talent so i guess Woody was incl really responsible for me going into even so Nicklaus was recruited for basketball by Ohio slate thai was Ullh Jerry Lucas Lohn Havlicek Bobby Knight that group so i probably would t have played much he said. I guess it was a Wise Nicklau came to Golf by Accident an Accident in which his father Brake an ankle. After that break i he elder Nicklaus took up Golf. H is 10-year-old son occasionally tagged along and eventually became interested. Nicklaus biography says he shot 51 aver the first nine holes he played. I thought that was pretty easy he later recalled so i shot 61 on the Sei Cind nine i played and 71 on the before summer ended he had an 18-Hole score of 81. He first broke 70 in 1953, Al age 13.11 was that year that he played in his first National tournament the u5ca Junior championship and won his first lilies the Columbus Unior match play championship and i he Ohio stale Fullor championship the and state titles piled up in the next few years. In 1959 he was named to the . Walker cup Leam that Defeated Britain s Best amateurs. Niklaus finished second to Palmer in the t fio . Open and was fourth in 1961. Married and lie father of a son he was a senior at Ohio stale and making a very Good living Selling insurance. There was nut a financial reason for turning pro he said. I was a 21 kid making $j4,Otlo a year Selling insure note. That was a lol of Money if Ion the equivalent of n i year old kid $1 in duo a year Ncik. It mown to i to do with my life. Bit was nothing t like belief Lam Jolt. What i Tilly gut rur it turn pro visas i i inti d i e the Btl in i tin i u is 16 Tripti Agni a npril9,f987
