WILL ye no come back again? Well, after 17 years, he’s finally back. In the Auld Grey Toun, a very special golfing auld yin was holding court.
Back in 2005, Jack Nicklaus waved goodbye to The Open amid a poignant, sun-soaked swansong over the Old Course which led to such an outpouring of dewy-eyed emotion, the Swilcan Burn just about burst its banks. A curling putt on the final green for a fitting birdie was sooked into the hole by the collective will of the entire population of the Kingdom of Fife.
Here in 2022, Nicklaus has made the pilgrimage back to the game’s cradle. “I declined to come back the last couple of times to St Andrews because I made my farewell in 2005 and I didn’t want to dilute that,” admitted the Golden Bear of yet another golden career memory that should be housed next to the bullion in Fort Knox.
In the week of the 150th Open, Nicklaus will be made a honorary citizen of the town like his great golfing hero, the mighty Bobby Jones. “I always said St Andrews looked like an old grey town until the Open came around,” said the 82-year-old. “All of a sudden it just lit up like a light. And it was beautiful.”
The Old Course this week is looking beautiful too with that slightly baked, golden complexion that conjures up images of Open Championships of yore.
Nicklaus won two of his three Claret Jugs at St Andrews, in 1970 and 1978, but his connection with the game’s cradle goes back further than that.
“When I first stepped on the Old Course in 1964, I fell in love with it immediately,” he reflected. “And I've had a love affair with it ever since. The only thing I knew about St Andrews before that (1964) was from my father, who came over with a couple of friends in 1959 when I was at Muirfield. They were saying how much trouble they had and I couldn't understand what the trouble was. But one of them had three-putted 13 times, the other one 14 and the other one 15. When I got here, I understood why they had trouble.
“I couldn't believe that St Andrews was a golf course that would still test golfers of that time. Now, that's 60 years ago. And it still tests the golfers of this time.”
In this crash, bang, wallop age, when turbo-charged golf balls are propelled through the air by drivers that have heads the size of a curling stone, there are many who fear the Old Course could surrender the lowest score in major championship history if conditions are favourable.
“So what?,” responded Nicklaus in a stout defence of the Old Course’s enduring magic. “They're shooting low now compared to what they shot 100 years ago. But times change and golfers get better, equipment gets better, conditions get better. I don't think it really makes a whole lot of difference. It's St Andrews and it is what it is. It will produce a good champion. It always has.
“The game has changed quite a bit but St Andrews hasn't. Sure, there’s a bit of length to sort of compromise the golf ball of today. But you've still got to play golf.
“You still have those pesky little bunkers out there that grab your ball every time you hit an errant shot. You hit one out there, you play it out sideways, you say why did I hit it here? Somebody hit it here 60 years ago or 100 years ago and they had the same problem.”
As, arguably, golf’s greatest ever champion, Nicklaus, the 18-time major winner, was a master at keeping the heid while others were losing theirs. In the teasing, tormenting arena of links golf, that mental fortitude was a hugely valuable weapon in the armoury. “Discipline is such an important part of playing over here,” he said. “You get frustrated. But once you get frustrated, then say ‘bye-bye, we'll see you next time’, because that's what happens. You've got to be patient and play to what the golf course gives you. You can't try to take any more.”
Talking about getting greedy, Nicklaus, inevitably, was asked about the current cash-grab of the LIV Golf Series and the role of former Open champion Greg Norman in its advance. “Greg Norman is an icon in the game of golf,” said Nicklaus. “We've been friends for a long time and, regardless of what happens, he's going to remain a friend. Unfortunately, he and I just don't see eye to eye on what's going on. I'll leave it at that.”
And on that note, this golfing golden oldie took his leave.
