Jack Nicklaus has not lost his skills of navigation at St Andrews. Whereas in 1970 and 1978 he plotted his way around the Old Course adeptly enough to claim the Claret Jug, in 2022 the 82-year-old sidestepped questions about golf’s ongoing civil war.
He may have cause to be circumspect about the rebel LIV series, given he was reportedly offered tens of millions to advocate the Saudi Arabia-backed scheme. It is instead Greg Norman who is front and centre of all things LIV, which has led to the Australian not being invited by the R&A to past champion events here this week.
“I don’t know much about it, to be honest with you,” said Nicklaus about the standoff between Norman and the R&A. “I really don’t know anything about what they did. I know they did that [not invite Norman] but I don’t know any more about that.”
Probed on whether Norman’s reputation had been harmed by his LIV association, Nicklaus offered marginally more insight. “Let me just sum this up with a couple of words,” said the 18-times major winner. “First of all, Greg Norman is an icon in the game of golf. He’s a great player. 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 basically leave it at that.” The subtext: don’t ask me again.
This proved a rare moment of seriousness in a media conference where Nicklaus reflected on times gone by. On Tuesday evening he will be made an honorary citizen of the town of St Andrews. Nicklaus had not been here for 17 years, having closed his Open involvement with a missed cut in 2005.
“I declined to come back the last couple of times [2010 and 2015] to St Andrews,” he explained. “I made my farewell in 2005 and I didn’t want to come back and dilute that for what it was. It was fantastic then.
“But when I got the invitation this time to be an honorary citizen and to follow Bobby Jones and Benjamin Franklin, I’ve got to come back. So to be back is fantastic. We brought the weather with us, in case you didn’t notice that. But this is about the same weather we had in 2005 when we played. It was beautiful.
“Anyway, it’s great to be back. We’re back actually at the same hotel room I was in, Barbara and I stayed in every time we’ve been at St Andrews. And we’re looking forward to a great couple of days.”
He posed with Tiger Woods on the iconic Swilcan Bridge as the latter competed in a four-hole Champions Challenge. “I’m feeling good,” said Woods, 17 months after a car crash in which he cheated death. “Game day is Thursday so I just have to pace myself until then. Hopefully I can put myself in contention come the back nine on Sunday.”
Intriguingly Nicklaus does not share widespread fears over damage to the reputation of the Old Course if the class of today produce exceptionally low Open scoring. The fair weather, referenced by Nicklaus, has added to the sense that rounds in the low 60s or even high 50s are not out of the question. Seasoned golf observers regard the concept as hugely offensive.
“Might shoot low, so what?” Nicklaus said. “That’s sort of the way I look at it. 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. So they shoot low scores.
“I don’t think it really makes a whole lot of difference, frankly. It’s St Andrews and it is what it is, and it will produce a good champion. It always has. That’s the way I look at it.”
Indeed Nicklaus refuses to accept this sport was more appealing when he, Arnold Palmer et al were jousting for majors. “There are more good players in the game than we’ve ever had,” he insisted. “From a television standpoint, good gracious. Popularity standpoint. Covid has really seen people flock to the game.
“You can watch almost any golf tournament in the world today on television. And you turn it on and you say, ‘I’m going to watch something in Africa or want to watch something in Europe, want to watch something in Asia.’ No matter where you are, you’re going to be able to watch it. That will continue to popularise the game of golf. I think golf is probably in as good a state as it’s ever been as far as the growth of the game and seeing the number of good players that there are today. I think it’s really fantastic.”
