Jack Nicklaus walked up to the U.S. Amateur scoreboard Monday at CommonGround Golf Course, and he might just as well have been Average Joe Spectator.
The Bear, though not so Golden as he used to be, still owns arguably the best record in the history of golf, with 18 major championships (plus two U.S. Amateurs) and 73 PGA Tour victories.
But for a few minutes on Monday, Nicklaus went unrecognized as he and wife Barbara prepared to go out and watch his 43-year-old son, Gary, compete in the U.S. Amateur. Eventually, a few people took notice and some came up to greet him.
Nicklaus spent some time chatting with former USGA president Will Nicholson Jr., a Denver resident, and former Cherry Hills Country Club head professional Clayton Cole (they’re pictured together above). Then he became a spectator as his second-youngest son played in his first U.S. Amateur since 1991.
After Gary shot a 1-over-par 71 in the first round — he was 4 over par through seven holes but made four straight birdies in the middle of his round — the elder Nicklaus held court with the media. Here are some of the highlights:
On being a spectator rather than a player at big events: “It’s always tougher to watch your kids play. I’ve watched Gary play for about 38 years. He doesn’t have to worry about dad worrying about him. He’s quite capable of taking care of himself.
“But I wanted to be here after he didn’t have the ability to play (in the 1990 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills due to a heart-related problem, pericarditis). He qualified to play here at Cherry Hills. I was there the night that he had his episode when we were at Castle Pines. He was a pretty sad young man. … So I think it’s nice to have him come back here after all those years.”
On Gary returning to the U.S. Amateur after last playing in 1991: “I didn’t even know Gary was trying to qualify for the national amateur. I got home from overseas and they said Gary qualified for the Amateur. Fantastic. Where is it? Denver. Then we’ll go to Denver.”
On his own golf game: “I have about a 90 mph clubhead speed and hit it about 210 if I hit it flush.
“I play once a month if I have to and if I don’t have to I don’t play. I did play the other day. I had 168 yards in, and the previous hole I had the same distance and hit a 5-iron that wasn’t even close. So I ripped a 4-iron and I got it there. 4-iron is about 230 yards for these guys (at the U.S. Amateur), and I’m hitting it 168. The way I play and $10 will get you a cup of coffee most anyplace.”
On returning Tuesday to see Cherry Hills Country Club, where he finished second in the 1960 U.S. Open as an amateur, and where he won the 1993 U.S. Senior Open: “I haven’t seen Cherry Hills since I was there in ’93. I’m looking forward to it. Anyplace I win I like. I’d be pretty stupid if I didn’t, right? I’ve always liked Cherry Hills. I’ve always enjoyed the golf course. It’s a golf course of discipline. Arnold (Palmer) took a run at the first hole, but most players better have a little discipline. I had an opportunity in 1960 to play the last 36 holes with (Ben) Hogan, and you want to talk about discipline. It was just absolutely magnificent. That was a great lesson for a young guy to watch Hogan play those two rounds.”
On seeing the restoration Tom Doak did several years ago at Cherry Hills: “Cherry Hills is a nice golf course and I enjoy being there, but I’m here to watch my son, not to see Cherry Hills.”
On Rory McIlroy, who just broke Nicklaus’ PGA Championship record for margin of victory: “I like Rory a lot. He’s a nice young man. He’s a good player. He already had a pretty good record, but he’s got a great future in front of him.”
On what his two wins in the U.S. Amateur meant to him: “When I won the Amateur it was considered a major. It’s obviously changed through the years as professional golf has become more dominant on the scene. When I beat Charlie Coe down at the Broadmoor (in 1959), here I am a 19-year-old kid with an 8-foot putt to win the U.S. Amateur, and I made that putt. And that was a big putt in my career because it told me I could do what I had to do under pressure at the right time. That sort of propelled me forward.
“Once I won at Pebble Beach in ’61 there wasn’t a lot for me to do in amateur golf. It was sort of my feeling I wanted to be the best I could be at the game of golf, and the only way I could do that was to play against the best. That’s why I turned pro.”
On whether he still thinks Tiger Woods — after a four-year victory drought in major championships — will break his record of 18 major titles: “Probably. It’s getting less (likely) each time you talk about it. He’s such a good player and he’s so talented and focused, I would sort of suspect he will. Then again, he hasn’t had very good weekends in the four majors this year. Time will tell.”
On how he was never singlemindedly driven by golf: “I really enjoyed my career. I enjoyed my life. Golf did not dominate it; my family dominated my life and my career. That was far more important to me than a golf tournament. I had another golf tournament next week. But as it turned out, I did win a few tournaments and I guess I’ve got a record that somebody is shooting at. But that wasn’t my goal starting out. My goal was to be the best I could be at it, but also live a life. … I’m a pretty lucky guy.”
