Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus, nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is a retired American professional golfer. He is widely regarded as the greatest golfer of all time, winning a total of 18 career major championships, while producing 19 second-place and 9 third-place finishes in them, over a span of 25 years. Nicklaus focused on the major championships, and played a selective schedule of regular PGA Tour events, yet still finished with 73 victories, third on the all-time list behind Sam Sneadand Tiger Woods...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionGolfer
Date of Birth21 January 1940
CityUpper Arlington, OH
CountryUnited States of America
I have said many times that most people work all their life to retire to play golf, while I played golf all my life to retire to work. I enjoy working. It has kept me young and on the move, and I have had a good time with it.
It's difficult to excel at something you don't truly enjoy.
People only do their best at things they truly enjoy
Hopefully when I get to St. Andrews I will have some kind of game. It won't be great, but I hope not to embarrass myself. I will enjoy it.
I always enjoyed La Costa. I had some great times there. It was kind of funny, because La Costa sat right on the heels of the Masters and I'd say to my wife, 'I really don't want to go out and play this week; I'm tired.' And Barbara would say, 'You get out of this house and get out there and play.' And she'd kick me out and make me go out there, and rightfully so, because I always had good preparation for the Masters and it carried over many times into the Tournament of Champions.
In many ways, Angelo was part of our family, and Barbara and I will miss him greatly.
I know what Augusta is trying to do. Whether they've gone overboard, I'm not sure. But they've eliminated a lot of guys who are able to win. That's the change at Augusta I have a hard time with.
I know what Augusta is trying to do.
I know that when I see Tiger Woods showed up a day early. And Charles Howell, Chris DiMarco and Jay Haas - they all four were here a day before anybody was supposed to be here to play the golf course and get ready for it.
I know what they're trying to do; they're trying to make it the same golf clubs that players traditionally should play into the greens. Whether they've gone overboard, I don't know. I just know they eliminated a lot of guys who don't have the ability to do that.
It was great for me because it felt like I actually had done something well and I hadn't prepared for it. I hadn't prepared for it like I did 10 years earlier when I would just be consumed by it.
They would be the only place that could.
If I were to look back on my work, I think I accomplished probably about 70 to 75 percent of what I could have. Maybe 60 percent. Somewhere in that area; two-thirds of what I could have accomplished. If I had been a really dedicated person, and really worked hard, I think I could have accomplished more.
It was like I could still summon what I had and still could use it coming down the stretch.