Nicklaus shoots 66 on "fun" day

PRESSURE, according to Jack Nicklaus, is when you know you're playing poorly. Otherwise, competitive golf is fun. And the great man had an abundance of fun in his 35th successive British Open appearance al Lytham yesterday, when a five under par 66 was his best round since the same stage at Sandwich, 15 years ago.

Describing his start to the day, Nicklaus said: "I got out of bed at 5.45 this morning, landed on my feet - and stayed there." And he went off to have some fun. Noting a touch of scepticism in his audience, he insisted: "If shooting 66s is a form of torture, then torture me every day."

There was a beautiful glow about the interview area, as if everyone was inwardly celebrating the reawakening of a marvellous talent. It seemed that we had been waiting too long for this, even though Nicklaus played all four rounds at St Andrews last year. Perhaps it was the memory of three successive missed cuts prior to that.

"I may shoot 150 over the next two days, but we can only see what will happen," he went on. It is a philosophical attitude that has been forced on him through infrequent back problems and the vagaries of his golfing form. "I don't reckon I intimidate anyone anymore, certainly not on the Seniors' Tour where I've had 23, 15 and 21 guys ahead of me in my last three tournaments," he said ruefully.

Nicklaus was also realistic enough to know that this latest contribution couldn't be considered a great round, given that he hit the fairway only once out of five attempts with the driver. But it was hugely enjoyable, nonetheless.

Undoubtedly absent was the fiercely competitive attitude which characterised that 66 in 1981. It came after upsetting news from home, about one of his sons, had led to a potentially crippling first round of 83. What did it mean, he was asked afterwards. "It means that I'll have to shoot 65 or 66 tomorrow to make the cut," he replied. And so he did, to survive with a two stroke cushion.

By his own estimation, Lytham owed him a major, given that he effectively handed the title to Bob Charles in 1963. And he started yesterday's round as if he meant to rectify that omission, in a hurry. A delightfully struck four iron at the 206 yard first finished eight feet from the hole and he sank the putt for an opening birdie.

As he warmed to the challenge, even a poorly hit drive couldn't deprive him of a birdie at the long seventh, where he hit a sandwedge third shot to four feet and sank the putt. Then an eight iron to seven feet at the 164 yard ninth brought him to the turn in 32 - three under par.

It was then that his renowned course management was seen to best effect. Clearly at odds with his driver, he retained the tactical awareness not to compound the problem with over ambitious recoveries. Rather did he take his punishment and hope to save par with a single putt. This was exemplified by his play of the 15th, where he was bunkered off the tee and still negotiated the hole in regulation, courtesy of a 15 foot putt.

"The standard of my game is not what it used to be," he admitted. "I need conditions like these to give me a chance. The course is playing to the sort of length we would expect in a seniors' tournament."

Nicklaus went on: "I enjoy coming over here if I can compete, but I have an awfully hard time in trying to be a ceremonial golfer. Maybe that's because I know what playing well feels like." Was he not prepared to make any concession to his venerable years, he was asked. "My what?" he snapped. "That word is not in my dictionary."

Perhaps his greatest achievement yesterday was to improve by three strokes on his opening round, given that he has generally been going in the opposite direction in recent years. He did it by giving nothing back to the course on the homeward journey.

In fact he carded two further birdies - at the 10th where he hit a sandwedge to three and a half feet and at the 4th where a ninefooter was rolled home from behind the target. It may not have been vintage Nicklaus, but it complemented the brilliant sunshine rather nicely.