Wounded Bear provides highlight of the year

If Jack Nicklaus were to observe my efforts as a golfer, he might well conclude, in the words of Bobby Jones, that I played a game with which he is not familiar. In truth, the only thing I share with the great man is that we were both born in the same year, yet he managed, on a personal level, to provide me with my highlight of 2001.

It will be recalled that Nicklaus made his first competitive visit to this country last July, finishing third behind Ian Stanley in the Senior British Open at Royal Co Down. At the time, I noted when Gary Cooper was being considered for the role of the ageing sheriff in the classic western High Noon it was said that a key factor was his arthritic walk. And on that basis, the Bear should be entirely comfortable in the limelight at Newcastle.

As it happened, when he was about to leave the media centre at the end of the tournament, Nicklaus suddenly winced in pain as his right leg seized up. The moment offered all the explanations one could reasonably have sought as to his reluctance to commit himself to any future appearance in this country.

"I don't know how much golf I will play in the future," he said at the time. "I have no tournaments on my schedule for the rest of this year. I want to get a couple of these physical problems fixed. I will play if I can play, but not if I am continuously hurting." In fact he hasn't played competitively since.

So, he has been limited to 12 official tournaments this year, only four of which were "regular" US tour events. And though missing the cut in all four - Genuity Championship, US Masters, Compaq Classic and Memorial - he had a chance of winning the US Senior Open, before slipping to a share of fourth place.

While researching this piece, I logged on to the Bear's website - nicklaus.com. There, on July 24th last and under the heading "The Bear's arrival has locals waiting with bated breath", was a 1,500-word piece which I wrote at the time for this newspaper. Fame at last! Then there was news of a contract to design three signature courses in a 30,000-acre development in the Dominican Republic. And a long-term endorsement contract which he signed recently with King Pharmaceuticals in the US, manufacturers of the drug Altace. Nicklaus said of that deal: "Having taken Altace for over one year now for high blood-pressure, I believe strongly in the drug."

On first setting eyes on the Bear some years ago, I remember getting the tingling sensation one experiences in the presence of greatness. That feeling returned earlier this year, when colleagues in the British-based Association of Golf Writers, marked my move from the position of golf correspondent to golf editor of this newspaper with a presentation.

It was a framed photograph of Nicklaus, standing on the Swilcan Bridge at St Andrews in millennium year and bidding a tearful farewell to the British Open. Written on the top-left of the picture are the words: "To Dermot. It has been a great run for both of us. Best always. (signed) Jack Nicklaus."

£50,000 if son, 6 is a golf champ."

My favourite headline of 2001 in that it captures the extraordinary optimism of golfers. It appeared in Sun of September 20th over the story of a 31-year-old Englishman who wagered £50 at 1,000-1 that one day his six-year-old son would win one of the game's four major championships.