Nicklaus makes final bow

GOLF/Tour Scene/British Open: They could have been golfing tourists on a sun kissed day, stopping for a snapshot on the Swilken Bridge on their way up from the 18th tee. But this was no ordinary group of golfers.

In their midst was Jack Nicklaus, the all-time record major winner, who is playing in the British Open for the final time. On this day, his golfing buddies were Nick Faldo, Freddie Couples and Bart Bryant. No wonder the cameras emerged from golf bags to capture the happy scene.

"I'm sentimental about it," said Faldo, of Nicklaus's farewell.

So much so, in fact, that Faldo arranged to play a practice round with the 18-time major champion and arranged for his teenage son, Matthew, to deputise as his caddie yesterday. "I thought that was a pretty neat picture for him, as well," said Faldo, who won the second of his three British Open titles here in 1990.

"I'm looking forward to whichever day Jack comes up 18 as his last competitive round at a major. It'll be emotional. Jack was the inspiration for me starting this game, and I think it's fantastic he has come here to St Andrews to play his last major. I think that's just brilliant.

"Jack is a great competitor and he's still a competitor. He still wants to play and he understands the strategy of the golf course; he knows where to play smart."

But Faldo is also a realist, and he knows the baton of greatness has been passed on to someone else; a player who occupies the number one spot in the world rankings. The favourite?

"I think Tiger is the favourite, obviously. He's played here, won here, and he comes here with a mission. Every event where Nicklaus is basically handing over the torch, Tiger's the one who wins every time . . . so, we'll see."

Rather than just tip Woods as the potential winner this week, Faldo went a step further and foresaw the day when he'd break Nicklaus's record number of major wins. As things stand, Woods is halfway to Nicklaus's total with nine, the last coming in this year's US Masters.

"Tiger has the desire (to break the record)," said Faldo. "We know that's one of his goals, he wants to be the greatest. So if he maintains that desire and the intention and the work ethic to do that, you have to believe he could get there. It wouldn't surprise me."

As outrageous as it may seem at the home of golf, the whispering is that we could see a sub-60 round over the Old Course this week due to the absence of wind - of any note - and the fact the fairways are not playing as fast and firm - yet - as the R&A would like. Faldo, though, shuddered at such a prospect.

"No, no, the golfing gods will strangle them on the 17th, just in case," he claimed.

Nicklaus, for his part, doesn't want to be seen as merely making up the numbers. He has been drawn with Tom Watson and Luke Donald for the opening two rounds.

"If I thought I couldn't play on the weekend, I wouldn't have come over in the first place," Nicklaus said yesterday after finishing a practice round in which he and Couples took on Faldo and Bryant. Incidentally, they took the money.

"I want to finish my career on a Sunday, not a Friday," said Nicklaus, who has placed second in majors 19 times, adding: "There isn't a better place for me to go out. St Andrews is one of my two favourite golf places in the world. The other is Augusta, and it's fitting my last two majors should be in Augusta back in April and now St Andrews.

"I've come here to play golf and try to do the best that I can, and I don't really pay much attention to what other guys are doing. The only person I can control is myself and I'm well beyond worrying about competing (with others)."

While the Golden Bear and his entourage were rediscovering the delights of the Old Course, Peter Lawrie was the only one of the six Irish players in the field - he'll be joined by Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley, Graeme McDowell and Brian McElhinney - to play a practice round yesterday.

Clarke flew home to spend some time with his family in London after finishing second in the Scottish Open on Sunday, but will get reacquainted with St Andrews today, as will Harrington, who delayed his departure to spend time with his father, Paddy.

Of the sextet of Irish players, only Lawrie is making his debut in a major. McElhinney competed at Troon last year as European Amateur champion, and earned his ticket here courtesy of his success in the British Amateur championship.

McElhinney will the first Irish player into action on Thursday, teeing off at 7.03am alongside Jerry Kelly and Craig Parry. Lawrie has been grouped with Mardan Mamat and Tom Byrum; Clarke plays with Ernie Els and Fred Funk; Harrington has been paired with Nick Price and Chris DiMarco; McGinley is with Tom Lehman and Sergio Garcia, and McDowell plays with Mark Hensby and Justin Leonard.

While American Sean O'Hair's maiden win on the US Tour in the John Deere gave him the last official place in the field, Ryder Cup player David Howell's withdrawal yesterday allowed his fellow Englishman, Brian Davis, to replace him. Howell's reason for withdrawing was indicated simply as "an injury".