NewsJack Nicklaus, who intends to play in his final British Open at St Andrews in July, has been deprived of an honorary freeman award by the famed home of golf.

Plans to honour the 18-time major winner after this year's championship at the Old Course from July 14th-17th had to be shelved because of bickering within the local council.

Nicklaus (65), who won two of his three British Open crowns at St Andrews, needed 16 votes to be made a freeman of the Fife town but received only 13.

Nicklaus was made an honorary member of St Andrews Golf Club in 1978. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by St Andrews University in 1984.

In 1990, he was invited to become one of the few honorary members of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St Andrews to mark his outstanding contribution to golf.

Yesterday community council chairman Donald Macgregor said there may have been some confusion among members between the two types of honorary citizen awards the council can bestow.

"I think the matter is most unfortunate and embarrassing," he said. "The council should be looking at these matters afresh."

But community council secretary Pete Lindsay said there appeared to be a reaction against recognising every "passing celebrity" and approving every proposal related to golf.

He said: "I think the problem is that some people think anything to do with golf ought to go through, and other people react quite strongly against that, which appears to be the case here."