Sport

Nicklaus unhappy with 78

When he talked about coming here, his doctor had warned that he could still expect to have the odd weak spell, at this stage …

By DERMOT GILLEECE
Fri Jun 18 1999 - 01:00

When he talked about coming here, his doctor had warned that he could still expect to have the odd weak spell, at this stage of his recovery. After all, it wasn't even five months since he underwent hip replacement surgery. But Jack Nicklaus still couldn't hide his disappointment after an opening 78.

Pinehurst No 2 is his favourite golf course "from a design standpoint." But there are other reasons why it is very close to his heart. In the presence of his father, it was the scene of one of his first important tournament successes, when he captured the North and South Amateur in 1959.

By his own admission, however, an even greater joy came in 1985, when he watched his son Jackie bring the North and South title back into the Nicklaus family, by beating Tom McKnight by 2 and 1 in the final here. And in the process, Jackie had used his father's yardage book from 26 years previously.

Emotionally drained after his son's success, the Bear remarked: "It's tough being the father of a famous golfer." And less that 12 months later, they shared a very public moment behind the 18th green at Augusta National, after the Bear had captured a sixth Masters title, with Jackie as his caddie.

READ MORE

Things were very different yesterday, in his 157th round in the US Open. "I was hoping for fast, dry conditions this week," he said. "With my lack of length these days, I think that would suit me better."

Then came a remarkably candid admission from a player who was once renowned for the way he could over overpower courses. "Today," said Nicklaus, "I hit woods into par fours on five occasions. I guess I'm getting a dose of my own medicine."

He went on: "I didn't play well. I didn't drive the ball well; I didn't hit my irons well and I didn't putt well. Other than that, it was great." Then he added: "The rough is not long but there was a lot of moisture in it and that made it tough, even though the course took the water very well."

With that, the 59-year-old was pleased to head off for a place to relax and put his feet up. It was now lunchtime and the morning had been long, since he set off in a three-ball with Hal Sutton and Curtis Stange at 7.30am. And he hadn't done all that badly: in the 1970 championship at Hazeltine, he started with an 81.