As the star-studded British Seniors Open tees-off at Turnberry this morning, with the showpiece pairing of Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson at 8.20 an early-morning treat and a re-enactment of their epic "duel-in-the-sun" shoot-out at the 1977 Open championship, one is left wondering, "Where have all the characters gone?"
Free from the politically-correct constraints that prevent the current crop of world golf's elite from voicing an opinion on very much at all for fear of upsetting a promoter, sponsor or colleague, the past masters were yesterday holding court in a manner that befitted many of the kings of the course and leaving more than one journalist wondering where all the nuggets of golfing gold could go.
Topping the bill was the triumvirate many believe is responsible for the vast array of riches available to "stars" of the 21st century, the legendary Big 3, in descending order of age, Arnold Palmer (73), Gary Player (68) and Jack Nicklaus (63), over 200 years of experience and less combined prize money than Darren Clarke.
"It is just wonderful to be back at Turnberry, which was the second European golf course I played after Portmarnock in 1960 and this is a very special place, a true links course," reflected the man whose Arnie's Army was still very much in evidence at yesterday's practice round. "But I suppose that there are some things that have transpired about The Open that make it not quite as attractive, only because it's gotten so big."
Even more controversial was The Black Knight, Player, with the South African saying, "This is a real Open Championship, unlike Royal St George's which they needed to "trick-up" a bit last week, and something urgently needs to be done about the equipment before young guys are driving 400 yards-plus and reaching half the holes on the course in one."
Asked about the inevitable comparisons between himself and Tiger Woods, ever the gentleman whilst still making his point, the Golden Bear, Nicklaus opined, "I think you are going to see Tiger win quite a few more majors, but the (other) guys today will win, and Ernie (Els) and everyone else is jumping up and trying to catch Tiger, but there really is not a rivalry right now."
With 35 majors between them - eight British Open championships, 13 Masters, seven US Open Championships and seven US PGA titles - the Big 3 were incomparable, irresistible, inimitable.
Add in Tom Watson's seven majors, which include five British Opens and that memorable head-to-head with Nicklaus here, and those won by Fuzzy Zoeller (two) and Craig Stadler and Tom Kite with one each, there are enough majors on view on this side of the Irish Sea this week to send those aspirants at the Irish Open off to either the practice ground or into therapy.
With the reunion of Watson and Nicklaus, such has been the attention surrounding their fabled 1977 Open championship final round head-to-head, which Watson won by a shot after two final rounds of 65, the 18th hole on the Ailsa course, a 434-yard par four, was yesterday re-named Duel in the Sun.
The lyrics to No More Heroes Anymore came to mind as the sun set over the Irish Sea on the eve of the British Seniors Open. Nostalgia, for sure, memories of great players, great champions but, most of all, great characters, and with an abundance of majors but a fraction of the cash won by the modern generation. Perhaps some of the charisma might just be blown towards Portmarnock this week.
