When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
As part of the Ruth Pauley Lecture Series we can watch Golf World Editor-in-Chief Jaime Diaz and Jack Nicklaus in discussion live from Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, N.C., Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. EDT.
Live stream by Ustream
From Golf Channel, Monday night at 10 ET for an hour:
Legendary Conversation: Nicklaus, Palmer, Player, Trevino (Premiere)
Airtime: Monday, 10-11 p.m.
Guests: Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Lee Trevino
Moderator: Rich Lerner
Hall-of-Famers Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Lee Trevino come together for a rare, roundtable-style interview to share stories and experiences from their legendary careers. Rich Lerner hosts.
A preview from Rich Lerner on Morning Drive:
Though Bobby Wyatt leads (Ron Balicki's recap here) after the first round of stroke play qualifying in the U.S. Amateur, the real story of day one was delivered by David Shefter, writing of Jack Nicklaus' cameo to watch reinstated amateur Gary Nicklaus en route to an opening 71 (scores here).
Cherry Hills played to a 76.013 scoring average in round one.
In this week's Golf World U.S. Open preview issue, I write about the slow play crackdown at the 1966 U.S. Open that led to some dramatic changes in times and also some unhappiness from several in the field, including Jack Nicklaus. 
In a real career highlight, I obtained the quotes from Mr. Nicklaus during an interview in the Memorial press center men's room. No one said I was classy. But what are you going to do when the best ever says, "well, go ahead, ask your question!"
If only I had a camera to capture the look on his face when told Johnny Miller said that the USGA policy at Olympic made Nicklaus a faster player from that day forward. It looked something like this.
There isn't much to quibble with at Muirfield Village and the Memorial, one of the premier tournaments in the world and a model for sporting event operations. The magnificently conditioned course only adds to its allure, but if there was one quibble for this first time visitor to the Memorial, it's that, uh, well, peculiarly-designed 16th green as redesigned by Jack Nicklaus in 2010 and debuted in 2011.
It just doesn't fit with the rest, nor does No. 16 come close to working from the angle in question, no matter what wind is blowing.
As I noted in a video earlier this week, the hole looks like a fun, enticing but still-scary from a distance approximately 40 yards shorter and 40 yards right of the current tees, though a total green redo would not be the worst thing to happen either.
But after this shot for the ages by Tiger Woods, I'm having a hard time seeing Mr. Nicklaus bulldozing his redo.
So sorry boys! You're stuck with it!
Check out this ShotLink scatter chart screen grab of the 16th green tee shots from round 4. The hole finished as the toughest for the week. It was virtually impossible to hit a shot close.
Mr. Nicklaus was asked about No. 16 after the round and a funny exchange broke out involving Tiger and Jon Brendle of the tour staff:
Q. Jack, you redesigned 16 to put a little more excitement into the tournament. How do you think that's worked out?
JACK NICKLAUS: Well, today‑‑ we had wind all week. The first day wasn't bad. The pin was tucked in the first pin placement the first day. But today, I don't think the field staff‑‑ I think the field staff got caught a little bit. They were forecasting for a southwest wind, we had a northwest wind, and with the northwest wind that back pin placement from the back tee was really tough. That wasn't what I had in mind to be very honest with you. That green with a southwest wind funnels right down the green, meaning that if you're standing back there on the tee and you hit it, you're going to be buffeted slightly from the right and it should turn the ball. The old green went this way, this green goes this way, so it should feed it to the green.
But when you've got a strong left to right, don't put the pin in the back left, please. It just made it so the guys couldn't play it. Not many guys did, they really just needed to put the ball in the middle of the green there if they could and then try to make a two‑putt. But guys kept trying to force it back there and they kept going to the back of the green or going in the back bunker and it was tough.
TIGER WOODS: Oh, really?
JACK NICKLAUS: It was tough. It was tough. I'm glad I didn't have to play my own hole.
That's probably right, isn't it, Jon?
JON BRENDLE: You guys were forecasting southwest. I don't know. We wanted to play it tough for you.
JACK NICKLAUS: No, I don't want you to play it right for me. I want you to play it right.
JON BRENDLE: We knew it was going to be tough all day.
JACK NICKLAUS: That's your call, not my call. Jon and I talked during the week, we had five pin placements, you didn't use the back right. You could've used back right today probably with the way the wind was.
JON BRENDLE: I thought it was more fair back right.
JACK NICKLAUS: Boy, you're mean.
TIGER WOODS: I made 2. (Laughter.)
JACK NICKLAUS: Yeah, he made 2. The little pin placement on the right he made 2, also. You played that hole a couple under?
TIGER WOODS: I did play it a couple under.
JACK NICKLAUS: So what's so tough about it? Isn't the hole supposed to separate you?
TIGER WOODS: Here we go.
Nice background listening while you're finishing up the week at work...this is Tom Watson from Tuesday's Memorial honoree induction. Jack Nicklaus's emotional introductory speech can be viewed here.
Steve Elling on Phil Mickelson's post-79 WD at The Memorial, citing mild burnout from three tournaments in succession followed by an overseas trip to celebrate his wife's 40th birthday.
“I came back and had a Tuesday outing in Long Island, the pro-am, and I think mentally I'm a little bit fatigued,” Mickelson said. “So the course here is in such great shape, it's a beautiful way to get ready for the U.S. Open.
“But I'm hitting it so poorly that I think that for me to I have to look at what's best for me to play in the U.S. Open, and I'm going to take the next few days to kind of rest up.”
It's not unusual for players to withdraw after a high score - it was Mickelson's worst in the 13 trips to the Memorial - and three other players withdrew Thursday. But it's rare when the player is of Mickelson's stature, a four-time major champion inducted this month into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Steve DiMeglio explains that the WD goes against Mickelson's views on competing.
Mickelson could not think of another time he withdrew without physical injury.
"I feel like it's the responsibility of a player to see through your commitment and finish the tournament and so forth," Mickelson said. "And I'm kind of overruling that just a touch, because I'm trying to think big picture on what's the best way for me to get ready for the Open."
If you are wondering what the tour policy is for a fatigue WD, Jason Sobel explains how the regulations work:
Despite initial thoughts to the contrary, it appears Mickelson will not be subject to punishment from the PGA Tour. According to the 2012 PGA Tour player handbook, Article IV, Section A-8 states: “Fatigue will not be considered a valid reason for withdrawing.” However, this particular rule applies only to players who withdraw after committing to a tournament and prior to beginning the opening round or those who withdraw during a tournament round.
After the completion of a tournament round, no reason for withdrawal is necessary.
"It has nothing to do with playing poorly and so forth." He mentioned a possible visit to his coach, Butch Harmon, and an early arrival at Olympic Club. "I might go spend a couple days there if I feel up for it the next four or five days," said Mickelson.
Bob Harig notes how quickly Mickelson's round went bad:
Mickelson was at even par after a birdie at the 11th hole but then played the last seven holes in 7 over, with five bogeys and a double bogey. He shot a 42 on the back nine.
It was Mickelson's worst score on the PGA Tour since a 79 at the 2004 Canadian Open.
And Robert Lusetich caught up with tournament host Jack Nicklaus:
Of course, the Golden Bear wasn’t going to make a scene about Mickelson quitting.
He's too classy for that.
"We're sorry that Phil withdrew," Nicklaus said. "He's always a great addition to our field and we look forward to seeing him again next year."
Hopefully, he stays for at least two days.
The sound isn't ideal, but thankfully the Nationwide folks recorded this and posted it in its entirety as you'll see Jack Nicklaus as emotional as you've ever seen him.
**Jim Moriarty and I discussed the Nicklaus/Watson friendship in a Nationwide Digital Media house chat, and here's a highlight...
Talk about a buzzkill, but someone cut from Jack Nickaus--as emotional as you'll ever see him talking about another golfer--to the supremely forgettable speech by Ohio Governor John Kasich--before returning to the eloquent Tom Watson in the below Columbus Dispatch highlight package of today's ceremony for 2012 Memorial honoree Watson.
I Tweeted the event as it happened, and as wonderful as it was, I was stunned to see no active PGA Tour players sitting in on a ceremony involving the greatest ever and one of the all time greats. Even worse, for the "optics" obsessed tour, watching players walking by in the driving range background with a bag of balls in their hand, oblivious to the emotional tributes by two men who I believe have won as many majors as this year's field combined, was, to say the least, bizarre.
Anyway, back to these great champions. Here is a Golf Channel highlight package reported by Whit Watson. And Shawn Mitchell's written account for the Columbus Dispatch blog.
And the video by the Dispatch:
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
