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Jack Nicklaus: Go Deep For A Power Draw

Jack Nicklaus — Wed, 08 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Making a shallower swing into the ball definitely helped me regain my power and accuracy.

Michael Jordan's wedding reception held on Jack Nicklaus' golf course

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:56:00 GMT

How much does Michael Jordan love golf? He couldn't even tear himself away from the course for his own wedding weekend.

Actually, with upwards of 2,000 guests, a golf course was a logical choice, especially one located in the NBA legend's backyard. On Saturday, Jordan wed longtime girlfriend Yvette Prieto and the reception was held at the Bear's Club, a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf club and community in Jupiter, Fla.

According to JeffRealty.com, Jordan's wedding tent was 40,000 square feet -- 5,000 bigger than his mansion, which looks to be located about a solid 3-wood away from where the reception was held in the picture below.

The realty company called it the "largest tent in wedding history," so you can add another line to the competitive Jordan's career accomplishments.

Reported guests included Tiger Woods, Patrick Ewing, Spike Lee and Ahmad Rashad. The music entertainment was as impressive with Usher, Robin Thicke, K'Jon, DJ MC Lyte and The Source all performing.

Nicklaus granted Jordan permission to have the celebration on the course's driving range. We're just wondering if Jordan and Woods were able to sneak out to hit a small bucket.

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Photos courtesy of Jeff Lichtenstein, who markets homes in Jupiter and Palm Beach real estate for sale.

Is the U.S. Amateur a major championship? Another round in the debate

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 20:51:00 GMT

When Jack Nicklaus won the 1986 Masters at age 46, we know it was for his sixth green jacket. What we don't know -- or at least can't seem to agree upon -- is whether the win was Nicklaus' 18th or 20th in a major championship.

The gray area has to do with whether you count Nicklaus' two wins in the U.S. Amateur as a major, an argument that has even greater relevance these days since Tiger Woods has three U.S. Am wins of his own (putting his career major total at either 14 or 17 depending on your definition).

So should the Amateur be considered a major, counting as much as the Masters, the U.S. Open, the British Open, or the PGA Championship? Two of our writers, Ryan Herrington and Alex Myers, square off in one of golf's great debates.

COUNT IT AS A MAJOR

To apply the label of major championship to a golf tournament is a subjective task, but it is one that can be done using objective truths. A "major" is a tournament that has the mortar of history providing its foundation. It annually assembles the best available competitors, all of whom aspire to win the championship above most any other title. It provides a superior challenge inside the ropes, one that separates the sensational from the standard and identifies the best player for that week.

Set against these measures, the U.S. Amateur Championship wears the label of "major" quite well. For 112 years the USGA has given out the Havemeyer Trophy, longer than any U.S. organization has been naming a winner of any golf tournament. The names that appear on that hardware have defined the game for generations.

The event is taken to the country's best courses, set up under conditions as demanding as any event in the world. (I might remind you that it wasn't until the participants at the 2005 U.S. Amateur were sufficiently stymied by Merion GC did the USGA decide to bring another U.S. Open to the course). There isn't a golfer alive who is eligible to play who wouldn't accept a spot in the 310-player field and longingly hope to obtain the spoils of victory at week's end.

There is one thing that the U.S. Amateur doesn't have that the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship possess: professional golfers. Some will consider that a deficiency. For me, it's hardly a major problem.

-- Ryan Herrington

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DON'T COUNT IT AS A MAJOR

Even the casual golf fan knows that Bobby Jones' "Grand Slam" in 1930 included the U.S. and British Amateurs. And while at the time those events were considered majors, guess what? Times change.

The U.S. Amateur remains a big event, but it doesn't have the prestige it once had and isn't nearly the stepping stone to a golfer's career it once was. Unlike in the days of Jones, today's amateur events, even the pinnacle of the amateur golf calendar, cannot be compared to professional tournaments due to the obvious disparity in talent. The U.S. Amateur has a terrific field of talented prospects, but it consists mainly of American golfers who aren't old enough to drink yet.

Also, today's best amateurs don't stay amateurs for long, giving them only a small window to win the event. Yet for some reason, despite the wide gap in competition, keeping amateur and professional accomplishments separate is more of a sticking point in golf than in other sports. Take basketball, where Michael Jordan's six rings with the Chicago Bulls aren't grouped with the NCAA title he won at UNC.

And if we are to include the U.S. Amateur when counting a golfer's major championships, where do we draw the line? Wouldn't the British Amateur count as well since it did for Jones? If so, then congratulations, Sergio Garcia! You have won a major!

No, let's continue to count the professional majors separately, meaning Jack Nicklaus has 18, Tiger Woods has 14, Jones has seven and Garcia (sorry!) has zero. Keeping score in this game is hard enough as is.

-- Alex Myers

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Golf's Biggest Phenoms

Alex Myers — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

We take a look at some of the most talented youngsters to ever burst onto the scene.

Golf shoes: Nicklaus Signature Line best of two eras

John Strege — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:37:00 GMT

By John Strege Jack Nicklaus hails from an era when golf shoes resembled dress shoes with spikes, which is to say they were heavy and not particularly comfortable. Golf shoes have evolved into something more...

Nicklaus and Woods share greatness, but little else

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 22:09:00 GMT

By Dave Shedloski

AUGUSTA, Ga. - When Tianlang Guan, the 14-year-old Asian Amateur champion, sought an audience with Jack Nicklaus earlier this week at Augusta National GC, the six-time Masters champion was happy to oblige. After all, it was not an unusual request.

Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley all have solicited advice from the Golden Bear in recent months. Prior to the 2011 Masters, Nicklaus provided an Augusta tutorial to Charl Schwartzel, and six days later the lanky South African won the green jacket.

But the player with whom Nicklaus is most closely tied -- the player who since boyhood has aspired to break Nicklaus' monumental major championship record -- never once has sought his advice, never once picked his brain. They've never shared anything more substantial than a passing conversation.

Granted, Tiger Woods has done just fine relying on his own resources. Though stuck on 14 major championships since the 2008 U.S. Open -- four behind Nicklaus -- Woods has sped past the Golden Bear on the PGA Tour career victory list, having recently won his 77th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, second all-time behind Sam Snead. Nicklaus won 73 times, his last in the 1986 Masters.

"He's never asked me about golf or anything else," Nicklaus said Thursday morning after joining Arnold Palmer and Gary Player in hitting ceremonial tee shots to start the 77th Masters. "I wouldn't tell him anything anyway. Maybe tell him he's got a great record and a great chance to make a lot of history. And I wish him well. That's all I would say to him."

The revelation proved an intriguing insight into the relationship between the two men who are separated by an era but tied at the hip historically, two golfing giants cordial and friendly to each other and complimentary of each other's accomplishments but never confidants.

And they've certainly been afforded chances to chat, be it at the Presidents Cup -- Nicklaus captained four teams in which Woods was a member -- or at the Memorial Tournament, the event Nicklaus hosts and which Woods has won a record five times, including the 2012 edition.

In contrast, a half-century ago a young Nicklaus didn't hesitate to sit down and seek advice from Palmer -- this when their rivalry was starting to blossom into one of the fiercest in the annals of golf.

Related: How Tiger's swing has changed

"I've never really had a conversation with Tiger that lasted more than a minute or two -- ever," Nicklaus, 73, said. "He's stayed away from me from a conversation standpoint. Never had a conversation on the Masters in general. I've said, 'Hello, how are you doing? Nice playing this year. You've played very well.' Thanks. End of conversation. People ask me, 'Has Tiger ever talked to you about his records?' Never one word."

Said Woods, the four-time Masters winner who on Thursday opened with a 2-under-par 70: "We've actually had more conversations in the years at the President's Cups when he was captain. We talked quite a bit then. But I see him at Memorial and we'll have chitchat here and there. We have a few conversations, but he's right, we haven't spent that much time.

"Here's a totally different week," Woods, 37, added. "When it's a major championship, we're all very busy, and we're all in our own little worlds. And he gets it; he was there himself."

The Golden Bear absolutely gets it.

"He's got his own focus and what he does, and I respect that," said Nicklaus, who along with Palmer played a practice round with Woods in his first Masters appearance in 1995. "I respect when somebody is involved in their own deal. They concentrate on what they do and not what you did -- though maybe relative to what you did. That's OK. It's not my position to go talk to him about it. I wouldn't intrude on that."

Perhaps the feeling is mutual. When Woods moved from Orlando, Fla., to Jupiter Island, Fla., last year, Nicklaus offered him the opportunity to become a member at The Bear's Club. Instead, he joined The Medalist.

"He stayed away from it," Nicklaus said. "He didn't want to intrude where I was. He never told me why, but other people told me, 'He says he didn't feel comfortable being there where I was because of my record he was trying to break.' I said, 'I don't care about that. We'd like to have you if you want to play and be part of it.' He comes out and plays quite often. I'd include him in anything. But everybody has their own personality. That's not a fault. It's not a criticism. It's just what it is.

"I get along fine with Tiger. I like Tiger," added Nicklaus, who earlier in the week reiterated that he believes Woods will break his major championship mark. "There's always pleasantries and so forth. But, look, what is Tiger, 35 years younger than I am? So, you know . . . but I'm available to him anytime he wants something."

The only thing Tiger apparently wants from Jack is his record. And that he will have to get on his own. When he reaches it, or when he's through trying, perhaps then the two men can compare notes.

What a conversation that should be.

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Tiger's long road to his next major begins with a promising first step

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:52:00 GMT

By Ron Sirak

AUGUSTA, GA. - Sometimes it's easy to forget how far Tiger Woods had fallen. Not just from perennial No. 1 to No. 58 in the world ranking, but also from revered icon to ridiculed punch line.

That he has climbed all the way back to the top of golf is a testament to what has always been his strongest attribute -- an overwhelming burning desire to be the best.

That Tiger has won back the majority of the fans -- even those who aren't sure they like him are sure they love watching the magical golf he is capable of playing -- is a testimony to his determined toughness.

That Woods is once again the best player in the world is beyond dispute. The question before the court is how close he is to being his former self. And the jury is still out on that.

For the ninth time since he last slipped on a green jacket, Tiger teed it up on Thursday at Augusta National. And for the first time since the 2009 Masters -- the Masters before his world unraveled -- Woods began play with a relative sense of normalcy surrounding his life.

Not only was his mother, Kultida, in his gallery, escorted arm-in-arm by Nike founder Phil Knight, who remained a loyal Tiger supporter throughout the scandal, but he was also watched by skier Lindsey Vonn, his new love interest, and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Vonn, who sported a brace after ripping up her right knee in competition, was not able to walk all of the steeply contoured Augusta National course. But she walked the first few holes, popped out to see Tiger again at No. 9 and was there at No. 18 when he finished off a 70.

Woods played an unspectacular but highly efficient round of golf. He hit a solid nine of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens, taking 30 putts -- which is not great -- but avoided the dreaded three-putt.

Three of the four times Woods has won here, he opened with a 70. And the Woods roadmap to a major victory has always been to position himself nicely the first two days, go low to take the lead in round three then protect that lead on Sunday.

"It's a good start," Woods said. " Some years some guys shot 65 starting out here. But right now I'm only four back and I'm right there."

Related: How Tiger's swing has changed

Asked if it was important to begin the tournament with an under-par round, Woods said: "Absolutely, it was benign. Especially starting out. The wind picked up in the middle part of the round. Got a little bit swirly there at Amen Corner, as usual. But overall I think the biggest challenge today was just the speed of the greens. They just weren't quite there. They looked it, but just weren't quite putting it."

On Tuesday, Woods used the word "balance" to describe how his life is different now than it was in the days, months and years after the Nov. 27, 2009 car crash that began his startling decline.

That seems to be true by every measuring stick. He is both physically and emotionally much more balanced. His swing is more fluid, absent now of that going-for-another-gear grunt move that led to wild shots.

And he also seems to have his emotions under greater control. After appearing impatient and at times angry on the golf course, he now goes with the flow better, although he will never be Mr. Roger's when he has a golf club in his hand.

When it comes to the fans, my observation is that about one-third have forgiven him or never had a problem with what he did to begin with; about one-third will never forgive him or never liked him to begin with; and one-third don't necessarily embrace the man but they love to see great golf and will cheer his successes.

That all puts him in a much better place and makes that feeling of being in balance easier to achieve. While galleries were wary when Woods first returned after the scandal, now he has the majority of them on his side -- especially when he is playing well.

The question everyone wants to know is whether or not Woods can get the five major championships he needs to break the all-time record of 18 held by Jack Nicklaus. This Masters is an important step on that road.

A victory here and the conversation changes, with the pursuit of the Nicklaus record seemingly once again within reach. Another empty trip to the well not only makes the hill high but also the questions harder.

Since winning 14 of his first 46 majors as a professional, Woods has gone 0-for-14. But the more troubling number for Woods is that in seven of those 14 winless majors, Woods has finished in the top six.

Simply put: Woods has given himself an opportunity to win on many occasions over the last five years, but he has not been able to close out the deal. And that's startling from one of the best finishers the game has even known.

Once again, Woods has done was he needs to do on Thursday in a major championship. We've seen that before during this major drought. Now he needs to show us he can close the deal on the weekend. That's when the long road back will be complete.

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The Art Of Winning

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:55:00 GMT

By Brendan Mohler

Masters Jack: Nicklaus winning at Augusta National in '65.

Perhaps the greatest feat in golf -- Jack Nicklaus' 18 majors -- is recognized through 18 original paintings from golf specialist Walt Spitzmiller. Spitzmiller spent eight years making the originals (which will be available for purchase at a later date). He also created a leather-bound portfolio of 18-by-24-inch versions of the paintings, with text from former Golf Digest Senior Editor Don Wade highlighting each tournament.

Only 100 copies of the collector's item portfolio -- signed by Spitzmiller and Nicklaus -- have been made, and each is numbered: Nos. 1-18 and 100 are priced at $7,500 and Nos. 19-99 are going for $5,000. To learn more about Jack's Majors Portfolio, visit jacksmajors.com.

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Masters ceremonial tee shots never get old

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:17:00 GMT

By Dave Shedloski

AUGUSTA, Ga. - It's an occasion that never gets old and never disappoints.

Three luminary figures cut a bright swath through a foggy and overcast morning at Augusta National Golf Club and got the 77th Masters underway at 7:50 a.m. EDT.

Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus, who have combined to win this major championship 13 times, did their best to limber up their aging bodies and give the throng surrounding the first tee something to cheer about. But just their mere presence was enough.

Notable observers who turned out to watch the legendary trio included former Masters champion Fuzzy Zoeller and CBS Sports anchor Jim Nantz. "After all that these three gentlemen have done for me and for golf, you bet I'm going to come out here and see them," Zoeller, the 1979 winner, said.

Palmer, 83, wearing a bright red sweater over a white shirt, was the first to hit, followed by Player, 77, dressed head-to-toe in black, and then the six-time winner Nicklaus, 73, donning a brown sweater. All three men kept it in the fairway. Palmer punched the air (above) after his ball sailed down the middle.

Jock Hutchinson and Fred McLeod started in 1963 what has become one of the most special traditions in all of golf.

"That's nice. I like the thought of that," said Palmer, who played in his 50th and final Masters in 2004 and accepted his honorary starter assignment in '07. "You know, it's something we've been doing all our lives," the King added about sharing the tee with Nicklaus and Player. "It's always special."

Asked if there is pressure on the tee shot, Nicklaus said the only pressure was trying to loosen up again after a lengthy pause between the few warm-up shots on the practice range and then striking the tee ball.

"We asked how long we had, and they said nine minutes. So we stood around for nine minutes and got stiff. We can't wait nine minutes to hit a ball. That's a long time," Nicklaus joked. "The only nerves you have is to make solid contact. It doesn't matter diddly-darn where it goes."

Winner of a record 18 professional major titles, including six in the Masters, Nicklaus said he never much cared for early morning tee times - a reference to his desire to be in contention in tournaments and earn a late start. Of course, this was a little different.

"I much prefer playing, obviously," Nicklaus said. "But when you can't play anymore, you do this, and it's a nice thing to be an honorary starter. Hitting the opening tee shot at one of the biggest tournaments in the world and the first major of the year is a very nice honor."

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Tiger Woods' Major Malaise

Ron Sirak — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Tiger Woods returns to Augusta National trying to recapture the dominance he once displayed in golf's biggest events.