Minus Old Touch, Nicklaus Prepares for His Senior Debut

For Jack Nicklaus, golf is fun, but only when he plays well. He hasn’t been having much fun lately, at least not on the course.

Nicklaus, arguably the greatest golfer ever, hopes all that will change when he makes his first appearance on the Senior PGA Tour in the Tradition, an $800,000, 72-hole event that begins today at Desert Mountain.

In three appearances on the regular tour, Nicklaus has played far below his standards, failing even to make the cut in the Players Championship two weeks ago. Another time, he finished ahead of only one golfer. He said he began each tournament mentally ready, but by 13 or 14 holes he was so angry at himself, he had lost his mental edge.

Off the course, there have been some laughs. Lee Trevino, the hot player on the 50-and-older circuit with three victories already, came in during Nicklaus’ news conference Wednesday, waving a dollar bill.

“I won this from Larry (O’Brien, Nicklaus’ public relations director),” he said. “I bet him there was no way you’d get here on time for a 9:30 a.m. press conference.”

Nicklaus, who had been 20 minutes late, didn’t miss a beat. “Barbara wants to know where you’re staying,” he said. “She’s going to send you flowers this week.”

Each week that Nicklaus didn’t compete on the senior tour, Trevino sent flowers to Nicklaus’ wife.

With the two of them exchanging remarks before the largest media gathering at a senior golf event, it was one laugh after another.

Asked if he expected to have fun playing with guys he faced when he first turned professional, Nicklaus pointed at Lee and said, “He’s having fun. I’m not. It isn’t fun when you’re playing as poorly as I am. Maybe this week it will change for me, too.”

The biggest laugh came when a reporter said George Archer contended that Trevino, who won three of the four senior tournaments he entered this year, wasn’t dominating the tour because his margin in each victory was only a single stroke.

“I didn’t know I had to win by more,” Trevino replied. “I wouldn’t have made more money if I’d won by 10. If I won by five, would I dominate?”

Nicklaus explained why this was his first official senior tournament. He had promised Lyle Anderson, developer of Desert Mountain with its three courses against the mountains 35 miles northeast of Phoenix, two years ago that he would play here.

All three courses were designed by Nicklaus. The tournament will be played on the 6,837-yard Cochise course, and Nicklaus figures it will get him ready for the Masters next week.

“There is a similarity,” he said. “The greens are a little slower, but it is bent grass with lush fairways. I like the way they have set it up this week. It will be a good test.

“Everything has been tough for me lately. I have played or practiced 20 days in a row. I haven’t done that since I was 14. But either I’m not understanding Peter Kostis (a teaching pro who is working with him) or he’s not getting through to me.

“With all this work, I’ll start playing decently soon, but I can’t guarantee it will be this week. It has to change.”

Asked if he had made physical changes in his swing, he said: “With every swing.”

Nicklaus, who was critical of the senior tour when he first became eligible, said everyone greeted him cordially at a dinner Tuesday night.

“I have had a tough time adjusting to reaching 50,” he said. “I mentioned that last night and received no sympathy. I realized why. They’re all older than I am. They’ve been through it.”

Trevino was asked how he felt about Nicklaus joining the tour. “I think it’s great,” he said. “He’s a great human being and golfer. We are happy to have him. He’s great for the tour and for the fans.”

Then, turning to Nicklaus, he said: “And you’re not senile. When I went to Japan, I left my razor behind, and the tournament before, I left my shirts hanging in a closet. My wife said I was about ready to hide my own Easter eggs.”

Said Nicklaus, “Now you know where Lee gets his funny remarks. His wife, Claudia, comes up with them.”

Senior Golf Notes

Arnold Palmer arrived just in time to get in a practice round. Tuesday, he was in Washington, where he addressed a joint session of Congress on the 100th anniversary of former President Dwight Eisenhower’s birthday. “I just told them that I remembered him as a true and real person,” Palmer said. “He loved sports, especially golf, and enjoyed competing. I was just one of seven people from all walks of life who spoke.”

Lee Trevino has won six major tournaments, and in four of them Jack Nicklaus was second. Nicklaus said he doesn’t play against anyone. “I play against the course and Jack Nicklaus,” he added. . . . The normal senior event draws about 12 members of the media. For Nicklaus’ debut, there are considerably more than 100.

Bob Charles won the senior tournament last week in Japan, despite winds so strong that, according to Trevino, the airport was closed but not the golf tournament. Charles said the U.S. Golf Assn., by outlawing the grip he had used on his putter for years, has ruined his putting. He is learning to putt with a new grip. “I have only one putter in the bag,” he said. “I’m getting there.”

Defending champion Don Bies believes that Nicklaus will do quite well. “He put extra pressure on himself,” Bies said, “and that should work to his advantage.” . . . Dave Hill, an angry man on the regular tour, was the most upset by Nicklaus’ recent remarks on how marginal players are doing well on the senior tour. Asked if he spoke to Nicklaus here, he said, “Nope, and I’m not going to.”