BRITISH OPEN NOTES : Suddenly, Nicklaus Feels Great

Jack Nicklaus said he thought he might be in surgery this week, not preparing for the British Open.

There had been pain in his left shoulder for months, and Nicklaus figured he would have to have it operated on after last week’s U.S. Senior Open at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the surgery. Nicklaus won the tournament, snapping a two-year winless drought.

“I went to the Senior Open thinking it would be my last tournament of the year,” Nicklaus said Wednesday after a practice round. “Then, I got there, changed some things in my swing and it hasn’t hurt me since.”

Nicklaus, 53, decided last Saturday, the night before he clinched his senior victory, that he would play this week at Royal St. George’s.

He did not want to come to the British Open if he was not playing well.

“I didn’t want to come over here and take up a spot if I wasn’t competitive,” he said.

Sunday’s victory has done wonders for Nicklaus’ confidence.

“I don’t care whether it’s a senior event, a regular event, whatever it is, it’s fun to win,” he said.

Nicklaus does not figure to be a factor here. He has won three British Opens, but did not play well at Royal St. George’s in 1981 and ’85.

Still, an old spark seems to have been rekindled.

“I’m not here to finish 40th,” Nicklaus said. “If I didn’t think I had a chance, I wouldn’t be here.”

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More Nicklaus: He said it is wrong to assume that he does not like the course at Royal St. George’s.

“I like St. George’s fine,” he said. “I like all the Open rotations. Some I play better than others. It has nothing to do with like or dislike.”

Nicklaus won two of his British Open titles at St. Andrews, the other at Muirfield.

Recalling the 83 he shot at Royal St. George’s in 1981, Nicklaus said: “I don’t flash back to those things. I know I played lousy one round and good the next.”

Nicklaus followed his 83 with a 66 on Friday.

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John Daly, the tour’s longest hitter and a recovering alcoholic, said he is enjoying sobriety. He admitted, though, that he is trying to kick another addiction.

“I’ve gone 11 days without eating chocolate,” he said. “Peanut M&Ms.; It’s real tough. One addiction to another. But right now, I feel happy with myself. I’m seeing things a totally different way. I’m proud of myself.”

Folks are still buzzing over Daly’s 421-yard drive on the fifth hole during Tuesday’s practice round.

The London Sun reported Daly’s distance covered a length equivalent to 42 London buses.

Nicklaus, a pretty fair driver in his youth, was playing with Daly when he unleashed his massive stroke.

“Daly hits the ball farther than I ever hit,” Nicklaus said. “How do I know, with the same equipment, whether we’d hit the same 25 years ago? But he hits it farther than anyone I’ve seen.”