Nicklaus Might Play Next Year

Jack Nicklaus won the British Open three times and was in position to win seven more -- he was the runner-up in 1964, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1977, 1979 -- but he knows his place at Royal Troon is as a spectator.

“I have no desire to be out there,” Nicklaus said Friday. “My golf game is certainly not in any shape to play it. I would love to play it, but I’m not fit to play it.”

Nicklaus, 64, said he was considering playing one final British Open next year when the tournament is at St. Andrews, where he won two of his three titles.

Nicklaus said the Royal and Ancient Golf Club did him a favor when they made a change in the rotation and moved the tournament up a year to 2005, the last year he is exempt to play. The R&A; has an age limit of 65 to play in the British Open.

“I think it would be a slap in the face if I didn’t [play], if I was able to play,” Nicklaus said.

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Nicklaus on Tiger Woods’ chances to break his record of 18 major titles; Woods has eight: “As long as he keeps his focus and keeps the ability that he has, because he’s got great ability, his chances of passing my record are good.”

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In defense of his British Open title, Ben Curtis shot 75-74 and missed the cut. Curtis said he was trying to remain positive.

“It just didn’t seem like I got any good breaks this week,” he said. “That’s just the way it goes. There’s always next year, next time around and next week.

“You don’t think about missing the cut. Obviously, coming down the last three or four holes, I was trying to make some birdies and play for the weekend, but I didn’t try to press it.”

Curtis’ playing partner, Nick Faldo, who shot a 77 and also missed the cut, said Curtis never gave up.

“He tried on everything,” Faldo said. “If you’re not on, this sort of weather just magnifies things.”

Other notables missing the cut were Sergio Garcia, Jim Furyk, John Daly, Padraig Harrington, Chad Campbell, Fredrik Jacobson and 1999 champion Paul Lawrie.

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His round didn’t start too well and ended just as poorly, so Greg Norman knew his 76 wasn’t going to keep him around for the weekend. A double bogey on the first hole and three consecutive bogeys to end it meant that Norman would finish at seven-over 149 and miss the cut at the British Open for the first time since 1980. He didn’t play four times in that span.

“From my perspective, my putting was just very, very pathetic and everything else, I just couldn’t get anything going,” Norman said. “End of story.”

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The beginning of Ian Poulter’s story Friday was an early one. Because he was in the first group of the day and had a 6:30 a.m. tee time, Poulter’s alarm went off at 4:30 a.m., startling him.

“I didn’t know what day it was,” he said.

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More Poulter: He followed Thursday’s choice of colorful slacks in the pattern of the Union Jack by wearing plus fours. Poulter said he would go to great lengths to be outrageous.

“I am willing to play in boxer shorts,” he said.