Golfers at Nicklaus’ Memorial Are Hoping for Good Weather

Despite rumors to the contrary, Jack Nicklaus does not control the weather.

Rain, wind, hail, snow and even a horde of locusts (OK, actually cicadas) have all taken their swings at Nicklaus’ annual Memorial Tournament.

Whirlwinds, earthquakes and Bubonic plague outbreaks have not been a problem -- although this is only the 30th year of the event. No one’s betting against them cropping up somewhere down the line.

After surviving six suspensions of play to win his second Memorial in a row in 2001, Tiger Woods shrugged and said, “That’s what usually happens at this tournament.”

It’s been a cool and wet spring here. The golfers return this week. Advance forecasts say the conditions should be good. None of the locals are buying it.

The Memorial’s reputation as the tournament with the ugliest weather was solidified 15 years ago by Fred Couples’ soggy loss to Greg Norman. But first, some background.

In this pricey suburban enclave, they call it “Memorial weather” when the skies darken to the color of Darth Vader’s cape and thunder and lightning rock the million-dollar homes. Some believe the tournament’s bad luck stems from Nicklaus building the course on the reputed site of an ancient Indian burial ground that includes the final resting place of Chief Leather Lips.

As the first northern tournament on the PGA Tour’s schedule, the Memorial has endured more than its share of fickle weather.

In 1979, horizontal rain and 30 mph winds dropped the wind chill to 13 degrees during the second round. Tom Watson shot a three-under 69 on a day when the average score was 10 strokes higher.

“Anybody can play well when the weather’s right,” said Watson, who won the first of his two Memorial titles that year while wearing a stocking cap and thermal underwear and sliding on thick gloves between shots.

The elements might have been even worse for the 1990 tournament. For the first time, the pros couldn’t even finish four rounds.

Gusts of up to 45 mph raked the course on Thursday, blowing Titleists off greens and batting drives into hazards. Couples shot a 69, the only player to break par on a day when the mercury didn’t rise out of the 50s.

After relatively peaceful conditions in the second round, things turned awful on Saturday. More than 2 inches of rain fell during the next 24 hours. Play was suspended on Saturday afternoon, then resumed under gloomy skies after dozens of course workers squeegeed the greens and tried to eliminate the lakes that had appeared all over the course.

Couples maintained his lead, but as the conditions deteriorated so did his score. By the time he got to the 18th tee, he was tied with Greg Norman, who had made up eight shots in his last eight holes.

In a hurry to get into the clubhouse, Couples pulled his drive into heavy, wet grass just off the fairway on the long par-four hole. His group looked for the ball but never found it, and he was forced to take a drop. He ended up with a double-bogey that lowered him into a tie for third place following three rounds.

And that was it. The players returned to the soggy course the next day, but after more suspensions and more delays the final round was canceled.

Norman won the tournament while he was on the practice range. He called the victory a “gift.”

“I led the tournament for all but five minutes, and now it’s over,” a disappointed Couples said. “It was a weird week.”

The 1990 tournament was not even close to being the only time Mother Nature lapped the field. Vijay Singh also won a 54-hole event in 1997, waiting until Monday to complete a wet third round.

After beleaguered tour officials called off the final round that afternoon and awarded Singh the crystal trophy, the sun came out and baked the course -- just another act of heavenly defiance.

Couples finally got a Memorial win when he persevered to win the 1998 tournament, putting out in near darkness on the final hole late on Sunday night. Play had been suspended three times in as many days before he was able to clinch the win.

The presence of millions of cicadas last year provided a persistent annoying buzz as background noise to the telecast, but other than that the past three Memorials have proceeded with only minimal problems.

The Memorial has had 46 rounds suspended, delayed or canceled by the elements over its 29 years. At a tournament considered by the players as one of the best on tour, the horrendous weather is a thorn in the side of the course designer and tournament founder.

“The only negative we’ve ever had with this golf tournament is the weather,” Nicklaus said.