Small Moments Reveal Jack Nicklaus' Qualities
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SMALL MOMENTS REVEAL By JOSEPH C. DEY, JR. JACK NICKLAUS' QUALITIES USGA Executive Director • "W hat sort of young man is Jack Nicklaus - that is, aside from his golf skill?" the questioner wanted to know. Small incidents are often revealing in such matters. Here are some, plucked from memories of Jack before he became the current National Open Champion: ITEM: Charlie Coe was recalling the final hole in the 1959 Amateur Championship at Broadmoor in Colo- rado. He and Jack Nicklaus were all square. Charlie's third shot, a re- covery from heavy grass behind the green, failed to drop by half a turn of the hall. " Then," Charlie reminisced, "I went forward and picked up my ball. All of a sudden it dawned on me that Arnold Palmer, left, and Jack Nicklaus watch Jack hadn't asked me to lift the ball progress of a Nicklaus tee shot during 62nd USGA and hadn't conceded my next stroke, Open Championship. Jack, the winner, and Arnold, the defender were paired for 54 holes including and so I had no right to touch it. I playoff. said as much to Jack. Photo b:; .John Zimmerman "'Forget it,' Jack replied, and he proceeded to, roll in an eight-footer to play the Cornell course and now, for a birdie 3 to win. Jack Nieklaus after dinner, to give a blackboard talk is a sportsman." on tactics to use on that particular course. ITEM: In the same Championship during a match, Nicklaus asked the His young auditors were spellbound, referee some rather penetrating ques- and Jack himself was so enthused tions about Rules as they walked about the subject that he spoke for along. The referee was moved to re- an hour or more. mark that Jack seemed to know the Only four years before Jack had Rules very well indeed. "It pays to," been on the other side of the speakers' said the talented young man. "The table. Rules contain a lot of rights for the ITEM: It was the day before the player." Walker Cup Match last year in Seattle. ITEM: TheY1were having the An- Jack Nicklaus was on the fringe of nual Players' Dinner in the 1961 the practice putting green, chipping USGA Junior Amateur Championship balls toward a cup. at Cornell University. The main "Trying something new," he said. speaker was Jack Nicklaus. He had "Jack Westland (Team Captain) told come there, at his own expense, just me that instead of cutting the ball 4 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JULY, 1962 on this shot, I might do better by character as the United States Open hooding ,a 4-iron and letting the ball Champion - just as it has been run." It seemed to be working ... fortunate to have Arnold Palmer, Three hours and 400 chips later, Gene Littler, Gary Player and other Jack guessed he'd better stop - fine young gentlemen as leading ex- "Back's hurting a little." But he had emplars. been willing to give himself utterly One Over Par for Three Opens to the problem for three solid hours Those who have watched Jack Nick- - one little shot. laus since his days in the USGA ITEM: Two weeks later, Jack was Junior Championship are not at all at Pebble Beach trying to win the surprised by his victory last month at National Amateur for the second time. the Oakmont Country Club, near He succeeded convincingly. In one Pittsburgh. match, Ja,ck ,and his opponent hit Now that Jack has scaled the heights almost identical drives on the eighth of the Open, at age 22, in his first ho.Ie, near the edge of a deep and professional year, it is worth looking dangerous chasm of Carmel Bay; the back at some features of his golfing chasm stretched ahead almost to the record, quite aside from his prodigious edge of the green. driving. He is a remarkable score The referee wondered a bit as to player. When he won the National who was away. "Let's see you pace Amateur for the second time at Pebble it off" Jack suggested slyly. Beach last year, he was 20 under par ITEM : Now the s'cene is Oakmont, for 138 holes. and the time is the fourth round in the In the 1960 World Amateur Team 1962 National Open. On the sixth Championship at Merion, near Phila- green Jack Nicklaus' tee shot clomes delphia, he s,cored 66-67-68-68-269- to rest less than three feet from the 11 under par over one of the greatest hole. It looks as if it may have settled courses. in the indentation of an old ball mark Now see Nicklaus' scoring record which had not been fully repaired. in the last three National Opens (he Jack lifts his ball to repair the was an amateur in the first two) : indentation if it is in falct an old ball mark - but no, it is a spike mark. 1960 1961 1962 and he must leave it as it is. With Cherry Hills Oakland Hills Oakmont extreme care, he placed the ball back 71 75 72 exactly in the indentation. 71 69 70 It was one of those critical moments 69 70 72 in the fortunes ofa Championship, 71 70 69 for a birdie 2 here would help close a five-stroke lead held by the front- Total: 282 284 283-71 running Arnold Palmer. But from the in play-off little depression in the green the ball Par: 284 280 284-71 hopped to one side. Place: Second T.ied 4th Winner Jack Nicklaus merely did the right In fine, Ni'cklaus is one over par thing. For him, it had been more im- for 13 rounds, under stern Champion- portant to replace the ball truly than ship tests. to try to take some other course, no Oakmont has long been one of the matter the consequence. greatest of tests. This was the fourth From these impressions, it would be Open there, and all have been dis- a valid conclusion that golf is for- tinguished in requiring real skill of tunate to have a young man of such the Champion. It is fair and will USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JULY, 1962 5 With periscopes up, most of the Open gallery of 19,971 watch Nicklaus putt out at end of second round at the Oakmount Country Club. Photo by Don Bindyke yield low scores to the deserving - last scheduled practice day and left a last-round 67 by Deane Beman, ama- the greens relatively slow. But they teur, was the best of the tournament; speeded up as the Championship pro- it is not punishingly long in terms of gressed. modern Open staIlidards-6,894 yards, If one single factor was decisive in with a par of 71; but it requires determination of the Champion, it was thought and accuracy all the way putting. Arnold Palmer three-putted round. seven greens in the regulation four Oakmont, product of the Fownes rounds and three more in the play-off family, has stood up so well over he lost to Nicklaus - a total of 10 the years that Claude Harmon was three-putters. Nicklaus three-putted moved to remark this time: "It is a once. shrine of golf." Bob Go'alby said with In respect of the competition, it was convincing simplicity: "The well- a classic Open. Gene Littler started 'groomed condition of the course gave his title defense with a 69 for the all ,contestants the opportunity to do first-round lead; Palmer had 71 and their best." Nicklaus 72. At 36 holes, Palmer had It is on the putting green that Oak- moved into a tie for the top with Bob mont is severest. Normally the greens Rosbuvg at 139, Palmer scoring 68 and are lightning-fast; the Club has long Rosburg 69 in the second round. Nick- cut them at 5/32 inch as a matter laus had 142. of routine for club play, whereas the The double round on the third day USGA norm for Championships is brought its usual abundance of shifts 3/16. A deluge closed the course the in the lead. The third day of the Open 6 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JULY, 1962 is perhaps the greatest in all sports, event was illustrative of why The requiring as it does that the Champion Open is what it is. It is the genius sustain his skill throughout the day of the event that every qualified play- and producing as it does the ultimate er, be he professional or an amateur in keen competition. with a handicap not exceeding 2, may In the morning round Palmer had have a try at it. The 51 who quali- 73 for 212, and 26-year-old Bobby fied for the last 36 holes included a Nichols 70 to tie Arnie for the lead. predominance of touring pros - 34; But many others were nipping at their but there were 12 club pros and 5 heels - the first ten were bunched amateurs who outseored all the re- between 212 and 216; Nicklaus was mainder from ,among the original at 214 after a 72. 2,502. And the lowest single round Twelve holes from the finish Palmer was amateur Beman's 67. was sailing along with a five-stroke Gene Littler defended gallantly and advantage over Nicklaus. But Arnie was in the thick of it until his closing took a 6 at the ninth, where he always 75. He was a splendid champion in has reasonable hope of a bird 4, and every way.