The High Court

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A Golden Man, A Golden Walk

If you have an appreciation for true greatness, then the British Open was the place for you last week.  A great major championship at St. Andrews, the legendary natural links layout known as the home of golf, and the intersection of perhaps the two greatest golfers the world has ever seen occurred.  This may have been our last opportunity to see Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods on the same stage, and it was a privilege just to have the chance to watch from across the pond.

 

Jack Nicklaus, as most of you know, set the bar Tiger Woods is chasing with 18 professional majors.  Remarkably, he also finished second in 19 major championships (Jack finished in the top five 56 times).  When he began his record-setting career, Nicklaus was looked upon unfavorably by many in the golf establishment, including fans and the media.  What offense had young Jack committed to be held in such regard?  He was challenging the King himself, Arnold Palmer.  Arnie’s Army (and the media which held Palmer in high regard) did not want to see this young upstart encroaching on Palmer’s perch on top of the golf world.  “Fat Jack” was the derisive nickname given to the chunky young star from Ohio, but it was not long before Nicklaus’ excellence garnered everyone’s respect.  As he separated himself from the rest of professional golf (including Palmer) with his magical performances, Nicklaus would gain a new handle:  The Golden Bear.

 

And a Golden Bear he was.  Nicklaus had the uncanny ability to execute when the stakes were at their highest.  It has often been said of Nicklaus that he never missed a putt that mattered.  His ability to will himself to victory was the stuff of legend.  As his playing partner this week at St. Andrews (and his former rival) Tom Watson said, “Jack never hit an indifferent shot in his life.”  And that was true to the very end, when the Golden Bear delighted thousands by slipping a birdie putt just inside the right edge on the 18^th green at the Old Course to end his competitive career.

 

I have often said that professional athletes can be heroes, but they are rarely worthy of being held up as role models.  Jack Nicklaus may well be the exception to that.  He has long been a devoted family man to his wife Barbara and their five children.  Many times over the years we have seen one of his sons on his golf bag, like in ’86 when Jack stirred Augusta National’s passions with his win at age 46, and this week, as son Steve caddied for him at St. Andrews.  What an emotional week this must have been for father and son, as they have each looked to heal from the grief of the death of one of Jack’s seventeen grandchildren, Steve’s seventeen-month old son, Jake.

 

Emotion.  Something golf’s greatest champion was always able to harness when things mattered most on the golf course.  But at 65, as the Golden Bear has hit his golden years, we have seen the depth of the emotion that drove this amazing competitor.  In an interview on HBO’s Costas NOW that aired last week, Nicklaus’ face lit up as he talked about his friendship and rivalry with Arnold Palmer.  It was clear that he had a genuine affection for the man who drove him to greater heights as a player and as a worldwide success as a golf course designer (Arnie and Jack’s course design companies compete nearly as feverishly as the two did on golf courses).  When asked about returning to play at The Masters in the wake of young Jake’s death, the great man choked up as he tried to discuss it.  It was very clear that Jack Nicklaus is a man who loves his family and the game of golf, and he has always known which mattered most.

 

I got goosebumps when Nicklaus walked to Augusta’s 18^th green in April.  The feeling was even more poignant on Friday as the great champion made his way to Swilcan Bridge for one last crossing.  Teary-eyed, Jack allowed photographers to get their picture of him alone, and then with the grace that has defined his life, Nicklaus invited his playing partners and their caddies up to join in the photo up.  He played his second shot, and made his way to the green while thunderous applause showered down all around.  Then, as if it was 1970 all over again (when Nicklaus holed a putt to defeat Doug Sanders in a playoff to win at St. Andrews), the Golden Bear willed one more birdie in the hole.  Grown men, including a generation of professional golfers inspired by Jack’s exploits, wept as he left the course one last time.  And as always, Barbara and his children were there to hug Dad one more time.

 

Jack Nicklaus has stood for everything that is great in the game of golf.  He played with a laser-like intensity, and he never took a shot for granted.  He was a proud, yet humble winner, and he was a disappointed, yet gracious loser.  Always reverential to the history of the game, Nicklaus knew there was no better place to end his career than the place where the game itself began.

 

There will never be another Jack Nicklaus.  But fortunately for us, there is a Tiger Woods.  The man that Woods’ has measured himself by his entire life as a golfer left his torch behind on Swilcan Bridge this week, and as Tiger strolled across on the way to his tenth major championship, that torch was passed.  So perhaps it is fitting that we leave it to the young legend to describe what Jack Nicklause has meant to all of us that love the game of golf.  “He’s the greatest champion that ever lived.  There’s nobody that’s been as consistent for as long a period of time as Jack.  He’s been the benchmark for every player that’s played the game, at least in my generation.”

 

And Jack, if you ever want to make a return, let me know.  I’ll be glad to carry your bag.

The Golden Bear said goodbye Friday at the Old Course.  With eighteen major championships to his credit, Nicklaus’ legacy will live on forever.  (AP)