Bear softens blows at National
After pre-Masters festivities, Nicklaus making quick exit
Jack Nicklaus didn't miss a beat when he met the press Wednesday morning at Augusta National Golf Club.
"First hole I hit a driver, 3-wood and 7-iron," Nicklaus quipped in a not-so-subtle reference to the changes for this year's Masters Tournament.
"After that, let's see, I don't remember," he said jokingly. "No, really, I haven't seen the golf course, I haven't seen what's been done. So outside of that, I've been doing everything but play golf."
Nicklaus, 66, announced last year that he was done as a Masters competitor. He missed the cut with rounds of 77-76.
Aside from his opening salvo, the six-time Masters winner and Augusta National member took it easy on the changes that added 155 yards to the course.
"Hootie (Johnson) and I talked last night a little about it," Nicklaus said. "I said, 'You're trying to corral the long player somewhat, yet you allow his abilities to still come out, and yet make it fair where an average-length player still has a way to play the game.'"
Nicklaus was critical of the changes in this month's issue of Golf Digest. He softened his stance Wednesday.
"I think their intention is to do exactly what they did with the last thing, is to try to end up having the players play similar clubs to what they were playing, you know, 20 years ago in the same places," he said. "Their intentions are correct."
The course architect in Nicklaus, however, doesn't know what the solution is.
"I don't think anyone has figured it out," he said.
The easiest answer, and one that Nicklaus has been giving for years, is to adjust the golf ball.
"It's very simple to bring that ball back 10 percent and still keep the same characteristics," Nicklaus said. "Let everybody play what they normally play. They don't have to change their drivers; they don't have to change their irons. You don't have to do anything.
"If the golf ball goes shorter, you don't have to come out every year and have the same conversation: 'What did we do to Augusta to combat what happened to the golf ball last year?'"
Nicklaus planned to pack a lot into his short visit to Augusta. He flew in Tuesday night for the Champions Dinner. On Wednesday, he met the news media, played in the Par-3 Contest and attended the Golf Writers Association of America banquet.
His 11-year-old grandson Charlie, son of Nicklaus' oldest son, Jackie, was his caddie in the par-3 event.
"I put my big bag on the airplane last night and I told him I was going to put rocks in it," Nicklaus said. "He says, 'Oh, God, you brought your big bag?'"
Nicklaus shot 1-under 26 in the event, not bad for the man who ended his competitive career at last year's British Open.
At the golf writers dinner, he was honored with the ASAP Sports/Jim Murray Award for media cooperation. As usual, his news conference carried over into the media center lobby, and the "scrum" with writers lasted longer than his actual conference.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Nicklaus' sixth and final Masters win.
But Nicklaus has no plans to be nostalgic and stick around. He plans to fly out this morning and has business trips occupying his time.
"When I left here last year, I knew I wasn't going to play competitively again," he said.
Reach John Boyette at (706) 823-3337 or john.boyette@augustachronicle.com.
