Jack's Major
The news this week that 11 players opted out of the Memorial struck some as a diss to the tournament's founder, Jack Nicklaus. The so-called Legend's Slam — Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill, the Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan's Colonial, and the Memorial — have long been considered four of the premier events on the PGA Tour calendar.
On a tour that has richly benefited from corporate America's investment in golf, these events were a reminder of an era when pro tournaments were mainly branded by their hosts — men who were not just golfers but entertainers and singers. You didn't go to Palm Springs every winter simply to make a check; you went to see Bob Hope give a show. You might have hated the fuss the entertainer
s made at the Bing Crosby, but you wouldn't dare miss a chance to play Pebble Beach.
You showed respect for your elders, for the old-timers and their old-fashioned ways that helped build a very successful pro golf circuit that had real popular appeal. Arnold Palmer made it cool for the 1950s hipster and the war vet alike to express their manhood on the golf course. The game was fun for everybody, even the caddies. But no matter how popular it got, the old money tradition remained, and that engendered good manners.
But now the primary draw for most tournaments is big money, and the old ways are not so important to the players.
Earlier this week, Jack Nicklaus said before the start of the Memorial that in his playing days he would send a handwritten thank-you note to the sponsors after a tournament. This was his way of showing gratitude to the people who were paying the bills. The Bear learned of Tiger's decision not to play, due to his knee injury, through Tiger's agent, Mark Steinberg.
So are manners out of fashion in today's game? I'm not sure. It may just be that the majors have become so big that players will skip almost anything to prepare for them. I hope Bay Hill and the Memorial thrive long after their founders' deaths, but I doubt they will. Since Ben Hogan's death in 1997, the Colonial is seen by many as just a notch or two above the Texas Open. The Byron Nelson is played on a golf course that everybody hates, but the guys continued to come every year out of respect for the old man. Now that he is dead, the tournament is struggling to attract good fields.
Good manners should have led Steve Stricker, Ben Crane, Adam Scott and Anthony Kim, among others, to make their way to Dublin, Ohio, this week for Jack's major. They should understand that the Memorial is not about them. It's about Jack.
(Photo: Jay LaPrete/AP)
Posted by: CRB | Jun 2, 2008 3:29:54 PM
I care so little about the PGA today that I watch the LPGA and Champions Tour exclusively.The game and players on the PGA cicuit is no longer the mannerly game and players that I knew in my youth. And, to some degree I agree with the earlier comment that the on field exuberance is reminisent of the NBA.
Posted by: chris | Jun 2, 2008 12:35:49 PM
Not only are the bad manners shown in not playing but they also come through when players pump their arms or yell in triumph after making a put (a la the NBA). This is not the way gentlemen play the game or any game but these days the bad manners from the NBA/NFL has moved to golf. The integrity and good manners that Jack Nicklaus showed Tony Jacklin in the Ryder cup when conceding a 2 ft put would not be copied by anybody 35. The lack of courtesy & manners extends to the general population with very few bothering to repair divots or pitch marks.
Posted by: adp | Jun 2, 2008 9:18:32 AM
The PGA should imitate the LPGA in requiring players to play in all tournaments over a 4 year period. I understand that you can't compare players of different generations using different equipment but you can compare different generations if they play the same amount. Playing 16 tournaments a year is a joke. Get in shape, win, or get off the tour. Also, requalifying if no wins in 2 years would mean a more competitive season and better players.
Posted by: Warren Taylor | Jun 1, 2008 8:01:30 PM
We tend to look at the past through rose colored glasses. Ask the owners of Tuscan National what the think of Jack Nicklaus' manners when he was paid to play and put on a clinic at their club
Posted by: Marilu Burns | Jun 1, 2008 7:31:06 PM
I sent Jack Nicklaus's comments to my uncle who was a golf pro. Here is his reply:
"Yes, times have changed. When I was in PGA school in l964, Jack Nicklaus was in the same class so I got to meet him. The class, Dale Carnegie, was about how to remember people's names. A few years later Aunt Jean and I were at the Colonial Tournament in Ft. Worth, and we were standing at the end of the 13th tee. Jack stepped off the tee and came face to face with Jean and I. Would you believe, he said, "'Hello JB. How are you doing?'" He remembered me from the school. He does have a great memory."
That is just one example of the great gentleman that Jack Nicklaus is!!
Posted by: Bill Miller | May 31, 2008 6:05:53 PM
Manners? Are you kidding? I don't believe anyone under 30 was ever taught any. The so-called 'pros' who play the game now are a sniveling bunch of kids who when things go bad, run off to their swing coach and shrink in an effort to blame anyone or anything but themselves for their plight. Many should go off and grow a pair. It might help. But then again...
Ask any of them what a gentleman should be, and I'd be surprised if you got anything other than a blank stare in reply.
Posted by: Richard Walden | May 31, 2008 12:37:14 PM
Wow! Golf is all about money, eh? Thanks, DJ ...I guess I've been fooling myself all these years...at events like the old Thunderbird and the Apawamis Pro-Am in the '60s, the biggest names--Arnie, Sam Snead, George Bayer--all had personalities and time for the fans. Most of the guys out on tour today seem to be self-centered and, yes, selfish in the extreme. They deserve fans like DJ.
Posted by: DJ | May 30, 2008 2:56:42 PM
Jack has an ego and a chip on his shoulder. What's his problem? So people W/D from the tournament...So what? Happens every week. His is one tourney out of what, 40 on the TOUR every year? Gimme a break, Jack. You're not God. You're a golfer. And a bitter one at that. Suck it up and cash your checks. No one likes a rich guy who bellyaches. No one.