Nicklaus says 90 percent of his design work now in Asia

He's the Global Bear now.

Jack Nicklaus has embraced course design with the passion and intensity he brought to his golf game and in turn has became one of the game's most successful developers. Like any successful businessman, Nicklaus follows the money, and today the money for golf is in Asia, not the United States. In an interview with Reuters, Nicklaus said he expects the game to explode in popularity among "regular people" in Asia, not just the wealthy, and that Chinese players will someday be among the world's best.

Florida-based Nicklaus, who has won a record 18 major titles, does just 0.3 percent of his work in his home country.

"The recession has not been as severe here as it has been in the States, 90 percent of my work, golf course design work now, is here in Asia," Nicklaus, whose company has designed almost 350 courses worldwide, told Reuters in an interview.

The rise of Asia's economic power and golf's presence in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will boost course construction in countries like China and India and the former will one day provide five of the world's top players, Nicklaus predicted.

The sometimes curmudgeonly Nicklaus also had kind words for the USGA's groove rule change, which will become law of the land on Tour in January.

Initially a sceptic about rule changes to equipment, likening them to "the deckchairs on the Titanic", Nicklaus is now an enthusiastic convert and said the golf authorities avoided a fight they could not win.

"It's a domino effect," he said. "It's going to make itself felt throughout the whole game.

"I think they (golf authorities) have been very clever."

More on Nicklaus: Special Section | Photos: Career Highlights | Major Victories | 20 Greatest Golfers

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Poll names Tiger Woods second-greatest sports star of all time

Yup, another second-place finish for Tiger Woods in 2009. A new Harris Poll asked Americans to name the greatest sports star of all time, and Tiger Woods came in second behind his friend Michael Jordan, who will likely use this for trash-talk ammunition next time the two are on the golf course. Rounding out the top five were Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali and Brett Favre.

Among golfers, Woods finished first, followed by Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Phil Mickelson and Bobby Jones.

Will this settle the Woods vs. Nicklaus arguments? Not a chance. But, as Woods might say, "It is what it is."

Related: 20 Greatest Golfers | Woods and Nicklaus Major Championship

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Watson surprises with top-3 moments list

TURNBERRY, SCOTLAND -- Courtroom lawyers have a rule: Never ask a question you don’t know the answer to. Newspaper reporters have a different rule: Keep asking your question until you get the answer you want.

The latter rule applied today at Tom Watson’s pre-tournament press conference, where a British reporter needed just one strong quote to complete a story that was half-formed in his mind. “It’s been 32 years since your duel with Jack,” the reporter said from his chair, referring to the fabled “Duel in the Sun” between Watson and Nicklaus in the final round of the ’77 Open. “There’s not an Open goes by where it’s not mentioned, and there’s probably not a day that goes by that’s it’s not mentioned somewhere in the world. Do you think it was the greatest afternoon in golf and maybe one of the greatest --”

A smiling Watson cut him off. “No, it’s not for me to [say]. I was fortunate to be able to play some of my best golf against the best player in the world and ended up winning a few times.”

“But when anybody looks back on golf” -- the journalist wasn’t letting go of his premise -- “that afternoon is held up probably in the top three moments in sport. Do you recognize you were part of an amazing afternoon in the history of sport?”

The five-time British Open champ kept smiling, but he wasn’t willing to go the hyperbolic extra mile. “Well, it was pretty good. It was pretty good theater, let’s put it that way.” And just so no one would think he didn’t treasure his Turnberry triumph, Watson conceded that it was one of the top three moments of his career. The other two? “The chip-in at Pebble Beach” -- where Watson topped Nicklaus again for his only U.S. Open title -- “and winning the Kansas City Men’s Match Play when I was 14.”

That last one pretty much blew up the reporter’s quest for the “I-knew-I-was-making-history” quote. (Imagined headline: WATSON COMPARES DUEL IN THE SUN TO SCHOOLBOY TRIUMPH!) But Watson wasn’t trying to be a wise guy. He was making the point that a sportsman’s greatest thrill often comes early in life, when he is only beginning to appreciate his potential. In Watson’s memory, a hot afternoon at the hilly, tree-lined Blue Hills Country Club is right up there with his two Masters titles.

“That was the tournament,” Watson said, “that gave me the boost to say, ‘I can play this game.’”

For the record, the 14-year-old Watson beat Bob Devine, 4&3, in the final. It was (for the winner, anyway) the greatest afternoon in the history of sport.

(Photo: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images)

Jack Nicklaus to light Empire State Building

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – First King Kong climbed it, now the Golden Bear is going to light it up.

On Wednesday evening in Manhattan, Jack Nicklaus will flip the switch and turn on the lights at the top of the 1,454-foot Empire State Building. In celebration of the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage, the top of the most famous building in New York will be cast in red, white and blue lights.

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Jack Nicklaus: Tiger Woods will 'probably' break my record

Tiger Woods has a warehouse full of trophies, a gorgeous wife, two beautiful children and a bank account the size of a small nation's GNP. But Jack Nicklaus still has something Woods wants: a record 18 major championships. (Woods probably wouldn't mind having Jack's full head of hair, either, but that's another story.)

Despite Woods's recent post-surgery struggles, even the ultracompetitive Nicklaus thinks Woods will break the record. In an interview with Sky Sports (UK), Nicklaus said that Woods will find his toughest challenges from today's rising young stars like Rory McIlroy and Anthony Kim, but that he likely will surpass Nicklaus's 18 major wins if his balky left knee cooperates.

"Tiger is probably not back at this point. He's still winning or getting real close, but he's not playing his best," [Nicklaus] said in an exclusive interview.

"When he gets to his best he's going to be tough again because he's a great player."

When asked if Woods will surpass his 18 majors, he replied; "I think he probably will.

"His work ethic is good enough and he's young enough. He certainly should pass that. But he's had four operations on the knee. He's had to change his swing, he's struggling with other things. You just don't know.

"I would suspect he would and I hope that I'm around to congratulate him when he does."

More on Tiger from GOLF.com
Interactive Graphic: Tiger Woods vs. Jack Nicklaus | Tiger Tracker

Palmer gets a hand with honorary tee shot

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Moments before patrons were allowed to power walk onto the grounds of Augusta National and claim prime viewing spots, there was a subdued laughter on the first tee.

With Arnold Palmer moments away from making his entrance and hitting the ceremonial first tee shot to start the 2009 Masters, a tournament official moved the tee markers 10 feet forward.

Palmer and Masters chairman Billy Payne walked from the clubhouse to the tee at precisely 7:45 a.m. EST. Payne welcomed the crowd and made an introduction that was completely unnecessary.

"No one has meant more to the great game of golf than our honorary starter," Payne said in the morning sunshine. "He is a fierce competitor and loved around the world. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming four-time Masters champion, Mr. Arnold Palmer."

Palmer, 79, teed up a ball moments later and smacked it into the blue sky and down the right side of the fairway.

Palmer then slid a Masters green jacket over his yellow golf shirt, posed for photos with Payne and other members of the club, and made his way back to the clubhouse.

For years, Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead and Byron Nelson answered the call and hit shots to start the Masters. Now, with Gary Player announcing this week that he will no longer compete here and Jack Nicklaus on hand as a guest, it seems to be only a matter of time before a second triumvirate of honorary starters is created.

With 13 Masters wins between them, Palmer, Nicklaus and Player should be allowed to tee it up wherever they please.

(Photo: Fred Vuich/SI)

Columnist: Tiger Woods's short game, creativity slight edge over Jack Nicklaus

Something in the air, maybe the azaleas, is bringing out some well-considered takes on Jack Nicklaus vs. Tiger Woods, the game's ultimate "what if?" GOLF.com's David Dusek got Greg Norman to say that Tiger is the better putter. In The Washington Post, columnist Thomas Boswell laments that the game's two greatest players can never face each other in their primes. He concludes that Woods would have gotten the best of Nicklaus just slightly more often if they had, but he's not entirely sure. "In a way that I have never felt with other athletes from different eras," he writes, "I want them to meet in their primes. But I'm told they can't." Boswell's reason for Woods getting the edge: the short game, Nicklaus' longtime neglect of it and Woods's artist-like creativity with his short game and his recovery shots.

"For years, I never felt that I needed a short game," Nicklaus told me. He finally developed one -- at 40. From 27 to 30, he actually lost interest in the game with four (of his five) children, various businesses and even hunting and fishing making him "a legend in his spare time." The death of his father at 56 in 1970 snapped him back, even shamed him a bit.

That neglect of his short game and sand play, as well as any gift for imaginative recovery shots, probably would have doomed Nicklaus to a losing career record against Woods. Jack's advantage, a large one, would have been off the tee, where he was far more accurate than Tiger; and, in his 220-pound twenties, an even longer hitter than Tiger -- adjusting for the equipment of their eras.

The irony is that long-flying balls and high-tech clubs are taking creativity and shot-making out of the game. Woods made this point last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando.

"I grew up maneuvering the golf ball," Woods said. "The golf ball doesn't move as much now. It's like Hank [Haney] and I were talking about this not too long ago actually. The game of golf has changed with the new golf balls where the ball doesn't move from right to left or left to right as much as it used to. So shot making more now is in trajectory control, moving the ball up-and-down, changing your trajectory to control your distances, rather than shaping the ball into the wind like you used to."

So maybe Nicklaus would get the edge in this era and Tiger in Jack's era? As Boswell says, that's why we all would love to see this. And we're told we can't.

For Greg Norman, Tiger Woods has the edge on Jack Nicklaus in the clutch

 For almost 40 years, anytime someone was asked, "Who would you want putting if your life depended on it," the obvious answer was Jack Nicklaus. But over the years, Tiger Woods has earned a reputation as one of the greatest clutch putters of all time.

On Sunday, as the skies in Orlando grew dark, Woods drained a 15-footer to win the Arnold Palmer invitational on the 72nd hole for the second consecutive year. This time his victim was Sean O'Hair. Last season Woods broke the heart of Bart Bryant on the same hole.

On Monday afternoon, I spoke with Greg Norman, who like Nicklaus and Woods knows what it's like to be No. 1 in the world. I couldn't resist asking The Shark where he falls in the clutch putting debate — Nicklaus or Woods?

"He and Nicklaus are even inside eight feet," Norman said after some consideration. "I think Woods is better than Nicklaus 10 feet to 20 feet."

Norman, who will compete this week at the Shell Houston Open in preparation for next week's Masters, said that while Woods' ballstriking is good, his putting is better.

"If his ballstriking matched his putting, oh my God," he said with a laugh. "If you took what he was like in 2000 — I think he swung the golf club and hit the golf ball the best when he won at Pebble Beach by 15 shots — with his putting ability now, then you would expect the guy to win every golf tournament."

So where do you stand on this debate? If your life was on the line, would you rather have Tiger or Jack putting? Write your answer in the comment area below.

(Photo by Fred Vuich/SI)

Nicklaus says Norman can contend at 2009 Masters

When Greg Norman emerged from his time machine to lead this year’s British Open on Sunday, ultimately finishing third, he did more than electrify fans and impress his new wife, Chris Evert. He also earned himself an invitation to the 2009 Masters Tournament.

But can a 53-year-old part-time player really win at Augusta National? Jack Nicklaus, who won the Masters at age 46 in 1986, says Norman’s physical fitness will allow him to contend.

“[Norman’s] talent is still there,” Nicklaus said at the Merrill Lynch Shootout in Naples, Fla., Thursday. “He's always kept himself in great shape. I think he'll have a great time going back and have a lot of fun. He's always played well at Augusta, and there's no reason why at age 53 -- I mean, I almost won it on one leg at '58.

“So certainly a man who's in a lot better shape than I was and five years younger can certainly do pretty well,” Nicklaus said.

When he watched Norman at Royal Birkdale this summer, Nicklaus was reminded of his Masters victory in 1986. Like Norman at Birkdale, he hadn’t played much competitive golf prior to the Masters but during the tournament everything came together.

“You know, Greg's a champion,” Nicklaus said. “When you get yourself playing, and all of a sudden you play a good first round and you say, ‘Gee, that was nice. That was fun. Maybe I can do that again tomorrow.’ Then you play a good second round, and all of a sudden you're, ‘Gee, I'm really doing pretty well.’

“You remember how to play. You remember -- it sort of lights a fire under you and you get excited. You have fun with it and say, ‘Man, this is what I used to do,’” Nicklaus said.

Report: Nicklaus says U.S. will win Ryder Cup 'easily'

Almost everyone expects the U.S. Ryder Cup team to be overmatched and overrun by the Europeans later this month at Valhalla. Everyone except the greatest player to ever play the game.

According to a BBC report, Jack Nicklaus believes the U.S. will win back the Ryder Cup and win it  “easily.” (Note to Tiger Woods fans: Until Tiger gets to 19 majors, Jack is still the greatest golfer ever.)

The 18-time major winner, twice a Ryder Cup captain, told Golf Digest: "I just believe we have better players.

"I think American golf is better than perceptions based on recent Ryder Cup results."

"Europe has a lot of good players and a host of very promising young guys. But who among them has a great record?

"It isn't like the 1987 European team that had (Seve) Ballesteros, Faldo, Sandy Lyle, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam and Jose Maria Olazabal.”

"We probably didn't give them enough credit at the time, but history has proved those guys were great players. It was no accident they won. But there's no reason the US team should lose."

Nicklaus is in a position to know, having led many of the same players on this year’s Ryder Cup team to victory last year in the Presidents Cup. Interestingly, his players praised Nicklaus for creating a relaxed atmosphere in Montreal. Some observers say the U.S. has played too tight in recent Ryder Cup losses.

Don’t dismiss Jack’s comments as homerism. He’s been critical of today’s Tour players, saying that too many guys are content with just making the cut and cashing a check. He also sounded a bit irritated when players complained about tough conditions at his Memorial Tournament this year.

So if Jack’s picking the U.S., so am I. As long as you don’t ask me to put any money on it.

More on the Ryder Cup in our preview section.