Sure, the Old Course might surrender a 59 this week, says Jack Nicklaus.
But so what?
Golf’s greatest champion of all is back in St Andrews for the first time in 18 years, to become only the third American – after Benjamin Franklin and Bobby Jones – to be given the freedom of the town.
But he still marvels – “it’s mind-boggling” – at the way the Old Course is as relevant today as it was when he first played it nearly 60 years ago.
‘It’s a magical golf course’
“When I first came here in 1964, I couldn’t believe that St Andrews was a golf course that would still test golfers of that time.
“That’s, what, 60 years ago? Close. And it still tests the golfers at this time. It’s a magical golf course.
“And to believe the game of golf essentially started here, it just absolutely mind-boggling to me that it still stands up to the golfers of today.
“They might shoot low this week. So what? That’s sort of the way I look at it.
“They’re shooting low now compared to what they shot 100 years ago. But times change and golfers get better, equipment gets better, conditions get better.
“But I don’t think it really makes a whole lot of difference, frankly. It’s St Andrews and it is what it is, and it will produce a good champion. It always has. That’s the way I look at it.”
‘I’m sure it will be a humbling experience’
Jack didn’t return after his famous farewell at the 2005 Open because he didn’t want “to dilute that for what it was, and it was fantastic”.
“But when I got the invitation this time to be an honorary citizen of St Andrews and to follow Bob Jones and Benjamin Franklin, you know I’ve got to come back. I’m sure it will be a very humbling experience.
“I always said St Andrews looked like an old grey town until the Open came around. All of a sudden it just lit up, and it was beautiful.”
The Nicklaus theory for playing the Old Course – where he won the Open twice – is fairly simple. Discipline is everything.
“The game has changed quite a bit but St Andrews hasn’t. You’ve still got to play golf.
“You still have those pesky little bunkers out there that grab your ball every time you hit an errant shot. If you really play well, play smart at St Andrews, you’re playing like most of the seaside golf courses, you’re playing by where the bunkers are.
”You’re probably going to take a couple of chances during the week, but most of the time you don’t. Discipline is such an important part of playing over here. You get frustrated.
“Once you get frustrated, then say bye-bye, we’ll see you next time. You’ve got to be patient and you’ve got the ability to just sort of play to what the golf course gives you.”
‘He and I just don’t see eye to eye in what’s going on’
Jack believes golf is thriving now more than at any time, and would make just one comment on the current battles of the established game with Greg Norman and the rebel tour LIV Golf.
“Let me just sum this up with a couple of words. First of all, Greg Norman is an icon in the game of golf. He’s a great player.
“We’ve been friends for a long time, and regardless of what happens, he’s going to remain a friend.
“Unfortunately, he and I just don’t see eye to eye in what’s going on. I’ll basically leave it at that.”
‘I think it’s really fantastic’
He still thinks today’s game has it best.
“I think that the era that we played in was a good era. We had a lot of very good players. Then Tiger had it pretty much by himself for a while.
“When Tiger got hurt, the other guys learned how to win, so Tiger had some competition.
“There are more good players in the game today than we’ve ever had. People flocked to the game of golf after Covid. And television – you can watch any tournament anywhere in the world today – will continue to popularise the game of golf.
“Golf is probably in as good a state as it’s ever been as far as the growth of the game and seeing the number of good players that there are today, I think it’s really fantastic.”
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