Jack Nicklaus is considering
a 2000 schedule that would include the Nissan Open at Riviera Country Club,
he said today, in part to join his son, Gary, in the field.
Speaking after his
pro-am round at the Diners Club Matches, a round that included an eagle
on the par-4 14th hole at Pelican Hill Golf Club, Nicklaus said he was
fit and prepared to expand his participation on the PGA Tour by at least
a few tournaments.
Gary, 30, survived
the three-stage PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament three weeks ago and intends
to play as many events as the Tour will allow. He is not fully exempt.
Jack, who will turn
60 in January, figures Gary is more likely to make the traditionally weaker
fields of the early-season West Coast swing. Of course, having the Golden
Bear show up would make "Heir Bear" an attractive sponsor's exemption.
Rather than have
Barbara Nicklaus choose between Jack's Senior events and Gary's PGA Tour
events, he said, they'll tee it up together. In fact, Jack has made a running
joke of his intent to add three or four tournaments to his usual schedule
of the four majors, along with Pebble Beach, Doral and Memorial.
"I told Gary," Jack
said, "we'll go to these tournaments, I'll play on Thursday and Friday
and I can watch you on the weekends."
He laughed and added,
"Obviously, I hope I'm kidding on that."
The Nissan Open,
scheduled Feb. 17-20, is one of the tournaments the Nicklaus men are considering.
The only possible issue: Jack loves to play the Senior tournament at the
TPC at Tampa Bay, an event he once won and one that conflicts this year
with the Nissan.
"L.A. may be a tournament
I would play," he said. "Barbara would like to see some of that, so we
might do that.
"If I can be presentable
and halfway competitive, rather than just go out there and be part of it,
I'll do it."
Still recovering
from the hip replacement surgery he underwent in January, a procedure that
forced him to miss his first Masters in four decades, Nicklaus said his
health was at about 60 percent. That's up, he said, from "about 2 percent"
a year ago.
He walks with ease
and his game is benefiting. On the 14th hole, and with tournament partner
Tom Watson playing in the group behind him, Nicklaus holed a 6-iron from
the fairway, 158 yards out. Remarkably, Watson lipped out his approach
shot from about the same distance on the same hole.
"A lot of [the schedule]
at the start of the year will depend on how I feel," Nicklaus said. "My
hip is fine. That's not an issue."
Gary got the Sports
Illustrated cover 14 years ago, but Tiger Woods, the PGA Tour player of
the year, is the popular choice as "Heir Bear."
"He's got tremendous
belief in himself," Nicklaus said.
Apparently, Woods
also believes in Nicklaus. During a telephone conversation between the
two this summer, Nicklaus suggested to Woods that his problems with short-iron
distance control could be due to poor club position at the top.
"I don't want to
take credit for it," Nicklaus insisted.
Except that the two
talked about it again last weekend, and Woods mentioned it as part of the
reason for his late-season victories.
"I made that change,"
Woods said.
"It certainly shows,"
Nicklaus told him.
"He's learned how
to win at a very young age," Nicklaus said of Woods. "He's learned how
to handle himself with people. He's no different than I was. When I came
out, I was rough around the edges like a lot of kids are.
