Rivals on the golf
course and in golf course design, the friendly competition between Jack
Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer will subside for something really unusual --
a partnership.
Palmer and Nicklaus
are collaborating on a new golf course for the World Golf Village that
will be called "The King and The Bear," scheduled to open in the fall of
2000.
What will it look
like? Right now, that could be anyone's guess.
"We were very similar
in that we both have two arms and two legs," Palmer cracked Monday during
their second joint visit to the site.
Palmer, of course,
played a low, hard draw. Nicklaus was renowned for his high fade.
"My side of the green
is going to be flat so you can come in on the ground level," Palmer said.
"Jack's side will be elevated so you have to hit the high shots."
Actually, it's more
than just Palmer and Nicklaus. Both their design teams are involved in
the $5 million project, although Nicklaus tends to a be a little more hands-on.
Palmer's people worked on the routing, while Nicklaus, a stickler for details,
is working on the strategy of the course.
The course will complement
the Slammer and the Squire, designed by Bobby Weed with input from Sam
Snead and Gene Sarazen, and could be host of a future Senior PGA Tour event.
While Nicklaus and
Palmer have courses in the same resort, they have never worked on a course
together. Both said the sole reason they are collaborating is to bring
more attention to the World Golf Village, home of the new Hall of Fame.
"Would we both do
this at another place? No," Nicklaus said. "But because it's the Hall of
Fame, and because it's good for the game of golf, that's why it means so
much for the two of us to be here."
Even walking over
two holes in mud left over from Hurricane Irene, the two camps did not
agree on everything. Nicklaus said that's part of the give and take.
"Jack has stronger
opinions on some things, but generally we agree," Palmer said.
Asked if he had to
make any concessions, Nicklaus looked over his shoulder on what will be
the 17th green and said, "Yeah. Right here."
"I've played a million
golf courses. Arnold has played a million golf courses," Nicklaus said.
"We ought to be able to figure out what we both like in a green. It's no
big deal. I can have that green 50 ways, and he can, too. As long as we
agree on one of them."
MONTY'S QUEST:
Scotland may be the unofficial birthplace of golf, but it has been host
to only one Ryder Cup, at Muirfield in 1973.
Colin Montgomerie
wants to change that.
Europe's top player
is backing a bid for Turnberry to hold the Ryder Cup in 2009. The matches
will be played at The Belfry in 2001 and at the K-Club in Ireland in 2005.
"It would do so much
for the Scottish tourist trade and give the whole country a lift," Montgomerie
said. "I would certainly give any play to host the event at Turnberry my
full backing and offer any support that was needed."
TOUR AWARDS:
The PGA of America's decision to move the Grand Slam back a week to Nov.
22-23 so it could accommodate Tiger Woods has made quite an impact.
If the change had
been made earlier, British Open champion Paul Lawrie could have represented
Scotland the week before in the World Cup. As it was originally scheduled,
he had to chose one event or the other, and he chose the Grand Slam. When
he did, officials picked Dean Robertson to join Colin Montgomerie in representing
Scotland in the World Cup. The change of dates also has caused the PGA
Tour to change its annual awards luncheon, originally planned for Nov.
23 at the World Golf Village.
The tour tentatively
plans to announce the awards in late November or early December, then formally
present them during the season-opening Mercedes Championship in Hawaii
the first week of January.
The tour is looking
at several possibilities for the 2000 awards to make the occasion special.
Commissioner Tim Finchem said one consideration is moving the awards to
New York late in the year.
MISSING THE ACTION:
The player regarded as the greatest ever missed the greatest comeback in
Ryder Cup history. Jack Nicklaus has
his priorities these days.
"I was hunting in
Arizona in the mountains with no television," said Nicklaus, who still
has not seen replays of any shot. "We got a report as it went on. When
I heard it was 10-6, I told the guy at dinner, 'They're still going to
win.' And they did."
Nicklaus has heard
about the American celebration and shrugged it off.
"It's enthusiasm,"
he said. "Guys were excited. Maybe it turned out to be not quite perfect,
but it was spontaneous."
As for the gallery,
Nicklaus said there will always be a few individuals to spoil the atmosphere.
Told that the Red Sox-Yankees game was delayed Sunday night when fans threw
debris onto the field at Fenway Park, Nicklaus shook his head.
"Must have been the
same ones from the Ryder Cup," he said.
DIVOTS: The
National Car Rental Golf Classic at Walt Disney World Resort will be Tiger
Woods's first tournament since the Ryder Cup -- and his first with sharper
vision. Woods two weeks ago joined the growing list of players who have
undergone Lasik eye surgery. ... Jack Nicklaus will make his debut in the
Senior Tour's Legends of Golf next March, teaming with Raymond Floyd. ...
Former U.S. Amateur champion Hank Kuehne made it through the first stage
of PGA Tour qualifying -- barely. Kuehne closed with a 74 at Ranch Country
Club in McKinney, Texas to advance by one stroke. ... With Jim Furyk winning
in Las Vegas, players in their 20s have won 18 of the 43 events on the
PGA Tour this year. Rookies have won five tournaments (two each by Carlos
Franco and Notah Begay, one by Rich Beem), the most since the tour started
keeping such records in 1970.
STAT OF THE WEEK:
Even though a player can earn $2.35 million by winning the last three tournaments
of the year, only David Duval, Payne Stewart and Vijay Singh have a mathematical
chance of surpassing Tiger Woods atop of the PGA Tour money list.
FINAL WORD:
"There are only four
each year, and I'm sure Tiger will win one and Garcia another, so I'm down
to two." - Colin Montgomerie, on whether he will ever win a major championship.
