Tour News (posted 23rd June 1998)

Nicklaus may not play in the Open Championship

San Francisco - Jack Nicklaus is coming to Britain for the Open next month - but he is not certain yet that he will play, reports Mark Garrod, the PA Correspondent from San Francisco at the end of the US Open on Sunday..

The 58-year-old Golden Bear followed his brilliant sixth place finish in The Masters in April by coming joint 43rd in the US Open.

That was his 153rd major championship, but whether Royal Birkdale is his 154th remains to be seen.

"I'm going over, but I'll see how my body feels when I wake up Tuesday morning that week," said Nicklaus, whose son Gary will be trying to qualify for the Open.

"If I don't feel up to it I'll pass my spot on to someone else."

Nicklaus has not missed an Open since his debut in 1962. In four appearances at Birkdale he has finished fifth, second (jointly with 19-year-old Seve Ballesteros behind Johnny Miller in 1976), 29th and 63rd.