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**en-druzhba** · 05-20-2006, 07:00 AM

Jack was, is, and always will be the man. The Scots haven't worshipped a golfer the way they do him since Bobby Jones. Jack went out with a birdie, class, and a smile.

Live long and enjoy your retirement Jack. You gave me so many great memories over my lifetime that I can't name them all.
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Farewell: Nicklaus bids adieu amid cheers, tears

By Gene Wojciechowski
ESPN.com
Archive

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- They stood on rooftops and leaned against chimney pipes. They peered through the open windows of the stately Royal and Ancient clubhouse. They stood 10 deep in front of the shops and flats that line the 18th fairway of golf's most famous course.

They were there to witness history, a few well-earned tears, and, as it turned out, one wonderfully nostalgic, goose-bump moment when Jack Nicklaus wound the clock back to 1978 and turned the Old Course into a high-decibel chamber.

At exactly 5:58 p.m. local time -- so said the timepiece on the stone R&A building -- Nicklaus struck the 72nd and final shot of his majors playing career. The birdie putt traveled 13 or so feet and then succumbed to gravity and, who knows, maybe fate. It was the near-perfect ending to the near-perfect golfer.

"I knew that the hole would move wherever I hit," Nicklaus said later.

He was kidding … I think. Nicklaus and the Old Course have been holding hands almost as long as he and sweetheart Barbara have been together, so anything is possible. Perhaps this was No. 18's way of saying, "Thank you."

Nicklaus didn't make the British Open cut Friday afternoon, but he didn't have to. Nobody is going to judge him by his rounds of 75-72, respectable numbers that left him just out of reach of weekend play. After all, Nicklaus' legacy is more secure than the nearby Bank of Scotland branch that holds those prized, commemorative 5-pound notes with the Golden Bear's mug on the back.

No, this was St. Andrews's chance to give the 65-year-old Nicklaus a weeklong smooch. And Nicklaus, always the golf romantic, kissed back.

He took his place on the first tee wearing the same clothing ensemble he wore when he won here in '78: A blue and white argyle v-neck replica sweater, black slacks, white shirt, white golf shoes. His hair was longer back then, and more blond. The crow's feet around his eyes weren't as deep, either. And his weight was distributed a bit more evenly.

"They both said large on them," said Nicklaus of the original and replica argyles, "but that was a much larger sweater than I wore before."

Nicklaus first played in a British Open in 1962, first won in 1966 at Muirfield, and later added two more Claret Jugs to his collection, both courtesy of the Old Course. He loves it, and it -- and the people here -- love him back.

He spent much of his day waving to the adoring crowds. It's a surprise Nicklaus didn't have to ice his wrists after the 18 holes. His introduction on the first tee brought waves of ovations from the swelled grandstands. And as he made his way toward the fairway, fellow pros Nick Price and Chris DiMarco made a beeline from the 18th green to shake his hand and wish him well.

He began the day at 3-over, and that's how he ended it. But what happened in between is what I'll remember.

On No. 4, a course marshal positioned near the tee box pleaded with spectators to put their cameras away. And they would -- for a moment. Then they'd sneak them out of their pockets and click away as Nicklaus walked by.

An American flag appeared in the No. 8 grandstand when Nicklaus arrived. And wasn't that Hockey Hall of Famer Scotty Bowman assigned to the group of Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Luke Donald as the R&A-approved alternate scorer?

On the 10th hole, spectators held out those Nicklaus 5-pound notes as he strode by. On No. 11, the crowd all but willed his iron shot over the bunker guarding the front of the green.

On the 13th green, a BBC Scotland reporter could hardly contain himself as he whispered into his microphone that "a massive crowd" was there to watch Nicklaus. Duh. After all, it isn't every day that you get to see the end of a golf epoch.

By the 16th hole, even a stateside newspaper reporter covering Nicklaus's final Open couldn't help himself. In his right hand was a notebook. In his left, an instamatic camera. This was the same hole that someone from the greenside bleacher yelled, "Don't go, Jack!"

Too late.

No. 17 -- the famous and infamous Road Hole -- was next. Nicklaus' tee shot cleared the corner of the Old Course Hotel and dropped perfectly into the middle of the 1-iron-thin fairway. As he walked toward his ball, hotel guests streamed out of their rooms and toward the retaining wall.

"On you go, Jack!" yelled one man in a blue blazer. "On you go, sir!"

"Thanks, Jack," said another.

Nicklaus smiled. Then he shot a thumbs-up toward the hotel balconies, where, among others, Ernie Els and wife Liezl were standing and waving. Not far away was Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman, who had joined the masses for the final two holes.

Nicklaus waved to the fans, posed for photos and shed some tears before making birdie on the final hole.

By the time Nicklaus reached the 18th tee box it seemed as if all of Scotland had shoehorned itself near the fairway and green. "C'mon, Jack!" came a cry. So Nicklaus aimed slightly left of the 357-yard, par-4 and pretended he wasn't AARP eligible. His drive stopped just short of the green, in the aptly named Valley of Sin. There was the requisite photo op on the Swilcan Bridge, first by himself, then with son/caddy Steve, his longtime friend and worthy adversary Watson (remember Turnberry in 1977?) and Donald, then with the other two caddies. I'd give anything to be the stop bath at that darkroom.

When Nicklaus' birdie putt fell into the hole you reached for Kleenex. Watson already had tears in his eyes from Nicklaus' last walk up 18. A bobby standing nearby broke into a grin. Fans applauded from those rooftops.

Nicklaus embraced Steve. He blew kisses to the crowd. He walked off arm-in-arm with Watson. Then he saw wife Barbara and gave her -- what else -- a Bear hug.

"Actually," said Nicklaus later, "as I was coming down the last few holes, I'm sitting there saying, 'Man, I don't want to go through this again. Maybe, it's just as well I miss the cut.' I said, 'I think these people have been wonderful. They've given of themselves and gave me a lot more than I deserved. I'm probably better off getting out of here.' "

He leaves Saturday for Florida and home. For fly-fishing. For his golf-course design business. For family. But nothing will match what happened here on a sun-soaked Friday at the Old Course. How can it?

Just before Nicklaus left the press tent after his final interview of the evening, R&A chief executive Peter Dawson stepped forward and thanked him for, well, being Jack. The assembled media rose from its seats and began clapping.

This sort of thing doesn't happen often. About once every Jack Nicklaus.

Gene Wojciechowski is the senior national columnist for ESPN.com. You can contact him at gene.wojciechowski@espn3.com.

05-20-2006, 07:00 AM	#3
en-druzhba Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 471 Senior Member	Jack was, is, and always will be the man. The Scots haven't worshipped a golfer the way they do him since Bobby Jones. Jack went out with a birdie, class, and a smile. Live long and enjoy your retirement Jack. You gave me so many great memories over my lifetime that I can't name them all. -------------------------------------- Farewell: Nicklaus bids adieu amid cheers, tears By Gene Wojciechowski ESPN.com Archive ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- They stood on rooftops and leaned against chimney pipes. They peered through the open windows of the stately Royal and Ancient clubhouse. They stood 10 deep in front of the shops and flats that line the 18th fairway of golf's most famous course. They were there to witness history, a few well-earned tears, and, as it turned out, one wonderfully nostalgic, goose-bump moment when Jack Nicklaus wound the clock back to 1978 and turned the Old Course into a high-decibel chamber. At exactly 5:58 p.m. local time -- so said the timepiece on the stone R&A building -- Nicklaus struck the 72nd and final shot of his majors playing career. The birdie putt traveled 13 or so feet and then succumbed to gravity and, who knows, maybe fate. It was the near-perfect ending to the near-perfect golfer. "I knew that the hole would move wherever I hit," Nicklaus said later. He was kidding … I think. Nicklaus and the Old Course have been holding hands almost as long as he and sweetheart Barbara have been together, so anything is possible. Perhaps this was No. 18's way of saying, "Thank you." Nicklaus didn't make the British Open cut Friday afternoon, but he didn't have to. Nobody is going to judge him by his rounds of 75-72, respectable numbers that left him just out of reach of weekend play. After all, Nicklaus' legacy is more secure than the nearby Bank of Scotland branch that holds those prized, commemorative 5-pound notes with the Golden Bear's mug on the back. No, this was St. Andrews's chance to give the 65-year-old Nicklaus a weeklong smooch. And Nicklaus, always the golf romantic, kissed back. He took his place on the first tee wearing the same clothing ensemble he wore when he won here in '78: A blue and white argyle v-neck replica sweater, black slacks, white shirt, white golf shoes. His hair was longer back then, and more blond. The crow's feet around his eyes weren't as deep, either. And his weight was distributed a bit more evenly. "They both said large on them," said Nicklaus of the original and replica argyles, "but that was a much larger sweater than I wore before." Nicklaus first played in a British Open in 1962, first won in 1966 at Muirfield, and later added two more Claret Jugs to his collection, both courtesy of the Old Course. He loves it, and it -- and the people here -- love him back. He spent much of his day waving to the adoring crowds. It's a surprise Nicklaus didn't have to ice his wrists after the 18 holes. His introduction on the first tee brought waves of ovations from the swelled grandstands. And as he made his way toward the fairway, fellow pros Nick Price and Chris DiMarco made a beeline from the 18th green to shake his hand and wish him well. He began the day at 3-over, and that's how he ended it. But what happened in between is what I'll remember. On No. 4, a course marshal positioned near the tee box pleaded with spectators to put their cameras away. And they would -- for a moment. Then they'd sneak them out of their pockets and click away as Nicklaus walked by. An American flag appeared in the No. 8 grandstand when Nicklaus arrived. And wasn't that Hockey Hall of Famer Scotty Bowman assigned to the group of Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Luke Donald as the R&A-approved alternate scorer? On the 10th hole, spectators held out those Nicklaus 5-pound notes as he strode by. On No. 11, the crowd all but willed his iron shot over the bunker guarding the front of the green. On the 13th green, a BBC Scotland reporter could hardly contain himself as he whispered into his microphone that "a massive crowd" was there to watch Nicklaus. Duh. After all, it isn't every day that you get to see the end of a golf epoch. By the 16th hole, even a stateside newspaper reporter covering Nicklaus's final Open couldn't help himself. In his right hand was a notebook. In his left, an instamatic camera. This was the same hole that someone from the greenside bleacher yelled, "Don't go, Jack!" Too late. No. 17 -- the famous and infamous Road Hole -- was next. Nicklaus' tee shot cleared the corner of the Old Course Hotel and dropped perfectly into the middle of the 1-iron-thin fairway. As he walked toward his ball, hotel guests streamed out of their rooms and toward the retaining wall. "On you go, Jack!" yelled one man in a blue blazer. "On you go, sir!" "Thanks, Jack," said another. Nicklaus smiled. Then he shot a thumbs-up toward the hotel balconies, where, among others, Ernie Els and wife Liezl were standing and waving. Not far away was Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman, who had joined the masses for the final two holes. Nicklaus waved to the fans, posed for photos and shed some tears before making birdie on the final hole. By the time Nicklaus reached the 18th tee box it seemed as if all of Scotland had shoehorned itself near the fairway and green. "C'mon, Jack!" came a cry. So Nicklaus aimed slightly left of the 357-yard, par-4 and pretended he wasn't AARP eligible. His drive stopped just short of the green, in the aptly named Valley of Sin. There was the requisite photo op on the Swilcan Bridge, first by himself, then with son/caddy Steve, his longtime friend and worthy adversary Watson (remember Turnberry in 1977?) and Donald, then with the other two caddies. I'd give anything to be the stop bath at that darkroom. When Nicklaus' birdie putt fell into the hole you reached for Kleenex. Watson already had tears in his eyes from Nicklaus' last walk up 18. A bobby standing nearby broke into a grin. Fans applauded from those rooftops. Nicklaus embraced Steve. He blew kisses to the crowd. He walked off arm-in-arm with Watson. Then he saw wife Barbara and gave her -- what else -- a Bear hug. "Actually," said Nicklaus later, "as I was coming down the last few holes, I'm sitting there saying, 'Man, I don't want to go through this again. Maybe, it's just as well I miss the cut.' I said, 'I think these people have been wonderful. They've given of themselves and gave me a lot more than I deserved. I'm probably better off getting out of here.' " He leaves Saturday for Florida and home. For fly-fishing. For his golf-course design business. For family. But nothing will match what happened here on a sun-soaked Friday at the Old Course. How can it? Just before Nicklaus left the press tent after his final interview of the evening, R&A chief executive Peter Dawson stepped forward and thanked him for, well, being Jack. The assembled media rose from its seats and began clapping. This sort of thing doesn't happen often. About once every Jack Nicklaus. Gene Wojciechowski is the senior national columnist for ESPN.com. You can contact him at gene.wojciechowski@espn3.com.
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