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Captain Jack Not Playing, But Happy To Stay Involved

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By JOHN NICHOLSON, The Associated Press

Published: September 27, 2007

MONTREAL - Jack Nicklaus had a golf club in his hand and a gallery around him, just like old times.

He was checking up on his U.S. team at the Presidents Cup when he noticed Steve Stricker in a bunker at Royal Montreal, getting advice from assistant captain Jeff Sluman. It wasn't long before Nicklaus joined them.

'First bunker shot I've hit since May,' Nicklaus cracked.

The last competitive shot he struck was two years ago at St. Andrews, when he holed a 15-foot birdie putt for a 72 in the British Open. So ended the career of golf's greatest champion, and he ended his retirement season on an even greater note when the Americans delivered a victory for Captain Jack in the Presidents Cup.

So it was strange to see him back as the captain, even with a mild protest from his wife.

'I was thinking, 'Oh my gosh, how can we top 2005?'' Barbara Nicklaus said from her hotel room in Montreal.

Deep down, she knew the answer.

'He's got that little g-o-l-f thing,' she said with a laugh.

They have been together for nearly a half-century, married a month after Nicklaus nearly won the U.S. Open as a 20-year-old amateur.

She was there for his 18 professional majors that spanned 25 seasons, for his emotional retirement at the home of golf. She has noticed the ease with which he has resisted temptation to play one more time at the Masters or his Memorial Tournament.

'He's not playing anymore, although he's as happy as can be,' she said. 'He's probably traveling more because he's got over 60 golf courses under construction. And he's loving it. That part of his life is fulfilled. The golf part of his life ... you never get rid of that.

'I don't think he misses playing. I know he misses the competition.'

Being captain of the Presidents Cup team helps fill that void. This is his fourth time in that role.

'It keeps me involved in golf,' Nicklaus said. 'Being captain, I had to keep up with the game. Even though I don't play, I still want to be part of the game.'

He will be again starting today at Royal Montreal, the oldest golf club in North America, where Stricker and Hunter Mahan play in the first alternate-shot match against Adam Scott and Geoff Ogilvy.

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