Jack Nicklaus has been a voice of purpose for skilled golf for many years. He has supplied his opinion and perspective on quite a few subjects, from course design to gear advances to rolling again the golf ball.
However he needs nothing to do with the present saga surrounding the PGA Tour and LIV Golf’s beneficiary, the Saudi Public Funding Fund (PIF).
“I reside in Florida now. I’m not a part of the issues {of professional} golf,” Nicklaus stated Tuesday with fun.
“I’ve tried to remain out of what’s going with the Tour and LIV.”
When the Memorial Event begins on Thursday, play will begin on the primary anniversary of the framework settlement set forth by the PGA Tour and the PIF.
On Jun. 6, 2023, these two sides agreed to drop their lawsuits and work in direction of uniting the skilled recreation as soon as once more. Additionally they established a deadline of Dec. 31, 2023, to strike a deal, however that date has come and gone with little progress.
“I feel they’re engaged on it. However I feel [the PGA Tour is] in fairly good fingers,” Nicklaus stated.
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“A few months in the past, I known as [PGA Tour Commissioner] Jay [Monahan] to speak about it. I stated, ‘Jay, I’m anxious somewhat bit about what’s happening.’ I stated, ‘Are you doing all proper, or are you not?’ And he stated, ‘We’re doing positive.’ I stated, ‘That’s all I must know. So, so far as I do know, the Tour’s doing positive, and their issues are going to get labored out. How it’s, I don’t know.”
Nicklaus doesn’t need to become involved any additional. All he wanted was a wellness verify, and contemplating he helped create the fashionable PGA Tour in 1968, he nonetheless feels invested in it. His Memorial Event is without doubt one of the most outstanding non-majors yearly—an occasion obtainable solely to PGA Tour members.
However he additionally believes his protégé, Tiger Woods, will assist information issues to smoother waters. Woods, in fact, joined the PGA Tour Coverage Board final August.
“Tiger has a whole lot of expertise, he’s been round lengthy sufficient, he’s not going to play a complete lot extra. He can nonetheless contribute,” Nicklaus stated.
“I feel it’s nice that he needs to contribute and be a part of it. I feel it’s nice that the fellows need him to contribute. So I’m delighted to see him on the board. He’ll make an ideal contribution.”
However, Nicklaus, at 84 years previous, additionally revealed that he doesn’t take note of the PGA Tour’s day-to-day trivia.
He has 5 kids, 24 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren, all of whom rank means larger on his precedence checklist than the Tour.
He nonetheless runs the Memorial Event in his native Columbus, Ohio, however he doesn’t do a lot outdoors of that because it pertains to professional golf. He barely even watched final yr’s U.S. Open, too.
“I’m making an attempt to be in the midst of the Memorial Event and be concerned in that,” Nicklaus stated.
“I feel that there are quite a bit smarter individuals and quite a bit higher people who find themselves higher versed on what’s happening than I’m because it pertains to the issues of the sport of golf. I feel that it’s in good fingers and I belief them to unravel these issues as a result of I really like the sport of golf, I like to see the sport of golf flourish and develop as we’ve all seen it develop for a very long time.”
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By. Make sure to try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.
