Jack Thinks The USGA Will Be Rolling Back The Golf Ball "In the not-too-distant future."

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From his ESPN 980 radio interview transcript when asked about the ball and the size of the driver head.

“I think both. I think it all starts with the golf ball. I think the USGA will probably end up doing that in the not-too-distant future. (Host: How about a tour ball?) More for the game of golf. The game of golf has three problems. It’s too hard, it’s too expensive and it takes too long. If they dialed the golf ball back it would reduce all those costs. The costs of maintaining the golf course, the cost of land and all those things would be dialed back and as an added benefit there’s only one golf course in this country that is not obsolete to the pros and that’s Augusta National, they’re the only people that have enough money to build the golf course and do the things they needed to do. Every time they have an event what do they do? Build new tees, new bunkers and do everything. It doesn’t make any sense. The simplest thing to do is fix the golf ball.”

Jack To Shark: “Quiet Greg, quiet. Down boy."

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Thanks to reader Lloyd who saw GolfChannel.com's post on Jack Nicklaus' radio interview with Washington D.C.'s ESPN 980 that covered a variety of topics, including Greg Norman's assertion that Tiger Woods is intimidated by Rory McIlroy.

The full transcript is here:

“Quiet Greg, quiet. Down boy. I think Tiger had a pretty darn good year this year. It’s the first time he has gotten himself back into contention in the majors, he didn’t finish them and I think by his own admission he said he had a hard time finishing them. That’s like anything else. He had a pretty big event in his life that changed a lot of things and he has to learn how to go back and play again. I think he’s learned how to play again, now he has to learn how to finish again. I think Tiger has a lot of wins left in him. He does have a lot more competition. During the couple of years when Tiger wasn’t really there all of the sudden you have Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley and I could probably name a half dozen other guys that have all won and learned how to win in Tiger’s absence. They’re not scared of him anymore. Before Tiger just showed up coming down the stretch and everybody said ‘oh there’s Tiger and I wilt.’ They don’t do that anymore. Tiger’s got his work cut out for him but I don’t think Tiger is by any means finished. I just think Tiger is too good of an athlete and too good of a player.”

John Strege reminds us that Norman's jab may be a result of an ego clash dating back to the early years of Bill Clinton's second term.

Whatever Norman's reasons for his latest analysis of Woods, it is an extension of a clash of egos that dates to 1996 and effectively ended a relationship that had begun five years earlier, when Woods was 15. Tiger was in Florida for a junior tournament, when an arrangement was made for the two to play golf together at Bay Hill Club in Orlando.

DVR Alert: Golf Channel's "Legendary Conversations" With Jack, Arnie, Gary & Lee

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From Golf Channel, Monday night at 10 ET for an hour:

Legendary Conversation: Nicklaus, Palmer, Player, Trevino (Premiere)
Airtime: Monday, 10-11 p.m.

Guests: Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Lee Trevino
Moderator: Rich Lerner

Hall-of-Famers Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Lee Trevino come together for a rare, roundtable-style interview to share stories and experiences from their legendary careers. Rich Lerner hosts.

A preview from Rich Lerner on Morning Drive:

Jack Is Back At Cherry Hills; U.S Amateur Day One Complete

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Though Bobby Wyatt leads (Ron Balicki's recap here) after the first round of stroke play qualifying in the U.S. Amateur, the real story of day one was delivered by David Shefter, writing of Jack Nicklaus' cameo to watch reinstated amateur Gary Nicklaus en route to an opening 71 (scores here).

Cherry Hills played to a 76.013 scoring average in round one.

Revisiting Olympic Club Slow Play Controversies Through The Years

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In this week's Golf World U.S. Open preview issue, I write about the slow play crackdown at the 1966 U.S. Open that led to some dramatic changes in times and also some unhappiness from several in the field, including Jack Nicklaus.

In a real career highlight, I obtained the quotes from Mr. Nicklaus during an interview in the Memorial press center men's room. No one said I was classy. But what are you going to do when the best ever says, "well, go ahead, ask your question!"

If only I had a camera to capture the look on his face when told Johnny Miller said that the USGA policy at Olympic made Nicklaus a faster player from that day forward. It looked something like this.

Bad News, Memorial Contestants: You're Stuck With No. 16!

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There isn't much to quibble with at Muirfield Village and the Memorial, one of the premier tournaments in the world and a model for sporting event operations. The magnificently conditioned course only adds to its allure, but if there was one quibble for this first time visitor to the Memorial, it's that, uh, well, peculiarly-designed 16th green as redesigned by Jack Nicklaus in 2010 and debuted in 2011.

It just doesn't fit with the rest, nor does No. 16 come close to working from the angle in question, no matter what wind is blowing.

As I noted in a video earlier this week, the hole looks like a fun, enticing but still-scary from a distance approximately 40 yards shorter and 40 yards right of the current tees, though a total green redo would not be the worst thing to happen either.

But after this shot for the ages by Tiger Woods, I'm having a hard time seeing Mr. Nicklaus bulldozing his redo.

So sorry boys! You're stuck with it!

Check out this ShotLink scatter chart screen grab of the 16th green tee shots from round 4. The hole finished as the toughest for the week. It was virtually impossible to hit a shot close.


Mr. Nicklaus was asked about No. 16 after the round and a funny exchange broke out involving Tiger and Jon Brendle of the tour staff:

Q.  Jack, you redesigned 16 to put a little more excitement into the tournament.  How do you think that's worked out?

JACK NICKLAUS:  Well, today‑‑ we had wind all week.  The first day wasn't bad.  The pin was tucked in the first pin placement the first day.  But today, I don't think the field staff‑‑ I think the field staff got caught a little bit.  They were forecasting for a southwest wind, we had a northwest wind, and with the northwest wind that back pin placement from the back tee was really tough.  That wasn't what I had in mind to be very honest with you.  That green with a southwest wind funnels right down the green, meaning that if you're standing back there on the tee and you hit it, you're going to be buffeted slightly from the right and it should turn the ball.  The old green went this way, this green goes this way, so it should feed it to the green.

But when you've got a strong left to right, don't put the pin in the back left, please.  It just made it so the guys couldn't play it.  Not many guys did, they really just needed to put the ball in the middle of the green there if they could and then try to make a two‑putt.  But guys kept trying to force it back there and they kept going to the back of the green or going in the back bunker and it was tough.

TIGER WOODS:  Oh, really?

JACK NICKLAUS:  It was tough.  It was tough.  I'm glad I didn't have to play my own hole.
That's probably right, isn't it, Jon?

JON BRENDLE:  You guys were forecasting southwest.  I don't know.  We wanted to play it tough for you.

JACK NICKLAUS:  No, I don't want you to play it right for me.  I want you to play it right.

JON BRENDLE:  We knew it was going to be tough all day.

JACK NICKLAUS:  That's your call, not my call.  Jon and I talked during the week, we had five pin placements, you didn't use the back right.  You could've used back right today probably with the way the wind was.

JON BRENDLE:  I thought it was more fair back right.

JACK NICKLAUS:  Boy, you're mean.

TIGER WOODS:  I made 2.  (Laughter.)

JACK NICKLAUS:  Yeah, he made 2.  The little pin placement on the right he made 2, also.  You played that hole a couple under?

TIGER WOODS:  I did play it a couple under.

JACK NICKLAUS:  So what's so tough about it?  Isn't the hole supposed to separate you?

TIGER WOODS:  Here we go.

Memorial Photo Caption Fun, Jack And Rory Edition

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Screaming out for a Jack thought bubble...Tweeted by Rory:

 

Phil WD's From Memorial Citing Mental Fatigue

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Steve Elling on Phil Mickelson's post-79 WD at The Memorial, citing mild burnout from three tournaments in succession followed by an overseas trip to celebrate his wife's 40th birthday.

“I came back and had a Tuesday outing in Long Island, the pro-am, and I think mentally I'm a little bit fatigued,” Mickelson said. “So the course here is in such great shape, it's a beautiful way to get ready for the U.S. Open.

“But I'm hitting it so poorly that I think that for me to I have to look at what's best for me to play in the U.S. Open, and I'm going to take the next few days to kind of rest up.”

Doug Ferguson put the WD, which figures to be criticized by many, into context:

It's not unusual for players to withdraw after a high score - it was Mickelson's worst in the 13 trips to the Memorial - and three other players withdrew Thursday. But it's rare when the player is of Mickelson's stature, a four-time major champion inducted this month into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Steve DiMeglio explains that the WD goes against Mickelson's views on competing.

Mickelson could not think of another time he withdrew without physical injury.

"I feel like it's the responsibility of a player to see through your commitment and finish the tournament and so forth," Mickelson said. "And I'm kind of overruling that just a touch, because I'm trying to think big picture on what's the best way for me to get ready for the Open."

If you are wondering what the tour policy is for a fatigue WD, Jason Sobel explains how the regulations work:

Despite initial thoughts to the contrary, it appears Mickelson will not be subject to punishment from the PGA Tour. According to the 2012 PGA Tour player handbook, Article IV, Section A-8 states: “Fatigue will not be considered a valid reason for withdrawing.” However, this particular rule applies only to players who withdraw after committing to a tournament and prior to beginning the opening round or those who withdraw during a tournament round.

After the completion of a tournament round, no reason for withdrawal is necessary.