Even Jack Doesn't Know What To Think About Tiger At This Point

Golfweek's Jeff Babineau quotes Jack Nicklaus discussing the state of Tiger Woods following the recent WD's and Genesis Open no-show due to back spasms.

This probably about sums up how most feel

Nicklaus doesn’t live very far from him, but he really doesn’t have much of a handle on what his happening with Woods and his health these days.

“That is the biggest puzzle to me that I know,” Nicklaus said Sunday at the Honda Classic. “I just don’t know where he is and where his mind is. I don’t know.

Jack: Tiger Struggling, But He Doesn't Know What With

I'm not sure the bigger reveal, that Jack Nicklaus senses Tiger is struggling with is rehab/return, or that Jack knows this from an occasional text.

Joell Beall with the report on Nicklaus' latest remarks.

"He's struggling. I don't understand what he is struggling with," said the Golden Bear. "But I know he is struggling and he would be playing if he could play."

Update on 2016-07-29 05:57 by Geoff

**Nicklaus is also backing off of his criticism of Olympic sitter-outerers. Alex Butler reports from the opening of Golden Bear Grill.

"Then I started thinking more about it and thought maybe I shouldn't have said that because it's not about that. They aren't about growing golf right now. They are into playing golf. I'm into growing golf because I'm past my time. I look to the future of what happens to it. These guys are thinking 'how do I make a living, how do I perform?' If they get sick, and then all of the sudden they have a family that gets sick, then they've got another issue other than what they are trying to do...making a living in golf and to be able to perform at their best and highest level.

"I've taken the opposite side of my own opinion."

And Then Jack Said To Caitlyn...

Opening his revamp of Sherwood Country Club, Jack Nicklaus came face to face with club member Caitlyn Jenner. Just recently Jenner posted a photo of her new Women's Locker Room locker, and Thursday she conversed with Mr. Nicklaus about the course's reopening.

Seems like a thought bubble for Mr. Nicklaus is called for, assuming you can maintain the family values theme of this website.

Jack Nicklaus and Caitlyn Jenner... Only in LA! pic.twitter.com/TJ3V8Q87AF

— Abbey Mastracco (@AbbeyMastracco) March 4, 2016

Jack At 76: Hitting The Sweet Spot

Jaime Diaz reflects on the state of birthday boy Jack Nicklaus.

Thirty years (!) after his last major and far removed from hiccups in his business career, Diaz admires the combination of business empire and aging gracefully that is the Golden Bear.

In light of Tiger's recent decline and the reduction of career longevity for today's pros, I found this particularly profound:

The magic, multi-tiered word at the heart of Nicklaus’ feats has always been “management” -- of the golf course, of his psyche, of his life. Through his prime and beyond, he was criticized for not playing enough tournaments. His devotion to family was the main reason, but he also trusted an intuitive sense for marshaling his energy. No one else has won major championships over a 24-year span.

Update on 2016-01-25 04:00 by Geoff

**Mr. Nicklaus celebrated with his grandaughter, who shares the birthday with him.

No better way to spend my birthday than with friends and family, including grand-daughter Kelly O'Leary, who turned 17 today. Happy Birthday Kelly!

A photo posted by Jack Nicklaus (@jacknicklaus) on Jan 21, 2016 at 6:56pm PST

Update on 2016-01-22 05:19 by Geoff

**Bamberger on Nicklaus, including this:

For a half century or more now, players and officials and writers have gone to Nicklaus in search of insight. Dave Anderson, 86-year-old sportswriting legend, said recently, “Jack was the best. The best. Not just the best interview in golf but in all sports.” Listening to Nicklaus, Anderson said, you always learned something. You still do. His golf IQ is in the Mensa range. In the history of American golf, only Lee Trevino’s is higher.

Video: Jack Talking (Sincerely) About Today's Youth Movement

I'm always uncomfortable when Jack Nicklaus gets asked to talk about today's young players. Not because he's incapable of taking a question, but because it seems oddly disrespectful that someone who has won 18 majors championships is being asked to be excited about players who've won a handful of tour events or maybe a major.

Yet in announcing a Memorial Tournament sponsorship extension and huge purse increase, Nicklaus talked with Golf Central about a variety of topics, including the current crop of exciting young talent. Not only was there an obvious comfort level for him in answering the question, but it was fascinating to hear him essentially say the current wave is just a lot nicer, more accessible and more kind.

Go to the 9:23 mark to hear the comments and stay for the ensuing discussion from Savaricus, Rosaforte and Isenhour.

Jack Still Thinks Tiger Has "Good Chance" Of Breaking Majors Record Because Saying Otherwise Would Cause A Migraine

Paul Gittings of CNN talks to Jack Nicklaus after Tiger issued his fairly grim assessment at the Hero World Challenge and the 18-time major winner wisely holds the line on his past view.

Because to say otherwise would have spokesman Scott Tolley carrying Costco-sized bottles of Aspirin.

Woods, who is 40 at the end of December, gave a decidedly downbeat assessment of his future Tuesday, saying he had "nothing to look forward to." However, Nicklaus told CNN that his fellow American could still challenge in golf's top tournaments, including the four majors held each year -- of which he has won 14 since 1997.

"He has always been a very focused young man with a great work ethic, and is tremendously talented. To count him out of that (the majors record) would be foolish, he certainly has a very good chance of doing that," the 75-year-old said.