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Thursday, January 13, 2000
Coming out
from shadow of
the ‘Bear’
Gary Nicklaus will have his
golden moment when he tees off
in his first PGA eventSony Open Notebook
By Paul Arnett
Golf Watch, by Bill Kwon
Star-BulletinBeing a child of someone famous can be a curse as well as a gift.
While doors open at the drop of your name, they tend to close in your face if you don't step through quickly enough.
Today at 1:24 p.m., Gary Nicklaus tees it up for the first time as a full-fledged member of the PGA Tour. After nine tries at the qualifying school, the son of Jack Nicklaus earned his card last year by finishing in a tie for 12th overall.
A Hollywood script writer might be tempted to have the son of the greatest golfer of all time step out of the shadows and into the bright light of fame with the ease of a seasoned veteran.
Truth be told, Gary Nicklaus would love to do well in today's opening round of the $2.9 million Sony Open. But if the man who turns 30 on Saturday fails to make the cut after the second round tomorrow, it won't necessarily be a portent of things to come for the Tour rookie.
Jack Nicklaus pocketed $33.33 in his inaugural PGA Tour event at the L.A. Open in 1962. Six months later, he won his first U.S. Open."I was maybe 10 or 11 -- when my dad won the U.S. Open in 1980 -- when I started to realize how good my father was and what he had done," Nicklaus said. "That's when I learned about his career."
While his father won't be at his side during his first 18 holes, Gary Nicklaus can almost hear what he would say at any given moment or shot. Having patience is the best advice Jack Nicklaus ever gave his son. He also has prepared him for the mental aspects of the game.
"I get the mental side from the best player who has ever played the game," Nicklaus said. "He knows I have spent enough time around the world and should be able to handle the attention. The game is the same. We talk about scheduling and things like that."
At this point, Gary Nicklaus plans to play in 30 events. Come June, he would like nothing better than to take part in his father's Memorial Tournament in Ohio, but he would rather earn his way into the tournament rather than receive an exemption.
"That's a tournament I would love to play in," Nicklaus said. "Probably more than any other. It has been very special to my dad. It's one of my favorite courses. To me, it's a first-class event. It's as close to a major as you will get."
The past few years, Nicklaus toiled on the back roads of the Asian and Nike tours, something he believes will better prepare him for the rigors of the PGA. Granted, there's a big difference between the two, but in Nicklaus' mind, confidence is the key.
"Yeah, there's a big difference," Nicklaus said. "But if you look at the guys who have graduated from the Nike Tour, a high percentage have kept their cards. I have competed against them and very strongly in the last part of the year.
"Confidence comes with good rounds and seeing that you can compete against these guys out here. They aren't any better than I am, they just have more confidence. It's just a matter of competing with them and getting that same confidence."
Like his father, Nicklaus is a graduate of Ohio State, where he majored in economics. The only year Nicklaus earned any money was in 1993 by finishing in a tie for 58th at the Honda Classic. The $5,427 he earned left him 267th on the money list.
Since then, Nicklaus has worked hard on his game to get it up to par with the world's top players. And while he might not be the best putter around, Nicklaus is good at striking the ball. And that should serve him well as he takes part in the West Coast swing.
He and his dad recently won the Office Depot Father/Son Challenge in a playoff over Raymond Floyd and his son. But how he does on his own will only be revealed in time.
"The biggest improvement for me has come in my course management," Nicklaus said. "I don't make as many mistakes as I used to. My putting has also dramatically improved.
"I really don't know how many tournaments my father and I will play in together. I know he wants to play quite a bit, but I don't know what quite a bit means to him. I know he looks forward to being out there."
