Time marches on for Nicklaus
Like it or not, time marches on. Sometimes that’s a good thing, many times it’s not. The latest example of that took place this week when Jack Nicklaus announced he was taking a step back from the day-to-day aspects of being the head of Nicklaus Companies. The Golden Bear is 78 years old and describes his health as being excellent. Being in that position in life and having more money than he and his family could ever spend, he said this decision will allow him to do things he’s passionate about, he was about golf in his prime. His plans are to spend more time with his charitable projects, most of which are tied to children’s healthcare, as well as continuing to be behind industry initiatives designed to grow the game. Nicklaus’ family has grown to include 22 grandchildren and is a large part of his life. He plans to be even a bigger presence in the lives of the family, helping them in whatever endeavors they might be involved in. Professional golf’s greatest of all time won’t disappear. He’ll still be around, he’ll be a spokesman for the game just as his good friend Arnold Palmer was for all those years before passing away in 2016. He’ll still use his stature in the world of golf to champion causes that are important to him and, of course, for the good of the game. And, time continues to march on. n n n You hear it every week on PGA Tour telecasts. “The players are just raving about the condition of the golf course. They all say it’s the best the course has ever been.” Really? While course superintendents and their staffs work on a very regimented schedule in preparation for a tour event and, if everything comes together, they’ll present a proper test for the best golfers in the world. But, can you imagine the odds against every one of the 40-plus being in the best condition ever? I can’t. Chalk it up to the over-the-top chatter that TV types engage in, I suppose. It’s still annoying. n n n Tony Romo, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback had a successful first season as Jim Nantz’s sidekick on NFL broadcasts. He was very popular with CBS viewers and found himself in the spotlight this week when it was announced that he had received a sponsor exemption into the PGA Tour’s Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship March 22-25. Romo has tried on several occasions to qualify for the U.S. Open, but never making it into the field. As is the case any time a non-professional gets into a field via the sponsor exemption, this news was not universally cheered. If the exemption hadn’t gone to Romo, a struggling pro could have greatly benefitted from getting another shot. Steph Curry of NBA fame shot a pair of 74s last year in a Web.com Tour event, but the other side of that took place back in 1992 when Washington Redskins quarterback Mark Rypien shot rounds of 80 and 91 in the Kemper Open. The PGA Tour community is rightfully defensive of its fields and playing opportunities. They’ll be watching, as will golf fans everywhere when Romo tees it up. Romo faced a lot of pressure during his NFL career, he’s in for a dose of a different kind of pressure in a month. n n n If you have an interesting story about your club or course or an individual who has done something special, let me know. Send your story ideas to mike.dudurich@gmail.com.
Like it or not, time marches on.
Sometimes that’s a good thing, many times it’s not.
The latest example of that took place this week when Jack Nicklaus announced he was taking a step back from the day-to-day aspects of being the head of Nicklaus Companies.
The Golden Bear is 78 years old and describes his health as being excellent. Being in that position in life and having more money than he and his family could ever spend, he said this decision will allow him to do things he’s passionate about, he was about golf in his prime.
His plans are to spend more time with his charitable projects, most of which are tied to children’s healthcare, as well as continuing to be behind industry initiatives designed to grow the game.
Nicklaus’ family has grown to include 22 grandchildren and is a large part of his life. He plans to be even a bigger presence in the lives of the family, helping them in whatever endeavors they might be involved in.
Professional golf’s greatest of all time won’t disappear. He’ll still be around, he’ll be a spokesman for the game just as his good friend Arnold Palmer was for all those years before passing away in 2016. He’ll still use his stature in the world of golf to champion causes that are important to him and, of course, for the good of the game.
And, time continues to march on.
n n n
You hear it every week on PGA Tour telecasts.
“The players are just raving about the condition of the golf course. They all say it’s the best the course has ever been.”
Really?
While course superintendents and their staffs work on a very regimented schedule in preparation for a tour event and, if everything comes together, they’ll present a proper test for the best golfers in the world.
But, can you imagine the odds against every one of the 40-plus being in the best condition ever?
I can’t. Chalk it up to the over-the-top chatter that TV types engage in, I suppose.
It’s still annoying.
n n n
Tony Romo, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback had a successful first season as Jim Nantz’s sidekick on NFL broadcasts. He was very popular with CBS viewers and found himself in the spotlight this week when it was announced that he had received a sponsor exemption into the PGA Tour’s Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship March 22-25.
Romo has tried on several occasions to qualify for the U.S. Open, but never making it into the field.
As is the case any time a non-professional gets into a field via the sponsor exemption, this news was not universally cheered. If the exemption hadn’t gone to Romo, a struggling pro could have greatly benefitted from getting another shot.
Steph Curry of NBA fame shot a pair of 74s last year in a Web.com Tour event, but the other side of that took place back in 1992 when Washington Redskins quarterback Mark Rypien shot rounds of 80 and 91 in the Kemper Open.
The PGA Tour community is rightfully defensive of its fields and playing opportunities. They’ll be watching, as will golf fans everywhere when Romo tees it up.
Romo faced a lot of pressure during his NFL career, he’s in for a dose of a different kind of pressure in a month.
n n n
Do you have an interesting story about your club or course or an individual who has done something special, let me know? Send your story ideas to mike.dudurich@gmail.com.