Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 25, 1990 TAG: 9003251876
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CORAL SPRINGS, FLA. LENGTH: Medium
Jack Nicklaus is less enchanted.
The fresh flowers, delivered weekly to their home in North Palm Beach, Fla., symbolize the questions and decisions that are piling up for Jack as he approaches - with some reluctance - the PGA Seniors Tour.
"I'm having a hard time being 50, being a Senior," Nicklaus said.
Nicklaus is scheduled to make his first official start among the Seniors in the Tradition at Desert Mountain, in Scottsdale, Ariz., beginning Thursday.
Until he does, the roses will continue to arrive. They are the gift of Lee Trevino, who sends a dozen roses to Barbara for every Seniors tournament in which Jack does not play.
At the same time, they are a reminder of the problems facing Nicklaus, holder of a record 18 major professional championships and arguably the finest player golf has known.
"I'm in a quandary," he said. "Play here [on the regular PGA Tour]; play the Seniors; or not play at all?"
Nicklaus, who has played an abbreviated schedule since winning the 1986 Masters, now is in an 11-week stretch in which he may find the answer. He has played once and is scheduled for six more tournaments in that period.
For the first time in a several years, he has a full opportunity for an extended period of competition.
His back problems are under control. Demands on his time from his golf course business will not become severe until summer. He has had more time to practice and prepare than he's had in years.
"I'm better prepared than I've been in a long time. I'm not as sharp as I'd like to be because I haven't competed that much," he said.
But the competition is coming in the immediate future, both on the regular tour and among the seniors, where he can expect a less than completely cordial reception from the rest of the over-50 set.
Many of them were miffed by some Nicklaus remarks that were interpreted as being critical of other senior players.
"It's been blown all out of proportion," Nicklaus said.
"My comments were never meant to demean or downgrade the guys on the Senior Tour," said Nicklaus, who was quoted as referring to other senior players as "guys I've been beating for 30 years."
The comment was published in a nationally circulated golf magazine, and promotional material - using the inflammatory quote - on the article was widely distributed.
"I said that, yes," Nicklaus said. "But that's not all I said. I also said some of them have been beating me for 30 years, too.
"But they just lifted out what they wanted from what was written and made a big thing out of it.
"Goodness gracious, the Senior Tour has given these guys a new lease on life. The Senior Tour is wonderful.
"My problem is that I feel I'm still competitive on the regular tour. I'm supposed to drop this and go to the seniors just because I'm 50?"
In recent years, he said, business commitments have prohibited him from giving the time to golf that is necessary for him to properly prepare for competition.
"I don't want golf to dominate my life. I have a business to run. I have 130 employees. I can't just turn my back on them. I'm trying to build the business for my children, and now for my grandchildren," he said.
Circumstances have developed, however, that he now finds himself with the time, and the desire, to be away from his business and prepare for golf competition.
"My days as the best player in the world are over. I know that. My problem is that I like to play golf," he said.
"The next 10 or 11 weeks will give some indication of where I am."
by CNB