Jack Nicklaus

It’s not every day the greatest golfing figure that ever trod this earth asks: “Do you want to see my scribbles?”

“Um, yeah, that would be great,” I reply, but before I’ve even started my sentence, Jack Nicklaus is already running through the additions to the architectural plans for the design of his latest signature course at the Polaris World Alhama network of resorts, due for completion sometime in 2008. You’ve probably all seen the Polaris ad’ (the one where Jack gets continually fobbed off), but outside the fantasy world existence of ad’ agency copy writers he’s probably not heard the sentence, ‘I’m a bit busy right now, Jack,’ for a good 30 years. If Jack invites you to look at a map and nod earnestly on occasion, even though you haven’t the faintest idea in the world what he’s on about, then nod you will. You are also quite likely to phone your mates as soon as the interview is over and tell them Jack asked you whether the shape and movement on 16 was up to scratch. Which, quite obviously, he didn’t.

There’s no real reason to exaggerate, either. Merely standing in the presence of greatness should be enough.

Before GolfPunk met Jack we spent a good while discussing where exactly you can fit him in the pantheon of great sportsmen. Can you think of a more dominant figure in his chosen sport? Someone who won more times than anyone else and still could have won so many times more? You could mount a decent argument in favour of Muhammad Ali. Indeed, Ali was the most charismatic sportsman of his century, but can you definitively say he was the best? Pele? Michael Jordan? Donald Bradman? Gareth Edwards? Pete Sampras? Michael Schumacher? Lance Armstrong? All subjective opinions, surely.

No, the way we look at it until the day Tiger nails his 19th Major, Jack remains not only the greatest golfer, but the greatest sportsman of all time.

But what’s he really like? Normally, you wouldn’t make a snap judgement on the basis of half a day snatching words and pictures in between a helicopter ride round Alhama, a press conference conducted in a marquee stuck in the middle of an arid plain and a drinks reception with the great and good of Murcia.

Under these circumstances, you’d normally get little more than unthinking titbits of banality. But coming face to face with a man whose career pre-dates the invention of the press conference is a different prospect entirely. It’s not as if Jack doesn’t know how to play the game – after all, he’s probably conducted more interviews than any other golfer in history – he’s just too big a man to fake it.

Consequently, you get a straight answer to a straight question. In an hour of his company, he might appear a bit grouchy one minute, then his eyes will soften into a smile the next; he’ll forget which major Colin Montgomerie came second in, but he’ll reel off tournament wins by rote.   

» Jack Nicklaus part 2