The 83-year-old star spoke about the changes the emergence of the Saudi super league has brought about and the players’ motivations for changing. Moreover, he was not in favor of allowing them to return to the PGA.
Jack Nicklaus is a living golf legend and a word more than authorized to analyze the moment that this sport is experiencing today, marked by the eruption of LIV Golf, like a crane that has dragged big names from the world stage, among them Joaquín Niemann and Guillermo Pereira. As the Memorial approaches, which begins this week in Ohio, the 83-year-old star has retained nothing in his analysis.
“I don’t even consider these guys part of the game anymore. I’m not saying that in a mean way.” , he began by saying. “This is a PGA Tour event and we have the best possible course for a PGA Tour event for those eligible to be here. The other guys chose what they did and where they went and we don’t even talk about it… For all intents and purposes, all the best players in the world are here.” he added.
Nicklaus, yes, commented that he sent a note of congratulations to Brooks Koepka, one of LIV’s figures, after winning the PGA Championship two weeks ago at Oak Hill, where he himself won the Wanamaker trophy in 1980.
Regardless, the Golden Bear, as he is known around the world, insisted they should not be allowed to return to the PGA. “No I don’t think so. They made a decision. And that’s good. I have no problem with any of them. Six or seven of them are members of the Bear’s Club (Nicklaus club in Florida). This is not a problem. We get along well. And they actually spurred the PGA Tour to improve.
love golf
Likewise, he deepened his opinion on these wide defections from the North American circuit to the Saudi super league. “There were some players for whom it was probably the right thing to do,” he reflected. “It probably boosted the PGA Tour, I don’t think there’s any doubt about that either. ; to take it to greater heights. But it wasn’t for me, it wasn’t for my legacy. Obviously, I more or less started what the Tour is here,” he stressed.
He also appreciated those who remained on the American circuit. “I think most of the players who have stayed on the PGA Tour are players who play golf for golf’s sake.” said Nicklaus, who in his career has won 73 PGA tournaments, including 18 majors. AND continued: It’s a competition. What mattered most to me was how good I could be at golf. Others don’t care about the game itself, about competition, they’re just good at it, it’s a means to an end. And that’s fine with me, even if I felt it differently.”
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Source: Latercera
I am David Jack and I have been working in the news industry for over 10 years. As an experienced journalist, I specialize in covering sports news with a focus on golf. My articles have been published by some of the most respected publications in the world including The New York Times and Sports Illustrated.
