Player Diary: Jack Nicklaus

Golfing legend Jack Nicklaus, winner of the 1991 and 1993 Senior Open, will share his thoughts this week from Inverness.

TOLEDO, Ohio -- I feel really good coming into this week because I just spent five days bone fishing with my son Jackie and some friends in the Bahamas. I love fishing and it was a great escape.

I did get a chance to play a little bit as well, before I got there - Saturday and Sunday in Florida, and Monday at Muirfield. Then [Tuesday] I played with my old friend Tom Watson at Inverness. I’m having a hard time drumming up a lot of enthusiasm for a golf game that’s not very good.

I’ve hit a lot of nice shots, but my short game has been pathetic. I haven’t been able to make any putts and that just goes right through your game and then you lose your enthusiasm when you can’t get the ball in the hole.

I don’t like to lose my enthusiasm before I start. I didn’t play very well at the Senior PGA and I didn’t play very well at Muirfield [at the Memorial Tournament]. At the Senior PGA I was worn out from Muirfield. At Muirfield I didn’t get off to a good start and played the last 14 holes 3 under, almost made the cut, but didn’t quite get there. So I didn’t have a whole lot of enthusiasm for playing [there]. And, of course, the weather was lousy and so I go out to the first tee and my back spasms up. I had spasmed at Muirfield on Thursday, as well, so I just wasn’t any good.

Not because my back was that terrible -- because my back got better -- but the fact that it spasmed I never really felt comfortable the rest of the week. You never really lose that feeling. All of that said, I really like coming to Inverness and look forward to playing this golf course. I’ve played five or six tournaments here, but never done very well, even though I like the golf course. I just never seem to play very well.

I played my first U.S. Open here when I was 17 years old and I’ve always liked the golf course. I’ve played tons of exhibitions here.

I always seem to play well in exhibitions, but never seem to play very well when it comes to the golf tournament.

Hopefully, that will change. I think what has happened here in past years is that they’ve had rain and the golf course has softened up and all of the sudden they shoot lights out. And I didn’t think it is a lights-out golf course.

If anybody breaks par this week they will do very well, and I like a golf course like that, where it’s really hard. I usually do better in those situations, because if I play well then I’m rewarded; if I don’t play well then I don’t play well.

The greens will be hard and tricky, but firm and fast, which I think is great. I like that; I’ve always liked that type of golf course.

The forecast is for some thundershowers on Thursday and somewhat cooler conditions -- hopefully not much rain -- just enough to dampen it. I want it to stay just like it is.