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Phenomenal pair

After a round with Woods, who shoots 66 to tie Dunlap for the lead, Nicklaus knows how he once made others feel.

By BOB HARIG

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 18, 2000

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Painfully appropriate, the words were spoken with the same reverence once reserved for him.

It was the great amateur Bobby Jones who marveled at Jack Nicklaus' extraordinary talents back in the early 1960s, when the Golden Bear began to dominate golf. Now, playing alongside Tiger Woods for the first time in competition, Nicklaus got to see for himself Thursday how he used to demoralize others.

While Nicklaus struggled to 5-over-par 77 at Valhalla Golf Club during the first round of the PGA Championship, Woods took his usual spot atop the leaderboard with 6-under 66.

"He plays a game with which I am not familiar," said Nicklaus, uttering the same phrase Jones once used to describe him. "Of course, I'm playing a game with which I'm not familiar, either."

Nicklaus managed to find some humor in a difficult day. Playing a day after the death of his 90-year-old mother, Helen, Jack Nicklaus, 60, clearly had trouble focusing on the task.

But he nonetheless enjoyed the opportunity to play with Woods, 24, who is attempting to do something Nicklaus has not done in a career that saw him win 18 major championships: capture three in one year.

Woods was tied with former University of Florida golfer Scott Dunlap, two shots ahead of Davis Love and Darren Clarke at 68. Edward Fryatt, Fred Funk, Stephen Ames and J.P. Hayes shot 69. Darkness forced 18 players to finish their rounds today.

But Woods again was the story.

"He shot the easiest 66," Nicklaus said. "He missed a half-dozen opportunities where it looked like they were in the hole. Phenomenal control, phenomenal concentration. That was a real treat to watch."

Nicklaus is playing the first two rounds with Woods and Masters champion Vijay Singh, a noteworthy occurrence in light of Nicklaus' history in the game.

As a 20-year-old in 1960, Nicklaus finished second to Arnold Palmer in the U.S. Open, where he played the last two rounds with legendary Ben Hogan.

Two years ago, at age 58, Nicklaus shot a final-round 68 at the Masters to tie for sixth and finish ahead of Woods, who was eighth.

For some 40 years, Nicklaus has been there to play with and against the greats of the game.

"I was really happy with the pairing this week," Nicklaus said. "I was absolutely delighted. I've never played with Tiger in competition before, and before I finished playing golf, I wanted to play with him in a major championship.

"I remember I played with Gene Sarazen, the only time I played with Gene, and it was at the 1971 PGA Championship. He was 66, 67 years old at that time. I enjoyed that very much, and it was a real privilege for me to play with him. And it was fun. He had the opportunity to watch me in the prime of my career.

"And I am getting the opportunity to watch Tiger in the prime of his career in competition. It was something I have wanted to do. ... I don't mind the shoe being on the other foot. It has been on the other foot long enough."

Woods keeps using his shoe to kick the competition. The winner of the U.S. Open in June by 15 shots and the British Open last month by eight, Woods has played 24 consecutive rounds on the PGA Tour at par or better. He has led or been tied for the lead after eight of the past nine major championship rounds.

With 68s in the last three rounds of this tournament, Woods would set the PGA Championship scoring record of 18 under par -- and be the first player to hold the record in all four major championships at the same time.

Though he made one bogey on the front nine, Woods got right back into contention by birdieing the last three holes to shoot 33. He followed with another birdie at the 10th, then added two at the 12th and 18th holes. Woods birdied all four par-5s.

And it was all sort of matter-of-fact to Woods. "Any time you shoot 66 in a major championship, you are going to be happy," he said. "It was a good day. I played well."

Although a good deal of commotion surrounded the threesome, Woods didn't appear to mind. He said it was good because so much attention was paid to Nicklaus.

"It was a great day for me. Everybody was yelling out, "Jack,' not me," Woods said. "So I just kind of walked around. ... No one saw me."

That was hardly so. One legendary figure in the game had a front row seat.

"I wouldn't like to spend the next 20 years trying to beat him," said Nicklaus, who paused and wondered.

"Yes, I would. I've always loved the challenge."

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