Nicklaus' desire leads to legend, six green jackets

The shots, after all these years, are still worth remembering.

There's the 1-iron off the flagstick at Pebble Beach, the "Yes Sir!'' birdie putt at Augusta National, and the drive through the Valley of Sin at St. Andrews.

Of course, who could forget the wedge shot Jack Nicklaushit on the 18th hole in the second round at the 2004 Masters Tournament?

Nicklaus' drive nicked the trees on the left and fell well short of the normal landing area. He hit his second shot to about 80 yards from the green, then nipped a wedge shot that never left the pin and came to rest a foot from the hole for a tap-in par. That he finished off a round of 75 to miss the cut by two shots is of no consequence.

That shot won't go down in the annals of golf history, but it speaks volumes about Jack William Nicklaus.

No matter what round, no matter what his score, no matter the situation, Nicklaus never quit trying. How many times did he make a putt of consequence on the final final green? Who else would you want to make a pressure shot? Most would say Nicklaus.

It's not enough anymore for the Golden Bear, who turned 65 in January.

"I miss tournament golf, but I want to go out there with a game,'' he said recently. "Last year at the Masters I shot a pair of 75s, and people were patting me on the back and saying nice playing. Gee, thanks a lot. It's not too exciting to shoot a pair of 75s.''

Such is the state of mind for the six-time Masters champion, who once played a game that Bobby Jones was not familiar with yet now treads on unfamiliar ground.

He cashed the biggest competitive check of his career in February when he won the Champions Skins Game in Hawaii, but that has been his only tournament appearance this year. The death of a grandson in an accident in early March curtailed his future plans.

His Masters plans for this week were to show up Tuesday, play a practice round and attend the annual Champions Dinner. If he feels like it, he will play the Par-3 Contest today.

"And if I can play, if I think I should play the golf tournament, I'll probably play the golf tournament,'' Nicklaus said. "If I don't think I should, I'll play Tuesday and Wednesday, and that will be it.''

Nicklaus played in 40 consecutive Masters from 1959-98, won six times and missed out on other victories a handful of times during that period. He even challenged for a seventh win in 1998, at age 58.

Since then, the results have not been as pleasant. Hip replacement surgery forced him to miss the tournament in 1999, and he sat out again in 2002 because of lingering back problems. He tied for 54th in 2000, but he missed the cut in 2001, 2003 and 2004.

That's not how an Augusta legend like Nicklaus wants to be remembered.

After all, the Nicklaus name appears in the Masters record book quite frequently.

He once held the marks for youngest champion, 72-hole total and 18-hole score. Now he stands alone as the only six-time tournament winner and the oldest man (46) to win the coveted green jacket.

No matter what the future holds for Nicklaus, his six wins at Augusta National will be hard to forget.

He won three times in the 1960s, dominating like no one before him. His landmark 1965 win established records for 72-hole total (271) and margin of victory (nine) at the time.

In the 1970s, he won twice and never finished worse than eighth. Nicklaus' 1975 Masters win is part of tournament lore for its great shootout among Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf and Johnny Miller.

Nicklaus saved his best for last with his sixth and final Masters win in 1986. Written off because of his age and his erratic game, Nicklaus fired 65 in the final round for a comeback victory against some of golf's top players.

Now, as his career comes to a close, Nicklaus has said repeatedly that he doesn't want a special sendoff. He does plan to play the British Open one final time this summer, in part because it is at St. Andrews and also because it was moved up in the rotation to accommodate his final year of eligibility.

His Masters plans are less firm, but there are no age restrictions to worry about at Augusta National.

Besides, the competitor in Nicklaus isn't keen on giving up the game no matter his age.

"I really don't want to end my career not enjoying the greatest thing I have ever done,'' Nicklaus told Golf World this year.

Reach John Boyette at (706) 823-3337 orjohn.boyette@augustachronicle.com.