Jack Nicklaus laments today’s players for lack of manners
Jack Nicklaus used to write a personal note to each sponsor whose tournament he played, copying a practice from Arnold Palmer. That doesn’t happen anymore with today’s players.
Nicklaus chastised today’s players for being overhandled and failing to speak for themselves. Tiger Woods, of course, speaks through his agent Mark Steinberg, who spoke to Jack about not being able to make his tournament. Then there’s Ernie Els, who wrote on his blog that he wasn’t playing the Memorial. Then Adam Scott pulled out, as did Steve Stricker and Anthony Kim.
“Guys just don’t communicate anymore,” Nicklaus said. “Every once in a while, I might get something. But I don’t think I ever had a note from anybody when they’re going to leave the Memorial Tournament or not going to play or something that wrote and said, ‘Jack, I’m sorry. I had a problem, I can’t be here.” (More)
Wow! I would have loved to hear the conversation that Ernie Els (or his people had) with Jack Nicklaus that persuaded Ernie to play this week.
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