MONTREAL -- Talk about a tonic for the troops.
Like a savvy political candidate, Jack Nicklaus said Wednesday that if he was asked by his country, he would gladly serve.
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| Jack Nicklaus says, 'I love being involved in the game of golf.' (AP) |
The game's most revered figure was shooting the breeze with a handful of writers when the subject of future captaincies was broached. Nicklaus has served as the American captain of the past three Presidents Cup teams, but hasn't so much as attended a Ryder Cup in years. He last captained a Ryder team in 1987. For the past few years, the Americans have gushed about how Nicklaus' managerial style keeps them loose but focused on the task at hand, vs. the micro-managing of other captains. So maybe the best way for the Ryder Cup to move forward after absorbing consecutive losses by record margins to Europe is to move backward first.
"If I happened to get asked, would I do it again, sure," Nicklaus said. "It's very flattering. I didn't expect to do it again this time (at the Presidents Cup), as you know."
After winning the Presidents Cup in Washington, D.C., in 2005, the U.S. players practically insisted that he return.
"I love being involved in the game of golf," Nicklaus said. "I love being around these young guys. That's something money cannot buy."
If the powers that be are listening at the PGA of America -- the organization that runs the Ryder -- they could do a lot worse than picking the most decorated player in the history of the game. U.S. players this week, while being careful not to step on the toes of past Ryder Cup captains, lauded the Olden Bear's hands-off coaching style.
"I think the thing that I've noticed between Ryder Cup and here is Jack is very much, 'Guys, do what you want to do, have a great time, tell me who you want to play with,'" U.S. veteran Scott Verplank said. "Ryder Cup captains have been a little bit more, 'You're playing with him and he's playing with him.' I don't know if that makes any difference.
"I think most guys are comfortable with picking who they want to play with. I think that's helped in this event. Last time I played Presidents Cup, Justin Leonard and I knew we wanted to play together. We had been talking about it for 10 years and played pretty good. Jack says, 'Hey, if that's what you want to do, let's do it.' I had not noticed it being that simple in the Ryder Cup."
As usual, Nicklaus this week asked the U.S. players to provide him a list of players with whom they would like to be paired and did his best to make them happy. Elsewhere, he has been giving the sarcastic needle in an attempt to keep the mood light; he's acting more like captain Jack Sparrow than captain Jack Nicklaus.
Guys have been getting skewered on the bus ride to the course from the team hotel, in meetings and on the course. Rookie Lucas Glover said he's gone out of his way to lay low, just in case.
"I've been staying away," Glover said. "I hear he's pretty brutal."
