Jack says he'd love to be Ryder captain again

Conversely, U.S. rookie Woody Austin has been busting Nicklaus' chops all week about a joking comment the captain made about Austin potentially breaking a putter over his own noggin, a reference to a well-chronicled incident years ago at Hilton Head, where Austin whacked himself in the head with his club after a bad putting day.

"I have been trying to figure out where I said it," Nicklaus laughed. "I don't even remember."

Given the media dog-and-pony show that the PGA of America demands of its U.S. captains in an attempt to generate advanced publicity -- including media sessions at various locales across the country months before the Ryder Cup team is even chosen -- whether Nicklaus could find room in his schedule is open to debate. But in principle, it would be terrific to try.

Besides, after Paul Azinger captains the U.S. team next year in Kentucky, is there a logical choice as his successor? Frankly, no.

No matter what happens down the road, it's indisputable that having guys like Nicklaus and fellow Hall of Famer Gary Player serving as captains is doubly sweet. For the players and the captains themselves.

"It's kept me involved in the game," said Nicklaus, who spends the majority of this time building courses these days. "I still want to be part of the game. If I'm not up to date with what's going on, how can you be on a soap box if you are in the dark ages?"

Nicklaus' porch light hasn't gone dark, to be sure.

"I think every one of us would say it was an honor, right on down the line," Jim Furyk said. "We all grew up watching him win the Masters in '86 with his son on the bag. And everyone pretended to beat Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer along the way. It's an honor to get to know him. A bunch of us played for him before, it's pretty special."