Jack Nicklaus reminisced about the Masters Tournament today in a ceremony held in his honor. He took the opportunity to make a startling announcement: he’ll be playing this year.
A month ago, following the tragic death of Jack’s grandson in a pool accident, Nicklaus announced that he would probably skip The Masters, saying that he’d rather spend time with his family in these trying times.
Of his change-of heart, Nicklaus said “It (Augusta National) is a place that’s meant a lot to me in my life. I’m coming up here to play and fulfill a request by Hootie (Johnson, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club) and a desire on my part. I feel like I can play so I’m going to play.” Nicklaus made the remarks at the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame Botanical Gardens, where he received a key to the city during ceremonies that also honored Lee Elder for breaking the color barrier in The Masters 30 years ago.
The rain-shortened BellSouth Classic was only supposed to go 54 holes, but it took 58 for Phil Mickelson to come out on top. Phil birdied the fourth playoff hole to take victory away from the resurgent Rich Beem and José Maria Olazabal as well as Arjun Atwal and Brandt Jobe.
It seems the European Tour has the same problems that the PGA Tour has: rain delays. Three groups of players were forced to finish their third rounds Sunday morning at the Estoril Open. Paul Lawrie held the third-round lead, but England’s Paul Broadhurst went on to win the Portuguese Open after fellow countryman Barry Lane gift-wrapped the victory for Broadhurst.
Weather was a factor during round one at the BellSouth Classic today as temperatures hovered below 40 degrees and winds gusted to 40 mph. Play was halted for nearly two hours as freezing rain and snow fell on the course. It was reminiscent of a ski slope with all the beanie caps worn today. Billy Mayfair said, “The hardest part is when it’s cold and you have delays, it’s hard to stay warm.” The delay prevented 63 players from finishing the first round including frontrunner Mayfair.
Last week at 
After a few months of speculation, word is spreading that outdoor apparel company Quiksilver is buying Rossignol, the parent company of Cleveland Golf and Never Compromise. Consolidation is nothing new to the golf business, but what can golfers expect to see out of these two brands once they’re under new ownership?
At the half-way point of the Estoril Open, England’s Paul Broadhurst and Portugal’s own Jose-Filipe Lima share the lead. Both players are at -8 and one shot ahead of Barry Lane and Simon Dyson, both of England. Dyson set a new course record shooting a second round 64.