Jack’s Final Open Round

I just finished watching Jack Nicklaus play his final Open Championship Round (isn’t TIVO a wonderful thing). It was a terrific sendoff. I was particularly impressed by the way he asked the players and caddies in his group to join him on the bridge for a photo op. Luke Donald will take that with him for the rest of his life.

But I don’t think that had to he his final round. Jack was striking the ball as well as—if not better than a lot of other players out there. It’s just his putting that left him short—literally. There must have been eight or ten putts over the last two days that he left well short of the hole. Most were on line, and if struck hard enough would have gone in the hole. If he makes just two of those, he probably makes the cut.

Far be it from me to criticize the greatest player of all time, but I remember the first putting lesson I ever had, when my pro friend said “You can’t put it in the hole if you don’t get it there.” No putt left short ever went in the hole.

But maybe that’s the effects of age. The younger Jack surely would have figured out that his putts just weren’t getting there and made the adjustment.

He made his last puttt.

Congratulations Jack, on the greatest career ever. With all due respect to Mr.Woods, I don’t think it will ever be eclipsed.