Jack Nicklaus played the U.S. Open 44 times, and those 44 appearances were consecutively - without missing a year. Nicklaus first played as a 17-year-old amateur in 1957, and last played at age 60 in 2000. Along the way, Nicklaus won the U.S. Open four times, posted 11 Top 5 finishes, 18 Top 10 finishes and 22 Top 25 finishes - all tournament records Nicklaus holds or shares. He also finished second four times. There has been a documentary on TV recently, which I saw. In it, he relates this story, which I think is really neat. I have always admired him, and often mentioned his name when bringing up "true - professional athletes." That encompasses all aspects, his personal life and his professional live. In my book, there are very few of them. Nicklaus, Palmer, Bobby Orr, John Havlichek, Cal Ripken, Jr., and a few more. The following adds to his integrity.
"There was that 4-foot putt on the 17th hole in regulation that he hit firm to eliminate the break, knowing that if he had missed the ball likely would have rolled off the green. On some of the toughest greens in golf, Nicklaus only had one three-putt all week. The olive pants -- his wife called them his ''Army pants'' -- that he liked so much he wore them again in the playoff. And the 18th hole in the playoff, when Palmer picked up Nicklaus' ball, only for USGA Executive Director Joe Dey to run onto the green and remind them it was stroke play and Nicklaus had to finish the hole.
Mostly, though, there was the cigarette.
Nicklaus used to smoke during golf tournaments, as many golfers did in that era, and a turning point in his behavior on the golf course came after that U.S. Open. It became such an important change that Nicklaus still remembers the day - Dec. 8, 1962 - when the USGA shipped him a film of his big win at Oakmont. He watched the key putts and booming drives, his straight left leg and upright posture. What unsettled him was a scene of him setting down a cigarette to tap in a putt during the playoff.
''It was the worst example for youth I can imagine,'' Nicklaus said. ''It was the last time I ever smoked a cigarette on the golf course.''
Greenburg wasn't about to leave that out of his documentary, but he uses it to share Nicklaus' story on what caused him to give up smoking on the golf course, and years later, to give up smoking for good.
''We have Jack telling the story,'' Greenburg said. ''It was a time period where people are just smoking and not thinking about the ramifications. It's interesting that at 22, Jack figured out at that point that it's not the way to act as a role model. When he saw that film, he was taken aback.''
