RIDGEDALE, Mo. – The Champions Tour, Legends of Golf will tee off at 9:30 Friday morning.
84 golfers make up 42 two-man teams and will compete on two courses.
Names like Watson, Langer, Irwin and Faldo are in the field. Also playing are a couple of monument men.
If there were a Mt. Rushmore of golf, then certainly Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player’s faces would be carved in granite. And this weekend, the two living golf legends will team up in the Legends of Golf.
“It’s always a pleasure to play with Jack,” says Gary Player. “A man I have great admiration for.”
“We’re back to play and I think we’ll have some fun,” says Jack Nicklaus. “I’m interested in the format really, it’ll be something unique.”
At 74 years old, Nicklaus is the junior member of the team.
Player’s 78 and the two looked like school chums as they talked about the weekend.
“We enjoyed it last year, but I don’t know where we finished,” says Nicklaus. “I didn’t see our name on the leader board.”
Ohio-native Nicklaus has won 18 major championships more than anyone else, but he also is heavily involved in course design. The Top of the Rock is his baby.
“I’m not sure what Johnny’s done to my course,” he says. “Those of you who know Johnny know what I’m talking about. I’ve had one of my guys out here for 10 years, half of every summer while he’s fiddled with it. When you’re done fiddling with it let me know and I’ll come back.”
South African native Gary Player has won nine majors and is the only non-American to win all four majors. And he loves Jack’s par 3 beauties.
“Having just played nine holes, I’ve never seen anything to compare to this,” he says. “I thought Augusta was enjoyable, but this is way better. This is outstanding. It brings in the instinct. And instinct is an essential ingredient in golf. That’s why this man was such a champion, he can adjust.”
And Nicklaus is proud to have the foundation of the Champions Tour, the Legends of Golf, at a unique golf course that he designed.
“We’ve played 700 events on my golf courses around the world, that’s a lot of events,” says Nicklaus. “It’s nice when they choose it and hopefully the guys will enjoy the event.”