Nicklaus had Newport in mind

Bryce Alderton

For the last few years, Jack Nicklaus has picked his spots carefully.

In 2003, Nicklaus appeared in more official Champions Tour events

(nine) than in any other previous season since joining the circuit in

1990. But his schedule didn’t include a stop at the Toshiba Senior

Classic in Newport Beach.

That will change this year.

Considered by some to be the greatest golfer of all time,

Nicklaus, who is second only to Sam Snead (81) with 70 career PGA

Tour victories, will make his debut next week in Newport Beach.

This year he has already played in two Champions Tour events,

finishing sixth in the season-opening MasterCard Championship, where

he averaged 67 for three rounds.

His third stop will officially begin when he tees it up in the

first round of the 10th Toshiba Senior Classic next Friday.

Though it wasn’t announced until Monday, Nicklaus pondered

competing in Newport Beach for some time.

“I have had the Toshiba Senior Classic on my radar screen, if you

will, since the beginning of the year when I sat down and first

looked at my schedule,” Nicklaus said. “I liked its place in the

schedule and was hoping it would work out that I could play there. I

wanted to play in a tournament before Augusta to get a feel for

whether or not I am going to play the Masters, so the timing of

Toshiba is ideal.”

Nicklaus, 64, winner of a record 18 major championships on the PGA

Tour, won the Senior PGA Tour portion of the now-defunct Hyundai Team

matches with partner Tom Watson at Pelican Hill Golf Club in 1999 and

2000, the only other time the “Golden Bear” has played in an official

PGA or senior tour event in Newport-Mesa.

Nicklaus, inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974, has

won 10 times on the senior tour, the last two victories coming in

1996 at the Tradition and GTE Suncoast Classic. Health problems that

included persistent lower back pain and hip replacement surgery in

1999 limited Nicklaus’ tournament schedule, but those maladies seem

to be part of the past.

His best finish in a senior tour event last season was a tie for

seventh at the Kinko’s Classic May 8-11.

The North Palm Beach, Fla., resident is eager to share next week

with wife Barbara.

“I’ve heard that Newport Beach Country Club is a good golf course

and that the tournament is well run and well supported by the

community,” Nicklaus said. “I’ve never played Toshiba and I’ve wanted

to do so; now, I have that opportunity. Newport Beach is a beautiful

area and Barbara and I are looking forward to getting there.”