Golf Spelled Backwards

One of my recent book purchases was The Majors of Golf (affiliate link), a 3-volume encyclopedia compiled by Morgan G. Brenner. The books in the set list the full scores for every British Open, U.S. Open, PGA Championship and Masters played through 2008. Then, Brenner lists every golfer who ever played in one of those majors, along with each golfer's finish in each major he played. It's all numbers, no text, no narrative, but it's comprehensive. It will also set you back around $100. But it's a great reference book and research tool. Not to mention a great browse. Which brings me to Jack Nicklaus. Browsing through The Majors of Golf today, I came across the Nicklaus entry. And I just wanted to share something that jumped out at me: Nicklaus' performance in majors from 1971-77. Nicklaus played in 28 majors in those seven years, and finished out side the Top 10 in exactly two of them: the 1972 PGA Championship and the 1976 U.S. Open. Nicklaus finished in si...

Did you know that there was a time in the 1970s when multiple PGA Tour tournaments were affected by death threats against golfers? Or by bomb threats called in anonymously? Thankfully, nothing ever came of the threats, but they caused real consternation and worry — and real police presences — at multiple events back then.

Most people have strongly positive impressions of the Golden Bear. Most golf fans admire him personally as well as professionally. But not everyone. About eight years ago I was interviewing a golf course owner and developer who had built some of the top courses in Southern California. His company had worked with both Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. And he owned a home alongside a fairway at one of those fancy courses, one that was once the site of an exhibition match between Palmer and Nicklaus. This fellow and his kids waited in back of their house, next to the fairway, as Palmer and Nicklaus played that hole. When Palmer reached this little group of fans he was friendly and chatty. "You won't be surprised to learn that Nicklaus wasn't," the fellow said to me. He continued: "Nicklaus, as I'm sure you know, is an ***hole." As I'm sure you know . Well, no, I didn't know that. And I still don't know that. I'm sure Nicklaus, in ...