Masters king Jack Nicklaus holds court after honorary tee shot

After trying not to “kill anybody” with his ceremonial tee shot on Thursday, honorary Masters starter Jack Nicklaus shared his thoughts on the PGA Tour, LIV Golf and some of the sport’s biggest names.

The six-time Masters champion was joined by Gary Player (three green jackets) and Tom Watson (two) on the first tee and later in the interview room at Augusta National Golf Club.

“When I walk up, make sure I don’t trip,” Nicklaus, 85, said when asked about his plan for the first tee. “Second one is make sure I get the tee in the ground without falling over, and the third one is just don’t kill anybody. Don’t laugh too much about that; that’s actually the thoughts that I have.

“As a matter of fact, from that point on, I just stand up and try to make as short a swing as I can make, and I didn’t have to work on that, and just make sure I make contact and hit it somewhere I won’t hurt somebody.”

All three former winners named Rory McIlroy as the player to beat this week in Augusta, as the Northern Irishman tries to complete a career Grand Slam.

“I sat down with Rory last week and we had lunch, and we were talking, and I said, ‘Rory, I know you prepared for Augusta; tell me how you're going to play the golf course’,” Nicklaus said. “We went through it shot for shot. And he got done with the round, and I didn’t open my mouth. And I said, ‘Well, I wouldn’t change a thing. That’s exactly the way I would try to play the golf course’.”

On the subject of the potential merger of the PGA Tour and breakaway LIV Golf circuit, Nicklaus said he “would love to see them all come together”, though he strongly believes the PGA Tour is “doing fine”.

“They’ve changed their structure,” he said. “The players now own a piece of what’s going on. I think their plan of ... elevated events and their plan of bringing young players along in the other tournaments has been very successful. We’re making new stars for the game.

“I think the PGA Tour is the tour, and that’s where most of your good players are, and I think it’s very healthy no matter which way it goes, but obviously we’d all like to see everybody together.”

In addition to talking about McIlroy and defending Masters champion Scottie Scheffler (“there’s nobody playing any better in the game than Scottie”) Nicklaus was asked his opinion of an older rivalry: Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

“I don’t know what level Phil is competing at. I guess he’s still playing. He’s playing the LIV Tour, is he? I don’t know if he’s playing or not. I don’t know, you never see that any more,” Nicklaus said.

“But Tiger is hurt. I think Tiger will get well and Tiger will be back and play — Tiger will be 50 next year. I believe he’ll probably play the Senior Tour [Champions] and I believe he’ll probably dominate the Senior Tour. Tiger is too much of a competitor to not play.”

Nicklaus closed with some advice about bouncing back from disappointments.

“You try not to have them,” the “Golden Bear” said, eliciting laughter. “That’s part of life. You’re going to have them, so you try not to [let it] dominate what your thoughts are. You try to keep yourself positive and moving forward.”

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