COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jack Nicklaus doesn’t play much golf anymore. But he said he did tee it up for three rounds at Augusta National Golf Club after the 2024 Masters.
In the days after Scottie Scheffler won the green jacket for the second time in three years, the Golden Bear stuck around to play the course three times.
“I shot 88, 90 and 91. That’s a 269 for three rounds, which is a pretty good four-round score,” he quipped. “That’s what I play anymore. They don’t have any forward tees at Augusta. I can’t play 6,400 yards. I hit the ball 190 yards anymore if I kill it. I played once last year, once the year before, and I’ve played four times this year already.”
In October of last year, Nicklaus told the Palm Beach Post that he wasn’t sure when he’d play again. He said at the time that he hadn’t swung a golf club since hitting his ceremonial tee shot ahead of the 2023 Masters.
“I would like to go play again. I play so poorly anymore it’s just really not any fun. And I run out of golf balls.”
Nicklaus, an honorary starter at the Masters since 2010, last played that event in 2005. He then continued participating in the Par 3 Contest but in 2022 announced he was done with that as well.
Nicklaus, who turned 84 on Jan. 21, spoke with reporters during a media day Wednesday to promote his event at Muirfield Village next month, the 2024 Memorial Tournament, which is set for June 6-9.
Rob Oller from the Columbus Post-Dispatch contributed to this article.
