Columnist Victoria Sun: Younger Nicklaus aims to make name for himself on PGA Tour

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2000 | 10:13 a.m.

Victoria Sun is a Las Vegas Sun sports writer. Her golf column appears Wednesday. Reach her at 259-4078 or victoria@vegas.com

Gary Nicklaus is from the old school, the same one his father Jack came from.

The school that says you earn your own way in the world and not live off your father or mother's name.

The school that says if you are patient and diligent when trying to reach your goal, you will eventually get there or become a better person for trying.

So whether the younger Nicklaus makes five or 25 cuts, finishes or doesn't finish in the top 20, wins one or no events, in many respects he should still be considered a winner.

After nine tries, the 30-year-old Nicklaus finally made it through PGA Tour Qualifying school last November to earn a PGA Tour card for the 2000 season. Nicklaus, the fourth of five children, will celebrate his birthday Saturday and is the first of his siblings to make it through Q-School.

It's fitting that he will be in Hawaii playing in the Sony Open, to be held Thursday through Sunday, on his 31st birthday. Nicklaus will tee off at 3:24 p.m. Thursday.

"I'm very excited to be here in my first PGA Tour event where I earned my way in," Nicklaus said. "Well, actually, I earned my way in the New Orleans event, but this is my first event as a PGA Tour card member.

"I hope we have a good week to start off the year."

In all probability, Nicklaus could have given up trying to qualify years ago and gotten into many PGA Tour events each year without earning his tour card on exemptions, simply because his dad won a record 18 professional majors and is considered the best golfer ever to play the game.

Instead, he chose to get his card like everyone else.

"I never put a time on it," Nicklaus said when asked if thought about quitting. "I did tell myself if I didn't do this or that, I wouldn't continue, but it never got to the point where I was going to quit.

"I did talk about not finishing in Europe, but then I went to school and got my Nike card. It seems like every time I started thinking about not playing, I started playing well."

That was thanks in large part to his dad. But the younger Nicklaus said his main teacher is now Rick Smith and that his dad helps him with the mental aspects of the game.

Nicklaus plans on playing in 30 events, though the number might change depending on how he plays.

"Yeah, there's a big difference (between the Nike and PGA tours)," he said. "But if you look at the guys who have graduated from the Nike Tour, there are a high percentage that keep their cards.

"I have competed against them, and very strongly in the last part of the year. You have to be more consistent and be ready to compete every week out here."

* BE INFORMED: Tonight from 6 to 7 p.m. on the Golf Channel, PGA Tour rookie Casey Martin and his attorney, William Wiswall, will join host Kraig Kann to discuss Martin's goals for the season. Martin will become the first golfer to have access to a cart in PGA Tour competition because of a birth defect in his right leg called Klippel-Trenauney-Webber Syndrome that prevents him from walking long distances. Purists have argued that no golfer, under any circumstances, should be allowed to use a cart. Martin defenders have argued that because of his situation, he should be allowed the special consideration.

So if you're still not sure what to think, tune in. Maybe you'll learn something new about Martin's situation or reaffirm your original opinion. Golfworld senior writer Tim Rosaforte and the Golf Channel's business reporter, Adam Barr, will also join the discussion. The one-hour telecast will also feature calls from viewers.