Simple goodbye from six-time Masters champ

Updated: April 9, 2005, 3:32 PM ET

Associated Press

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AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Jack Nicklaus climbed to the top of the ninth green, gave a small wave to the cheering crowd and dipped his head to brush the tears from his eyes.

Nicklaus most likely played his final competitive round at Augusta National on Saturday.

This was the way the six-time Masters champion wanted to leave. No drawn-out sendoff, just a simple goodbye. After a tap-in for one last par and some smiles for the fans, he was gone. And the 65-year-old says it's for good.

"I don't think I'll venture out on the golf course for a tournament round again," Nicklaus said Saturday after shooting a 4-over 76 and missing the cut. "Unless I can gain 10 mph more club head speed, I'm not coming back.

"I don't think that's going to happen."

Unlike Arnold Palmer, Nicklaus never wanted a ceremonial sendoff at Augusta National. He had planned to make 2004 his last year, preferring not to play if he wasn't competitive. But he was urged to come back one more time by chairman Hootie Johnson a few weeks after the drowning death of his 17-month-old grandson. And after playing several rounds with his sons the last few weeks, Nicklaus agreed.

"If I'm ever going to come back, I've got as good a chance of not embarrassing myself this year," he said. "`Suck it up and get it over with.' That's how I looked at it."

And for awhile, it looked as if Nicklaus might make a grand farewell. When he started his second round on the 11th hole Saturday morning, his mind was on the three birdies he thought he would need to make the cut.

So he set out with son and caddie Jackie planning to stay until Sunday. But he bogeyed three of his first four holes, all but ending his chances.

When he approached the ninth green, he knew there was no tomorrow and his emotions got the best of him.

He looked out at the crowd as if to soak in the memory, then bowed his head to wipe away the tears and compose himself. After all, he still had a putt to make -- and a birdie chance, at that.

Nicklaus missed the 4-footer, and looked at the fans in exasperation. After he tapped in, the crowd stood for one last salute. Playing partner and good friend Jay Haas hugged him and then Nicklaus was gone, disappearing into the crowd as he walked to the scorer's hut to turn in his last Masters scorecard.

"I think," he said, "you say goodbye when you can play a little bit."

Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press

DiMarco rolling through second round of Masters

Updated: April 9, 2005, 2:32 PM ET

ESPN.com news services

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AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Chris DiMarco threatened to run away with the green jacket. Jack Nicklaus just faded away.

DiMarco, a perennial contender at Augusta National, shot his second straight 67 for a comfortable lead as the weather-delayed tournament approached its midway point Saturday.

DiMarco had a 10-under-par 134, good enough for a four-stroke lead over Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and six ahead of three-time winner Tiger Woods.

Top-ranked Vijay Singh and England's David Howell, a surprising star of last fall's Ryder Cup, were seven shots back. Defending champion Phil Mickelson was among a group at 2 under.

Nicklaus wasn't anywhere close to the lead. After shooting a 9-over 153 and missing the cut, the guy who won the Masters more than anyone else -- six times -- called it his Augusta farewell.

He wiped away tears as he strolled up the ninth fairway -- his final hole. He came back for this Masters at the urging of club chairman Hootie Johnson, just a few weeks after the drowning death of Nicklaus' 17-month-old grandson.

"I knew it was my last time walking up the fairway," he said. "Obviously, I had made up my mind. This is just too tough for me. I just can't do this."

As he walked off the green, Nicklaus tipped his cap to the cheering gallery and handed the ball to his caddie and son, Jackie.

"This was a treasure for me," the Golden Bear said. "I'll miss that -- greatly."

DiMarco is leading a round at the Masters for the second straight day and fifth time in five years. He still must prove that he can be on top when it counts, also having a 36-hole lead in his Augusta debut in 2001.

Bjorn birdied his final two holes, denying DiMarco the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history. The record remains at five strokes, by Herman Kaiser in 1946, Jack Nicklaus in '75 and Raymond Floyd in '76. All three went on to win the tournament.

As for Mickelson and Singh, they faced the uncomfortable possibility of being paired in the third round later Saturday. The two got into a nasty confrontation over spike marks Friday -- a rare outburst in the genteel sport.

Woods was coming to life after a shaky first round. He had seven birdies on his way to a 66 -- the best round of the tournament so far.

Woods opened with a 74, even knocking a putt into Rae's Creek. It was the third straight year he's failed to break par in the opening round of the Masters.

No one was able to complete the second round on schedule. Rain swept across Augusta early Friday afternoon, wiping out play for the rest of the day.

The golfers returned Saturday morning to a thick blanket of clouds and a stiff breeze. But the sun finally broke through shortly after noon, warming things up and helping dry out the soggy course.

The forecast for Sunday was promising as well -- sunny, with temperatures in the upper 70s.

DiMarco built his big lead on the par 5s. Over the first two rounds, he posted six birdies in eight tries on the long holes, and played solid everywhere else. Through 36 holes, he had only one bogey.

On Friday, Singh complained to rules officials that the metal spikes in Mickelson's shoes were too long and creating marks on the green.

Playing in the group behind Mickelson, Singh raised the issue at No. 12 after missing a 25-foot birdie attempt on about the same line that Lefty used to make his putt.

Mickelson wasn't happy about the way the situation was handled, and he said so to Singh afterward in the clubhouse.

"I heard Vijay talking to other players about it, and I confronted him," Mickelson said through his press agent, T.R. Reinman. "He expressed his concerns. I expressed my disappointment in the way it was handled. I believe everything is fine now."

Singh always seems to be in contention no matter where he plays. Even with the brouhaha, he was steady as ever and in contention for his second green jacket.

Mickelson was trying to become just the fourth player to win the Masters two years in a row. Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Woods are the only repeat champions.

The first shot of the tournament was struck 5½ hours late, held up by heavy thunderstorms. The Masters hasn't finished on a Monday since 1983, and the improving weather made it seem an unlikely scenario.

"We're going to play 72 holes," said Will Nicholson, chairman of the competition committee. "It looks very good (for the weekend) looking at the weather guides. But this year, it's crazy."

Indeed. Bad weather has interrupted play on the PGA Tour for the ninth time in 15 tournaments, and the fourth week in a row.

"We're all used to it after this year," Justin Leonard said. "It's nothing new."

It's nothing new for the Masters, either. Four straight years, the tournament has been interrupted by storms.

Alternate Shot: Will DiMarco win?

Originally Published: April 9, 2005

ESPN.com/Golf Digest

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AUGUSTA, Ga. -- There's a familiar name atop the leaderboard entering Sunday at Augusta National ... it's just not who we thought it would be.

Chris DiMarco has three career PGA Tour wins, was a Ryder Cupper last year and is known as a gritty competitor.

But he's not Tiger Woods.

Will DiMarco be able to hold onto his four-stroke lead over Woods and win The Masters? ESPN.com's Jason Sobel and Golf World's Ron Sirak debate whether we'll see a Gator in green in Butler Cabin.

Will Chris DiMarco win The Masters?

YES There are four reasons why you'll see Chris DiMarco slipping on a green jacket come Sunday evening: • He's got a four-stroke lead. • He's battle-tested in majors. • He's a momentum player. • Fate. The first reason is fairly self-explanatory. Say what you will about playing with a lead, but common sense says to go with the guy up four shots rather than the guy down four every time. DiMarco hasn't made a bogey since his first hole on Thursday; there's no reason to think he'll start making 'em on Sunday. OK, so DiMarco hasn't won a major. If you're rooting for him, that shouldn't bother you. We'd be a little weary if he'd never been in this position in a major championship before, but he has -- and recently. DiMarco was in the final pairing when Phil Mickelsonwon here last year (more on that later) and lost in a playoff at the PGA Championship. Did you happen to catch DiMarco's enthusiastic fist-pumps at last year's Ryder Cup? While most of the U.S. team looked like they wanted to dig a hole in the first fairway at Oakland Hills and crawl into it, DiMarco got the crowd involved. The more noise they made, the better he played. And now we come to the fourth and final reason. Fate. Simply put, if last year was "One Magical Sunday," as Mickelson likes to call it, well, DiMarco sure played a role in that, too, by giving Phil a read on his winning putt. Wouldn't it be fitting if Mickelson repaid his buddy by giving him a green jacket? -- Jason Sobel ESPN.com

NO There are four pretty compelling reasons why Chris DiMarco won't hang on to win the Masters: • Augusta National is a tough place to win your first major championship. • Tiger Woods • Phil Mickelson • Vijay Singh It's not like DiMarco is going into the final round with Curley, Larry and Moe trying to chase him down. Among the contenders are three of the best players in the world. I like the chances that at least one of the Big Three is going to get hot early, and when that happens the collar DiMarco is wearing will become about four sizes smaller. You just know that this tournament is going to come down to the final nine holes -- it just about always does. And when push comes to shove, experience at getting the job done is invaluable. DiMarco's hope is that the big guns play their way out of contention early. The other thing the dude with the claw grip has going against him is that he not only has to sleep on the 54-hole lead -- he has to sleep on the 45-hole lead. DiMarco doesn't have to protect his position for 18 holes on Sunday, he has to protect it for 27 holes. That's a lot to ask of a guy without a major championship, especially when he has to look on the leaderboard and see the names Woods, Mickelson and Singh. Part of the brilliance of the design at Augusta National is how easily strokes can be frittered away -- and how quickly they can be gained by a hot player. The beauty of the back nine -- the best back nine in all of golf -- is that it can be played in 30 or 40. There are birdie holes and there are eagle holes in that closing stretch, but there are also double-bogey holes. When someone starts to make a charge -- and someone almost certainly will -- a player trying to play defensively can find plenty of trouble to get into. Just ask Greg Norman. He went into the final 18 holes of the 1996 Masters with a six stroke lead -- and finished five strokes back. Nick Faldoshot a 67 that day while Norman staggered home in 78. That's exactly what can happen here. The winner of this tournament is not going to be the guy leading it going into the final round. -- Ron Sirak Golf World