Associated Press
Thursday, March 16

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- Horrible.

	Nicklaus is playing the Legends of Golf for just the second time in 11 years.

In a word, that's how Jack Nicklaus summed up the state of his golf game Thursday.

But even a horrible Nicklaus is a great drawing card, something the Senior Tour has found out this year at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf.

Tour officials say they have nearly doubled ticket sales over last year for the two-man, best ball event, which begins Friday on the Slammer & Squire course at the World Golf Village.

In trying to boost the struggling tournament, the Tour lured big-name players like Tom Watson, Andy North and Raymond Floyd.

Nicklaus committed after receiving a personal request from Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, but he isn't promising much when he pairs up with Floyd for this exhibition tournament, with a payout of $362,000 to be split between the winners.

"This is a sorting-out week for me," Nicklaus said. "Obviously, I'd love to play well. But I've just got to go out, try to hit the ball, try to develop and get to where I can hit the ball and get a pattern."

Nicklaus was playing well late last year after successful hip replacement surgery. But as December melted into January, his game began to change, largely due to the success of the surgery.

Moves he hadn't been able to make in 10-15 years were suddenly returning. It was a good feeling, but it opened him up to new problems.

"I've lost my muscle memory," Nicklaus said. "I could learn how to score doing what I'm doing. But I want to learn how to play golf properly. That's really what I'm trying to do."

Thus, this week could offer some awkward moments.

Like the one on the first hole Thursday, where Nicklaus drew a huge gallery as he teed off at the pro-am event. He mishit the shot, much to the chagrin of adoring fans, who remained stone silent. As the 60-year-old champion headed down the fairway to find the ball, caddie Scott Lubin reached out to massage his aching back.

"For some reason, to start this year, I haven't been able to hit my hat," Nicklaus said.

Making his first appearance at the Legends is Watson, a Senior Tour rookie.

Gil Morgan, a top player on the Senior Tour, will make his 2000 debut at the event. He had been sidelined with a rib-muscle injury suffered while lifting weights in the offseason.

Morgan and Hubert Green will try to defend the title they won by three strokes over John Mahaffey and Tom Wargo last year. Green won the Audi Classic in Puebla, Mexico last week.

Still, the most intriguing pairing should be Nicklaus and Floyd.

Both are making only their second appearance in the event largely credited with spawning the Senior Tour back in 1979. That year, Roberto De Vicenzo, Julius Boros, Tommy Bolt and Art Wall took part in an electrifying six-hole playoff at Onion Creek in Austin, Texas.

"The beauty of this event is the ageless element," Watson said. "You see that this week. This is about paying tribute to players of the past and seeing them put it to the test."