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Reader's Forum Question: Arnold Palmer, the host of this week's PGA Tour event, the Bay Hill Invitational, extended an invitation to 63-year-old Jack Nicklaus to compete. Nicklaus has recently lost weight and is swinging well, but missed the cut in his most recent PGA Tour outing at the Ford Championship at Doral. As a golf fan, do you prefer to see big names, even if they aren't playing as well as in their prime, or would you rather see new young talent be given the exemptions into PGA Tour events? Your Responses: Believe that if great players like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, etc., are willing to accept an invitation to play in a tournament, we should be grateful that they have. Although they may not make the cut, they enter believing that they will make the cut. They will play the best golf they can which is wonderful to watch, and will most likely have better scores than those who come to watch them. Everybody wins, especially the charities benefitting from event. M. McFerrin HOW SHOULD EXEMPTIONS BE HANDLED? I think this should be done case by case. Do we want to see Jack at Arnies? Of course. For as long as the legends of the game want to play and compete let's be polite. That's what this game is all about! MANNERS! So little time is left for them. If a young Turk misses a few tournaments so be it. Right now these old guys will be a comfort as we go to war this week. I can't wait to see the two of them arm and arm going down Arnie's fairways. Arnie made the professional tour what it is today! H. Casey Yes. D. Didio Why not allow fields to expand by a couple of places to accommodate special situations without excluding anyone. D. Matzkin There will never be a day when Arnold Palmer or Jack Nicklaus weakens a field. Bay Hill, The Masters, Colonial are invitationals and thus are not keeping other players out. Other sports had Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle in All-Star games. How about Magic in his last All-Star game? If Arnie is shooting 90, 20,000 people will cheer him if he pars or quads the last hole. Long live the king! B. Malone Why shouldn't Jack get an invite? His record speaks for itself and whilst he might not be as "game fit" as some of the regulars on the Tour, how many so-called regulars shot a worse score than Jack last week? Let the man play; he still has a game to be reckoned with and is a proven crowd puller. After all, it's "bums on seats" paying entry fees that help to offset the cost of staging tournaments. R. Sharp I prefer to see the upcoming newcomers. Tom I want to see all that are capable of making the cut and playing well on Saturday and Sunday. Whether this includes the young with the "big name" players (I read: older guys), it depends. Most of the young guys are capable week in and week out (go Luke Donald!). There are "big name" players that are capable. And, certainly, Jack is capable of making the cut and playing well on the weekend. He is truly a master. His ability is beyond remarkable. Tiger has a long way to go to achieve the longevity and timeless mastery of the game that Jack has displayed. M. Garth The big names are still of huge importance and should certainly be given an invitation, provided they are still "reasonably" competitive. If they are sure to finish bottom of the list or not finish, they should be saved the embarrassment and their memories let stand. Who do you think will draw a bigger gallery - Jack or the current first reserve? Golf is about competing but also about history and learning and appreciation. J. O'Reilly Big names draw crowds, and big crowds draw big advertisers, which in turn keep the events going. The golfers of today are truly entertainers. It is a business. It's all about fans coming, watching, and being happy. Absolutely, I vote to have the bigger names at events. At the same time is super to have up-and-comers get an exemption to participate, and get a break. It is a delicate balance between the economic model, and the high touch, people approach. To this point, the guidance has to be on sensitivity and reality. J. Simon First of all, let me just say that your question isn't relevant in this week's case. In fact, when Jack was invited by Palmer to play in the tournament his reply was that he was appreciative of the offer but that he didn't want to take a spot away from a younger player. Palmer responded by saying that since Bay Hill is an invitational he would just add two more invites, himself and the Golden Bear to the list, and it wouldn't cost any other players their spot. But to answer your question, I think it is great to see players like Nicklaus still out there battling and competing with the top players in the world. You make the point that Jack missed the cut at Doral, but he shot 73-73 and bested some big name players. Jack is still competitive and is still entertaining to watch. The simple the reason that Palmer and Nicklaus have been so popular so long, is that they are from the old school, not only do they have skill but also charisma. Younger players today seem more taken by the big purses than by large galleries. J. Kelowitz Anytime Jack is in the field it is terrific!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I totally endorse Arnie and Jack playing anytime, anywhere! Steve H. When it comes to exemptions, give me Arnie, Jack, Gary Player, et al., any day. Who knows how long these guys are going to be able to continue playing? The sight of Arnold Palmer strolling up the 18th fairway is something you can tell your children and grandchildren about one day. He may not be in his prime, but hey, he's ARNOLD PALMER. And that's all that matters. Ditto for Nicklaus. I hope he plays this week, and plays well. D. Rice Our opinion is irrelevant when you discuss exemptions for the Bay Hill Invitational. This is Arnie's tournament. Who he desires to play should be allowed to play. If not, why have the tourney. As far as my opinion is concerned, bring on the top junior amateur players into the event that are less than 18 years of age. Arnie was a bigger proponent to junior golf growth than Tiger and Arnie gave Tiger a pat on the back. Do you think the additional motivation helps a junior player? Jack struggles with his game, but it is a pleasure to see him strike the ball. If you don't pair Jack with his boys, his participation will be a crowd pleaser. D. Dale Great invitation for golf. Jack may not win, but he is a study in the golf swing. If he accepts, he'll be ready to play. He should play at Augusta, too. R. Roland I believe it is as important to remember the past champions as looking forward to what is to come, and maybe it's more important that the past govern the new. I say, bring out the champions!!!!!!! J. Stoddard I think it is great opportunity for us fans to be able to continue to watch the "Greats of Golf." I live in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and look forward to the 'Charity Skins Game' held nearby each summer just to get the 'Rush' of following the players I only get to see on TV. Being on the links following Arnold, Jack, Fuzzy or any of the other former greats is truly a thrill. I'm 62 and been golfing for 15 years and feel like a kid out there following them around. These "Guys Have Class" - they'll know when to back out of invitationals if they feel it's time to relinquish the spotlight to others. S. Burger I'd rather see new talents. Older golfers are still fun to watch but they should be competing in events tailored for them. Jack or Arnie competing against Tiger... not a great match! P. Saez I think Jack deserves a PGA invite to any PGA tour event a WHOLE LOT MORE than any member of the LPGA. Just take a moment and think of all the contributions Jack, Arnie and all of the golf legends have made to golf. While I'm on my soap box I think it is a dirty rotten shame that the Masters have changed their policy on allowing any and all former champions to play as long as they want to play. The 65 age cut-off is a great big bummer. H. Tracy I would rather see Arnie and Jack any day than see the snobs now playing the tour. Arnie and Jack are not only professionals but gentlemen! T. Isom
Opinions expressed in Reader's Forum are those of the individual letter writers and not of The Wire, its staff or its editorial board. Letters are edited to remove spelling and grammatical errors where possible, and The Wire staff reserves the right to edit for space. |