Why is Jack Nicklaus Upset with the PGA TOUR’s Handling of The Memorial?

Jack Nicklaus has a bone to pick with the PGA TOUR, and it all has to do with his The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village, which kicks off today.

Nicklaus’s tournament is played at one of his course designs, and it has traditionally been played on Memorial Day weekend. However, the PGA TOUR requested Nicklaus move the tournament to one week before the U.S. Open, away from its normal date:

“We would prefer the other week. But we said we would review it after this tournament, and we’ll figure out how we’re going to settle the schedule after that. And I said that discussion is under way.”

Nicklaus said that to reporters earlier this week and discussed his distaste for moving the tournament to another weekend, one that does not necessarily fit the nameplate of the event. The Memorial has been one of the most prestigious non-Major tournaments for years, and moving it might have taken away some of its mystique.

However, it still is set to be one of the strongest fields in golf. Names like Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, multiple-time winner Patrick Cantlay, and reigning champion Viktor Hovland are headlining this year’s The Memorial field:

It’s not far out of left field for Nicklaus to be a little upset or disappointed with the new placement of The Memorial. Traditionally, Memorial Day weekend sees a lot of traveling.

That traveling is not as common in the weeks following, and he noticed when looking at the galleries this week leading up to today’s first tee times:

“Yesterday was normally a very big day gallery-wise for us because it was Memorial Day, and we had maybe a thousand people here yesterday,” he explained. “From the sponsor’s standpoint, I think that they get into board meetings and kids’ graduations and so forth. So, that’s maybe not as advantageous.”

Another issue is that many players tend to take the week before a Major Championship off, either to scout the course they will be playing, to rest, or to fine-tune portions of their game that might need sharpening before competing for something that is so prestigious.

Nicklaus thinks putting The Memorial the week before the U.S. Open also put players in a tough situation:

“Let’s put it this way. When I played, I would rarely play a week before any major championship. So, I’m asked to be part of putting on a golf tournament in a week that I would never play. That, to me, is the essential part from my standpoint.”

Despite the complaints, Nicklaus said that they will have a good week at Muirfield. One player will get the biggest trophy of all on Sunday, which isn’t the trophy itself; it’s the handshake you get to have with Jack after winning his prestigious event.

Cover Image via NY Post