Nicklaus Is Left Speechless

Jack Nicklaus, voted player of the century in a poll by Golf magazine, was honored Monday night in New York at a dinner celebrating the first 100 years of golf in the United States.

Said Nicklaus, who outpolled such stars as Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Walter Hagen and Babe Zaharias: “All the finalists were asked to prepare a speech, but I thought that would be presumptuous. I said, ‘I’ll think of something when I get up there if I’m selected.’

“Well, I’m up here, and I don’t know what to say.”

Now-it-can-be-told Dept: During the U.S. Open, Curtis Strange was preparing to hit his second shot on the 14th fairway when he suddenly heard the voice of ABC commentator Judy Rankin.

“All of the corporate tents along there had their TVs up full-throttle,” Strange said. “As I was addressing the ball, I heard Judy describing my shot, so I backed off, laughing.

“I’m always thinking about my shot, but I’ve never had anyone telling me about it. I don’t know what I would have done if she had said it was a tough shot.”

Add Rankin: She was accompanied to the tournament by her 18-year-old son, Walter, who spent a good part of his youth traveling the LPGA tour with his mother.

Says Judy: “For a long while, my son thought only women played golf.”

Would-you-believe-it Dept.: The sixth hole at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., is 312 yards long, all uphill. On Friday, Davis Love III drove over the green. On the fly.

Trivia Time: What was the significance when Tommy John of the New York Yankees pitched to Darrell Evans of the Detroit Tigers Monday night? (Answer below.)

When Matt Guokas failed to show up for a press conference introducing him as coach of the expansion club Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Assn., General Manager Pat Williams apologized to reporters.

“I can understand your frustrations,” Williams said. “In college I took ‘Introduction to Shakespeare,’ and the guy never showed the whole semester.”

Australia’s Darren Cahill, after upsetting countryman Pat Cash and then losing to Boris Becker in the Queen’s Club tennis tournament, still picked Cash to win Wimbledon.

“If I was a betting man, I’d put my money on Cash,” Cahill said. “I still think Pat is the best grass court player in the world. His attitude is fantastic.”

Said Becker when told of Cahill’s prediction: “He’s Australian. He’s paid to say that. If he wants to lose his money, it’s his problem.”

Add Forgettable Quotes: Said Jose Canseco of the Oakland Athletics on May 15: “Maybe before the All-Star game we can get a good cushion of 20 to 25 games.”

Billy Martin, asked about a story that he was so drunk in Baltimore June 2--the day he was given a three-game suspension--that two sportswriters had to escort him to his room, told Newsday: “That’s a lie. I only had one or two drinks. I don’t know why people start these things.

“The next thing you know, they’ll be saying that Billy Martin’s going to get fired. First, Art Fowler will go and then they’ll put Clete Boyer at first base and move Mike Ferraro to third, and then Dick Williams and Chuck Tanner will be sitting in George’s box.”

Trivia Answer: They are the two oldest players in the American League. John is 45, Evans 41.

Quotebook

Dexter Manley of the Washington Redskins, asked what person outside of sports he most would like to be: “I’d be Ferdinand Marcos, because he’s got about $10 million stashed.”