Jack Nicklaus Defies PGA Tour's Rescheduling Request for Memorial Tournament

Famed golfer Jack Nicklaus expresses reluctance about moving his tournament to a week later in the schedule, conflicting with his traditional Memorial Day weekend slot.

Jack Nicklaus, the legendary 18-time major winner, has voiced his discontent with the PGA Tour's request to reschedule the Memorial Tournament. Typically held during Memorial Day weekend, the tournament has been asked to shift to a week later this year, aligning it with the U.S. Open.

Nicklaus, known for his strong opinions and influence in the golf world, stated his preference for the tournament's traditional scheduling during a recent press conference. "We would prefer the other week," he told reporters, as reported by Sports Illustrated.

However, Nicklaus acknowledged the PGA Tour's request and their reasons for seeking the change. The tour expressed their desire to enhance their flagship event series, which includes the Memorial Tournament.

Despite his personal preference, Nicklaus emphasized the importance of supporting the tour and its initiatives. "We did that as a favor," he explained. "We want to try to continue to support what is best for the tour, but we also want to support what's best for the Memorial Tournament."

Reflecting on the significance of the Memorial Day weekend slot, Nicklaus noted the traditionally high attendance during practice rounds. However, this year's practice rounds witnessed lower turnout due to the tournament's atypical scheduling.

"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 said. "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."

Nicklaus also voiced concerns about the impact of the new scheduling on player participation. "Some players also skip some tournaments to rest before a major, and the U.S. Open marks the third of the season," he observed.

"Let's put it this way. When I played, I would rarely play a week before any major championship," Nicklaus continued. "So, I'm asked to be part of putting on a golf tournament in a week that I would never play."

Despite his reservations, Nicklaus expressed optimism about the upcoming edition of his tournament. "We're going to have a good tournament this week either way," he said. "So, we did that as a favor, and the tour asked us to do that, and we said yes. So, we've always been a supporter of the tour."

Nevertheless, Nicklaus indicated that the tournament's long-term schedule would be subject to further review. "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."