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Nicklaus defends Tiger Woods, slams Corey Pavin

May 27, 2010, 10:00 AM EDT

103 Comments

Jack Nicklaus is starting to sound like the old man from S*** My Dad Says. Which is kind of awesome. We all know that recently Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin gave his stamp of non-approval to Tiger Woods, saying: “He’s certainly not going to be an automatic pick. He’s just going to be treated like everyone else.” Speaking to reporters in Madrid, where he was checking out a golf course project, Nicklaus had his own take on the Pavin-Tiger controversy. And it was to-the-point, as you’d imagine.

“He’d (Pavin) need a brain scan if he left Tiger out of the team,” Nicklaus told local reporters at the unveiling of a project to design two courses at the exclusive La Moraleja, 10 miles from the venue for this week’s Madrid Masters, the Real Sociedad Hípica Club de Campo.

“Of course he should pick Tiger. The truth is that Tiger is going through some personal problems, which I’ve nothing to say about, and he’s also got some problems with his game, which he’s going to have to resolve himself. But Tiger will be in the team, I have no doubt.”

Woods announced recently that he would play at the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio next week, despite withdrawing from the final round of the Players Championship on May 9 due to the effects of a whiplash a neck injury. Woods is the defending champion of the tournament, hosted by Nicklaus.
***
Nicklaus offers Pavin sharp advice [Irish Times]
Jack Nicklaus defends Tiger, tells Corey Pavin to get brain scan [Devil Ball Golf]
Tiger no ‘automatic pick’ for Ryder Cup team [NBCSports]

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  1. Vic R - May 27, 2010 at 6:31 PM

    I hope Tiger will not play even if Red Neck Pavin wants him and apologize. He needs a series of brain scan. And maybe anybody else who agrees with Red Neck Pavin. Pavin is such a bone head… As I said, I hope Tiger chose to not play even if he is number 1 or 2 point getter. Pavin the senior slab, should play in the seniors tour, even my dog can drive longer than him. It’s all good for him when things a great, but, when the most consistent player out there is has personal issues to deal with he distance himself instantaneously. Imagine during the Ryder Cup, he will abandon any player not winning for him. So, this is really about about Corey Pavin and not any player he selects.

  2. Joseph - May 27, 2010 at 6:43 PM

    Back in year 1971, I visited a local favorite Bar and Grill that provided TV and a couple of pool tables for the locals and tourists visiting the Napa Valley.I had just finished a night class at Napa College and decided to stop in for a brew or two with a friend of mine.
    What surprised me was there was standing room only. The place was packed!Then I realized that the Silverado Country club was hosting a national golf tournament sponsored by Budweiser.
    We squeezed thru to one of the pool tables and began watching a game that was in play for a few dollar bets. It was’nt but a second later that I felt a heavy hand of one of the Golfers on my shoulder from one of the Golfers whom I immediately recognized as one of the top 10 earners for that particular year. I moved away from the pool table and was followed by the Golfer along with a couple of his friends waiting anxiously for my response. My response was…Quote Your guess is as good as mine unquote. I almost answered my comment is to make a point and that is:
    Unaccompanied athletes, whether single or married,will look for opposite sex compoanioship no matter what. This is a fact! And, it is behavior for a large percentage of athletes in all sport. Critics and media hounds know too well and will jump at the chance to sensationalize a gotcha story. I strongly support Jack Nicholas’s take on Corey Pavin’s public statement on Tiger Woods.
    Ciao
    Joseph

  3. GC - May 27, 2010 at 10:04 PM

    Tiger never plays to his ability in Ryder Cup, and if I were Pavin, I rather want a cohesive team without distraction than just a collection of stars that can’t win

  4. john anderson - May 27, 2010 at 11:39 PM

    Just fade away Jack!
    Let Pavin pick the best players based on the records when the time comes. There should be no automatic picks. We should all want what is best for US golf.

  5. apple seed - May 28, 2010 at 12:01 AM

    Golf is a fickle sport, players go on streaks, but its the players that are consistent that are the great players. Tiger is the best player in the world because he has consistently won tournaments. Tiger is notorious for performing when he has to. not to include him because he hasn’t won a tournament lately (even though he won 1 of his 4 last tournaments, albeit his first and second tournament were separated by a 144 day hiatus) is an insult to his talent and the magnificent feats he has accomplished in his career.

  6. RickyRico - May 28, 2010 at 1:08 AM

    For all of the tremendous respect that I have for Jack Nicklaus as a golfer and a family man, I would honestly say that Jack is all wet here in regards to Tiger being a shoo-in for the team. Woods withdrew from a tournament and missed a cut the week before. Bids are not automatic, Jack. If Tiger flops, Nick will be the first guy defending his poor play because of injuries. Corey Pavin is doing what needs to be done to remind Tiger that time waits for no man. I wonder why then that Jack is not being a shill for John Daly or David Duval if talent is the issue here. Tiger has a looooong way to go to being the menace he once was on the greens.

  7. Doocon - May 28, 2010 at 9:34 AM

    Get a grip Jack. Tiger is truly an awesome talent, but he shouldn’t be guaranteed a spot on the Ryder Cup team. I am with Corey on this one. Besides, Tiger’s luke warm interest in the Ryder Cup should put him with the rest of the tour pros hoping to make the team. Do you think Jack is feeling a bit sorry for Tiger since his road to the majors title has hit a hit a major divot possibly putting it out of reach?

  8. Muni Golfer - May 28, 2010 at 12:29 PM

    O agree with Corey Pavin on this one also. This is not about Tiger’s PAST personal life, this is about Tiger’s CURRENT performance on the golf course. Tiger is not playing much and is not accumulating necessary Ryder Cup points to make the team. It is not fair to those who have been playing and make the team on points or play well enough to be a Captain’s pick. I think what Pavin is saying is Tiger is not assured an automatic spot on the team just because of who he is. If he plays his way onto the team or into consideration, I have no doubt that Pavin will take him. But what if his injury plagues him the rest of the year and he only plays in a handful of tournaments? Should he still be considered an automatic pick? Others have stated in their comments, Woods does not have a stellar Ryder Cup record and has been perceived in the past to be indifferent to the competition. The US has only won one of the 5 Ryder Cups that Tiger has participated in, so those who think he increases the team’s chances should look again. In the end, Tiger will either play his way onto the team or into consideration, or he will not and Pavin will select someone else.

  9. vietnamvet69 - May 28, 2010 at 2:41 PM

    Why doesn’t Jack Nicklas just shut up and mind his own business, as he is not the Captain of the Ryder Cup Team!! Granted that Jack is a great golfer, and Tiger is also one, but Tiger’s play in the past couple of tournaments has not been that impressive. Jack is tryng to but in and micro manage the team, and if he is so intense on having Tiger on the team, then Jack needs to have Corey Pavin removed as the Captain and insert himself into the position.

  10. Jerry - May 28, 2010 at 4:14 PM

    Everyone still seems to think it will come down to a captain pick for Tiger to get on the team. The top 8 point getters automatically get on the team. Tiger is current 11th. He bascially just has to show up at a few tournaments between now and August and he gets in. Doesn’t even need to win.
    1 Phil Mickelson 4,901.249
    2 Anthony Kim 3,238.309
    3 Jim Furyk 2,875.782
    4 Lucas Glover 2,836.809
    5 Hunter Mahan 2,509.433
    6 Steve Stricker 2,416.807
    7 Dustin Johnson 2,375.015
    8 Stewart Cink 2,026.667
    9 Ben Crane 1,992.689
    10 Matt Kuchar 1,978.688
    11 Tiger Woods 1,946.163
    Does anyone really believe he won’t climb to at least 5th on the list?

  11. Ron - May 29, 2010 at 12:35 PM

    Pavin is the Ryder Cup captain. Pavin is not a savvy businessman. Pavin’s remarks show his utter stupitidy. The Ryder Cup is all about money, television ratings, and advertising revenues. The stats are clear..ratings are up +40% when Tiger is in the field.
    Pavin should keep his big mouth shut.rp in Florida

  12. aloysious - May 29, 2010 at 3:31 PM

    Jack’s suckin’ up to Tiger because if Tiger plays well in his Memorial Tournament next week, ratings go way up and that’s financially good for his tournament.
    No matter what Jack says it doesn’t change the fact that Tiger has a horrendous Ryder Cup record no matter how well he’s playing and it doesn’t change the fact that in 2008, the U.S. Ryder Cup team was way better without Tiger on it.
    I suspect Pavin doesn’t want Tiger on the team regardless of how he’s playing.
    I wouldn’t. Tiger brings too many distractions to the team, plus he’s not a team player.

  13. Terry Wood - May 29, 2010 at 9:37 PM

    Ryder Cop participants are picked on how they have played since the previous Ryder Cup. That is the only way Tiger gets on. Base it on his recent play and he is not even close. How Tiger is 11th I’ll never know.

  14. dorillarichard - May 30, 2010 at 12:57 AM

    THE RIDER CUP IS GOING TO BE PLAYED IN EUROPE IF I WAS TIGER WOOD I WOULD THANK MY LUCKY STAR IF HE IS NOT PICK HE HAS HURT ONE OF THEIR OWN AND TO BE WELL LIKED OVER THERE WOW WOW IT WILL BE SOMETHING TO SEE AS AT HIS LAST US TORNAMENT THE FANS DID NOT SEEM TO CARE FOR HIM SO MUCH BY THE WAY SINCE HIS REHAB HE HAS BEEN PLAYING A LOT A LOT HE USE TO HAVE ONE TAPE FINGER SINCE THEN HE HAS TWO TAPE CALASUS FOR HIS SAKE AND THE TEAM IF HIS GOLF IS UP TO PAR BY THE WAY HAS HE MADE A NEW GYM CD GOOD LUCK TO OUR US TEAM IT NOT IF YOU WIN OR LOSE IT HOW YOU PLAY GOLF MAKE USA PROUD GOOD LUCK I WIILL BE AT MY TV EVERY DAY

  15. gail - May 30, 2010 at 8:31 AM

    From the beginning, Jack’s been right on about Tiger, staying out of the personal life issues and sticking to golf. He’s on target again, as Tiger’s played 3 events with a 4th place finish at The Masters. Just because he withdrew at The Players doesn’t mean he played terribly, as he made the cut and could have had a decent finish. Phil just missed the cut at Colonial, so I assume he stinks too? Pavin said what most folks would say, that no one is a “lock” for the team, but he should have thought more about who he was talking about. Tiger’s the best match play player in history…period.

  16. John - 1018365 - May 30, 2010 at 12:45 PM

    If Tiger doesn’t make the top 8, then I can’t imagine another reason besides the scandal. Personal is personal, but if it affects your play, that’s a different story. Perhaps Pavin was not just criticizing Tiger, but trying to challenge him, motivate him?

  17. John - 1018365 - May 30, 2010 at 1:01 PM

    If Tiger is not in the top 8, he’s not the best in the world. According to past performance, he should be able to be top 5 with one hand tied behind his back. If he’s outside the top 8, then it means maybe his personal issues are too big for him to overcome for the time being. Corey should not let Jack tell him what to do. Most likely, Tiger will end up in the top 8. But if he doesn’t then Corey should have a long talk with Tiger and gauge his motivation. If its not there, Corey should give Tiger the opportunity to withdraw from consideration and therefore save face, but if he doesn’t do that he should pass over him. If Tiger is not all that interested in being there (as has apparently been the case in the past), it would be better to pick a player on the bubble who is a grinder and who would be thrilled to be there (and also would be less of a target) than a distracted player who would prefer to be somewhere else.

  18. espy25 - May 30, 2010 at 11:41 PM

    Well put! And most would agree that if you actually want a decent audience, Tiger’s got to be in the mix. Even other players want him on the tour because their payday increases.

  19. Doug in GR - May 31, 2010 at 2:01 PM

    If TV ratings are the deciding factor, let’s put Natalie Gulbis on the team and pair her with Camilo Villegas — in swimsuits. Appeal to the masses. Who cares if we win or not, as long as the advertisers are happy.

  20. teebone - May 31, 2010 at 2:22 PM

    So you are saying tiger should win the ryder cup by him self,this is a team sport and most of the time tiger is pair with someone he plays well and they don’t, and guess what Tiger get the blame and a lost on his record.
    This man is golf.you got guys been playing golf alot longer than tigerwoods that will never come close to his career.most guys are thinking tiger for the amount of money this tourament pay out.

  21. Arnie - May 31, 2010 at 5:22 PM

    JACK should stick with his burgers and should stay out of it.
    Pavin is the captain and can say whatever he wants about any potential players. What JACK is doing is grandstandish. He is trying to pressure Corey to do what JACK wants to be done (note: Tiger is playing in the Memorial. If JACK says anything but kiss-up statements, TW just might withdraw.) All politics, all the time.
    With all due respect, JACK… ZIP IT.
    Follow your instincts, Corey. Tiger will probably be in the top-10 anyway, so it’s a no-brainer.
    Geez people…quit kissing up.

  22. D-Bag - Jun 1, 2010 at 9:13 PM

    Every, and I mean every Ryder Cup captain picks the team based on current performance. Tigers performance and current number of tournaments does not warrant some automatic stamp of acceptance onto the team. Perhaps, someone should do some research on Jack’s past take on this when he was a Ryder Cup captain. Pretty sure he will be eating his words. Just the same, what gets me is this undying loyalty to Tiger by Jack Nicklaus. Makes no sense to me. Comparing Jack to Tiger is a strongly contrasted in who they are, how they play and how they conducted their personal life.

  23. Michael M - Jun 4, 2010 at 5:59 PM

    Pavin does need a cat-scan……Tiger’s game will be back in a matter of weeks, and Pavin will look like an ass……Woods has more talent in his pinky than Pavin had in a lifetime….Only a moron would think Woods will not soon be at the top of his game, so how do you spell moron—”PAVIN”!

  24. TFear - Jun 5, 2010 at 1:37 PM

    I’m very surprised that Jack would make such a comment; he, usually, has much more class. Pavin is absolutely correct in what he said. First of all, Tiger has a less than stellar RC record, secondly, his play lately is very ordinary, and, unless it gets better by the PGA, and he hasn’t earned enough points to make the team, he should not be an automatic pick. Tiger needs to earn the spot, JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, Jack. Maybe Jack is the one who needs a brain scan?

  25. Clueless Golfers - Jun 13, 2010 at 6:24 PM

    So how is Pavin a putz when all he wants to do is have the best 12 players and win the Ryder Cup????? You’re an idiot.

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