Nicklaus’ congratulatory text goes awry

Kids these days and their careless texting. Except it was no youngster who provided the most recent example of a messaging faux pas — it was 80-year-old Jack Nicklaus, who sent a congratulatory text to Justin Thomas on Sunday for winning the Workday Charity Open at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

One problem: Thomas didn’t win.

“I had a little bit of an ‘oops’ myself,” Nicklaus said. Nicklaus had just watched Thomas drain a 50foot putt on No. 18 on the first playoff hole to seemingly get the win over Collin Morikawa, who faced a 24-footer to extend the playoff.

But the Golden Bear did not wait to see if Morikawa made his putt, instead boarding his jet from his home in Florida for the flight to Columbus.

Morikawa followed Thomas’ putt by making his putt to extend the playoff. He went on to win with a par on the third playoff hole.

“We scheduled our flight to get up here because I wanted to … congratulate the winner in the locker room at 6 p.m.,” Nicklaus explained. “So we were getting on an airplane at 2 p.m. just as we were getting ready to take off, the first hole of the playoff, Justin holes that big long putt. We didn’t see Morikawa’s putt.”

Uh-oh.

“Barbara and I both texted Justin and said to him, ‘Wow, what a fantastic putt, unbelievable fantastic super putt. Can’t believe that you made that putt. Now you’ve got a chance to win two in a row.’

“Then we got in the air and we picked up Wi-fi after 10,000 feet and found out Morikawa won the tournament. So I had to send another text and say, ‘Oops, a little premature.’”

Thomas took the congratulatory text well, Nicklaus said.

“He was good about it. He texted back and said, ‘All’s good. It’s OK,’” Nicklaus said.

roller@dispatch.com