Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Dad’s support
Nicklaus credits father for being there in pro return
Following alongside Gary Nicklaus in his return to professional golf and PGA Tour Champions debut was none other than his father, golf legend Jack Nicklaus, on the first day of the Oasis Championship at The Old Course at Broken Sound in Boca Raton.
Jack Nicklaus, 79, rode around in his cart in the gallery on Friday as Gary Nicklaus shot a 5-under 67 in the first of three rounds to start four shots off the lead in his first round as a professional since 2003. Gary Nicklaus said he could hear his 18-time major champion father’s voice throughout the round.
“Oh, he’s constantly there,” he said. “He’s been giving me advice since I could barely walk. You don’t forget those things.”
Jack, however, would tell you he wasn’t nearly that involved.
“I stayed as far away as I could,” he told the Golf Channel. “That’s probably the best thing I could do.
“We want him to enjoy himself, to have fun and play well. It’s going to take him a while to learn how to play again.”
Gary Nicklaus said he felt prepared for his big moment Friday morning but started to think differently when he stepped up to the first tee.
“I was out of my element and kind of shaking like a leaf, which I didn’t expect,” he said.
He missed a decent shot at birdie on the first hole and then sunk a putt to save par on second as the nerves shook off. Nicklaus then birdied four consecutive holes on the front nine.
He ended the round with six birdies and one bogey to card his 5-under, which is tied for 11th. He hit nine of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens.
After retiring in 2003, Nicklaus returned as an amateur in 2007, which he has done for 11 years before beginning his second professional stint.
Parnevik leads
For Jesper Parnevik to shoot a 9-under 63 for sole possession of the lead on Friday was the last thing he expected, considering his practice rounds heading into the Oasis.
“I worked so hard this last month — nothing worked,” said Parnevik, the 53-year-old Swede who now resides in Jupiter. “I probably tried 40 putters just this week — I guarantee you 40 — and probably 50 different strokes, and yesterday I had a complete panic.
“At the last second, I said, ‘I’ll do everything opposite from what I think.’ If I slide my hips like crazy, I feel like I’m hanging back — bam — that works. So I did that, which felt terrible, but man, it was unbelievable.”
The first-round 63 topped his previous career-best start of 65. Starting on the back nine Friday, Parnevik had stretches of three consecutive birdies from holes 11 through 13 and then four straight from the fourth through seventh holes.
What pleased him most, however, was finishing the round with par on a ninth hole that has crushed him in the past.
“Standing on that tee, I said, ‘I’ll take any single-digit number because I hate that freaking hole,” Parnevik said. “S--- drive, s--- second shot, great chip and a putt. … That’s absolutely the toughest hole on this course. If that would have been 18, it would have been actually a very interesting finishing hole because you can make a big number there.”
Feeling at home
Bernhard Langer carded an 8-under 64 in Friday’s opening round to start his hometown event one shot off the lead.
“It helps to have played the course I don’t know how many times now,” said Langer, the German who resides in Boca Raton. “I’m fairly comfortable with the course, with the conditions and it was a solid round.”
Leaders Parnevik, Langer and American Tim Petrovic tee off at 12:55 p.m. on Saturday. Petrovic shot a 7-under 65 along with Woody Austin, Gene Sauers and Ken Tanigawa on Friday.