Jack Nicklaus Will Reach Out To Shake Winner’s Hand At Memorial

Under the New World Order, there are no handshakes on the PGA Tour these days, the days of COVID-19.

It’s basically hats off, nods, thank-yous and air fist bumps and whatever else they can come up with.

This coming Sunday at The Memorial, Jack Nicklaus will be there to shake the winner’s hand.

Yes, the traditional handshake from The Golden Bear.

Jack, as the host, is “inside the bubble” at his tournament and yes, Jack underwent the same COVID-19 testing as everyone else and Jack tested negative.

Jack was asked on Wednesday what his plans would be.

“I’m going to shake their hand,” he said. “I’m going to walk right out there and shake their hand. If they don’t want to shake my hand, that’s fine. I’ll give them a fist bump or an elbow bump, but I’m not going to give them COVID-19. I wouldn’t want to put anybody in that position. I wouldn’t do that, and if I was in danger of doing that, I wouldn’t shake the hands. Incidentally, I like shaking their hand, too. I think it’s a great tradition, but it’s as much fun for me as I hope it is for them.”

Thanks Jack, bet the winner will shake your hand.

European Tour Heads To Austrian Alps:

Most of the big names on the European Tour are awaiting the tour’s U.K. six-event stand that begins next week.  But before that happens, there’s one more event in Austria.

Scotland’s Marc Warren carried his own bag to victory last week at the Diamond Country Club outside Vienna.  Apparently a week of toting his own clubs was enough for Warren.  He took the first-place money and headed home.

This week’s event — the Euram Bank Open — will be played at the Golf Club Adamstal in the lower Austrian Alps.

Some familiar names in the field includ Joost Luiten from the Netherlands, Marcel Siem of Germany and Italy’s Matteo Mannasssero.

Jack Sent Text To Justin Thomas — As The Winner:

Oops.

Jack Nicklaus along with wife Barbara had planned to be at Muirfield Village late Sunday afternoon and looked forward to congratulating the winner of the Workday Charity Open.

Inclement weather forecasts forced the PGA Tour to send the leaders off at 9 a.m.

Justin Thomas had just holed that monster 50-foot putt in the playoff.  It was the last thing Jack saw before he boarded “Air Bear” for Columbus.

“Barbara and I both texted Justin,” Nicklaus explained, “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 the chance to win two in a row.’ ”

It wasn’t until the plane reached 10,000 feet that Nicklaus was able to access the internet and realize that Collin Morikawa had also made birdie on the first playoff hole and gone on to win on the third extra hole.

“I had to send him (JT) another text and say, ‘Oops, a little premature,’ ” Nicklaus laughed. “He was good about it. He texted back and he said, ‘All’s good, it’s OK.’ ”