BOCA RATON, Fla. _ 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.
