There are a few icons that you simply sit up and listen to. Former central Ohio native and Ohio State golfer Jack Nicklaus would be one of those guys you perk up take notice of a little more intently.
Nicklaus wasn’t at OSU that long in his career because he was ready and able to jump into professional golf, but growing up in the Columbus area and being on the banks of the Olentangy was enough to have the rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State ingrained in the very fabric of who he is.
We don’t normally hear Nicklaus get too involved in all the shenanigans of the tongue and cheek hatred between the schools, but we had a pretty good sound bite from him during a press conference at his annual Memorial Golf Tournament in Dublin, Ohio Tuesday.
When asked about the PGA returning to Detroit for the first time in awhile, Nicklaus pulled out his Scarlet and Gray pride.
“Me, from Ohio State — with the importance of what goes on in Michigan?,” quipped Nicklaus. “I didn’t know anything important went on in Michigan.”
From there, he did dial it back just a little.
“I’m just kidding,” said Nicklaus. “It may sound funny to you being an Ohio State guy, but I really am a big Michigan fan. I’m a Michigan fan about eleven weeks of the year. I want them to come in undefeated.”
Okay, well kind of walked it back. If you want to listen to the exchange with the reporter yourself, you can thanks to the Twitter video from @PGATour below. Just go to about the 24 minute mark to get a good laugh.
Pure gold from Jack here. It’s really not that often you see his OSU roots come out being such a huge icon in the sports world, but when it does, it’s worth a listen.
Once a Buckeye …
