‘There’s so much more to’ Jack Nicklaus than his game, local golfers say

Jack Nicklaus celebrated his 80th birthday on Tuesday, and the golf world responded with salutes for his playing ability and his contributions beyond the course.

A couple of Columbians, Fred Wadsworth and Bobby Foster, joined the chorus, sharing moments to cherish with the Golden Bear and his family.

Wadsworth, an All-American at USC, won the 1986 Southern Open, a triumph that gave him a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour. On the big stage, he received encouragement from the biggest star.

“I knew his son Jackie from competing against him while he played at North Carolina,” said Wadsworth, now a teaching pro in the Midlands. “Early on, Jack invited me to participate in a pro-am near his home. For a young pro who idolized Jack Nicklaus, this was the greatest thing ever.”

After the golf, participants went to the Nicklaus home for a party, and, Wadsworth said, “he and his wife (Barbara) could not have been more gracious. What a thrill that was.

“Everybody talks about his record, the 18 majors and everything, but there’s so much more to him. Every athlete should study how he reacted after a loss. Think about how he lost the U.S. Open on Tom Watson’s miracle chip at Pebble Beach. First class. He is the genuine article. There’s nothing phony or arrogant about him.”

Foster carved out a distinguished junior career and, like Wadsworth, Nicklaus was “the man” to a young golfer. Foster later coached and served in athletic administration at USC and in those roles became friends with the Nicklaus family.

“I wrote the family a note with how impressed I was with how Jackie conducted himself at North Carolina,” Foster said. “It wasn’t easy playing golf as Jack Nicklaus’ son, and Jackie handled it so well.”

In the fall of 1984, athletic director Bob Marcum and Foster had been given the task of planning a USC golf course near the Bell Camp in what is now Northeast Columbia. Jack Nicklaus agreed to do the design work free of charge.

“The Saturday (the Gamecocks) beat Florida State in the Black Magic season, Jack and I rode out to look at the site,” said Foster, now a business consultant. “Driving down Percival Road, I was really nervous, gripping the steering wheel pretty tight, and he said, ‘Feel free to ask me anything that you think might help your team.’

“Wow, I was stunned. I have played golf with Gerald Ford and Ted Williams, but I have never met a nicer celebrity than Jack Nicklaus.”

(An aside: After the golf course plans had been completed, the university administration quashed the project, thus losing a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course.)

A couple of years later, Foster was operating a Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ camp in the Palm Beach area. One of the counselors became ill, and Foster searched for a substitute.

“I finally called Barbara Nicklaus, who is one of my real heroes, to see if one of their sons could help out,” Foster remembered. “She said they were all out of town, but she would see what she could do. I thought she would call one of the clubs and get one of the assistant pros to come.

“About half-an-hour later, a car rolled up and the Golden Bear himself got out. He stayed all day to help the kids. I doubt if they will every forget that day, and I know I won’t.”

The Nicklauses don’t forget people, either.

“I hadn’t seen them in two or three years, then one day, Barbara walked up and said, ‘Fred, how are you?’ She remembered. She called me by name. That blew my mind.”

Jack did that on the golf course, and he and his family did that off the course, too.

Happy Birthday, Jack!

Chip shots. The Midlands Chevy Dealers Columbia City Golf Championship is scheduled for July 16-18 at the Spur at Northwoods. . . . Registration is open for the 2020-21 Drive, Chip and Putt program with seven sites in South Carolina set to stage local qualifying. Boys and girls ages 7-15 are eligible for the age-group competition and must register at www.drivechipandputt.com.