The Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf tournament is adding a true legend of the game to the event this year as Jack Nicklaus is set to play with Gary Player in the Demaret Division.
“It’s not a rumor, he’s going to be playing and his partner is going to be Gary Player,” said Al Kennickell, the tournament’s volunteer chairman. “There’s going to be a lot of fans wanting to come out and see those two guys in a twosome. That’s a lot of great golf history that will be walking together.”
Kennickell was quick to point out that there is no admission charge for the Demaret Division (for players 70 and older), which is held on the Monday and Tuesday of tournament week, which lands on April 22-23 this year.
The Demaret Division tee times are usually set early in the morning, but to increase fan interest the Monday tee time for Player and Nicklaus is set to be moved up closer to noon, Kennickell said. On Tuesday, Nicklaus has an afternoon meeting in Atlanta, so the tee time for that day would be earlier in the morning.
“You can’t beat free, and to see players like Nicklaus and Player, obviously there’s going to be a lot of people getting in line to walk behind them,” Kennickell said.
Nicklaus, 73, holds the record for the most career major wins on the PGA Tour with 18. He had 73 wins on the PGA Tour and 10 more on the Champions Tour.
The addition of Nicklaus, nicknamed the Golden Bear, is sure to drive up interest in the tournament, which is already popular with local golf fans and the players themselves, who enjoy the trip to family-friendly Savannah.
“Absolutely, having Nicklaus in the field will bring a lot more people out there,” said local senior amateur star Doug Hanzel. “Nicklaus, (Arnold) Palmer, Player and (Lee) Trevino made the Senior Tour what it is today. Nothing against the new guys on tour, but fans would rather see Nicklaus shoot an 80, than see Jay Haas shoot a 68.
“Those guys played against each other in their prime and each won multiple majors — they are the elite of the elite.”
The Raphael Division, also an unofficial money event, and the Legends Division of the tournament will start on April 26.