Jack Nicklaus

Nicklaus in is heyday.

• Golfing legend Jack Nicklaus, in an interview with the Golf Channel, theorizes on why today's pro golfers are better, as a group, than the oldtimers when it comes to making crucial putts under pressure.

"Don't take this the wrong way, please. In those days, most of those guys were club pros. Their usual thing was, after a round, to come in and have a drink and socialize. They did that when they played tournaments. I always felt drinking did not do well with nerves. The guys today don't do that. I never did that.

"Did I have a drink? Sure, here and there, but never while I was playing in tournaments. I always thought that was terrible for your nerves, and terrible for your touch, because I think the most important thing is to be totally there. I don't think guys did it because they were nervous, it was just their way of life. It was a social way of life, and golf was a social sport. Guys take the game today as more athletes, and I took it that way. I'm not saying these guys were drinkers, but it was part of their life. It's not part of the culture today."