I'm a little late in reading this thread, so here goes. One of the reasons Nicklaus did not spend as much time with his family was economics; players back then did not compete for anywhere the $$ that they do today. They had to play more tournaments to make a living. Todays players don't play near as much; I would think 25 tournaments played would be a lot; which means they have half the year where they are not on the road playing. I agree that its important to pace yourself in a year to optimize playing perfoemance, but players are judged on there history in majors pure and simple. Not trying to compete in them indicates you've made a judgement that your playing time is better spent on other events ie. you don't think you'll be competitive. Not a knock, possibly smart as you've realistically eveluated your options and decided whats for you.
I'm a little late in reading this thread, so here goes. One of the reasons Nicklaus did not spend as much time with his family . . .
Actually, I think we may be a bit offbase here.
As tball88 stated above, Lee Trevino was the guy who sacrificed everything for golf. He was driven to escape the poverty and prejudice of his youth:
"I put golf before my family. I put it before my friends. I put it before my religion."
Jack Nicklaus sacrificed none of these. Instead, he rarely played more than twenty tournaments a year and made a great deal of time for his family. He was there for his wife and children -- he literally fainted dead away after the birth of each child -- throughout the important events of their lives, sometimes even jetting home during tournaments.
In fact, his commitment to 'family time' inspired Chi Chi Rodriquez's great line:
"Jack Nicklaus became a legend in his spare time."
That was my understanding with regards to Nicklaus. The master of hyberbole Gary Player may not have exaggerated when he made the comment that Jack Nicklaus was the consumate family man. Note post # 15 for Okie! I have NO respect whatsover for a person that sacrifices their family. Isaac Newton made the decision not to marry so that he could dedicate his life to natural philosophy...I can definately support opting out of a family but never their neglect. I man without perspective is a dangerous man! Have a great weekend LBG loyalists!
Should have vetted the numbers a bit better. In the 60's Nicklaus averaged over 20 tournaments a year, in the 70's he played 20 only once and in the 80's averaged only about 15 per year. Think Tiger only plays about 15-18 per year, which I think (?) is probably par for top players. Not sure about players a rung below, but even if they play 20-25, there should be ample time for family obligations if they schedule it right. I know myself , in season, I work 6 sometimes 7 days a week averaging 10 hours a day. In a seasonal business its the only way, bills and all that other stuff.
Hybrid Mode
