Jack Nicklaus talks Saudi golf, rejuvenated game, Tiger, only bet he made on golf | D'Angelo

DUBLIN, Ohio — This is home for Jack Nicklaus.

Sure, the golfing legend has called Palm Beach County home for 55 years. Yes, the Honda Classic is near and dear to his heart with the tournament's primary beneficiary being the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation.

But there is something different that pulls at those heart strings when it comes to your hometown, the city in which you were born, the city that is home to the Jack Nicklaus Museum - located on Jack Nicklaus Drive.

And for Jack Nicklaus, other than his family, nothing is more important than the Memorial Tournament. Jack is listed as the "host." But make no mistake, this is Jack Nicklaus' tournament. His baby.

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"Growing up in Columbus, it was always his goal, particularly after becoming good friends with Mr. (Bobby) Jones, that he wanted to give something back," Barbara Nicklaus, Jack's wife of 61 years, said Tuesday as her husband stood feet away signing autographs. "Columbus had given him so much. We both grew up here, we both love Columbus, we both have families here in Columbus.

"Jack wanted to bring to Columbus what Bob Jones had done with the Masters."

He did that in the form of The Memorial, which starts Thursday at Muirfield Village Golf Course, just miles from where Nicklaus was born.

That is why claims in a lawsuit against Nicklaus filed by New York businessman Howard Milstein, the executive chairman of the Nicklaus Companies, that it "essentially saved" Nicklaus from jumping in bed with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series by "convincing" him to stop exploring a deal, seem highly unlikely.

Nicklaus, who lives in North Palm Beach, told the Fire Pit Collective he was offered but turned down $100 million to be the CEO of the LIV Golf series. Tuesday, he revealed he met with representatives of LIV Golf at the Bear's Club in Jupiter. That meeting, Nicklaus said, was out of courtesy because he has been involved with the group in a golf course deal for a more than a couple years.

"I've got zero interest in wanting to do something like that," Nicklaus said. "I don't care what kind of money they would have thrown at me. My allegiance has been to the PGA Tour. I grew up on the PGA Tour. I helped found the PGA Tour as it is today."

Nicklaus approached by LIV Golf for Greg Norman's role

According to Nicklaus, he was approached for a role something similar to Greg Norman's, who is the face of LIV Golf and the man now attempting to poach the tour of its players.

In 1968, Nicklaus was one of a group of players, including Arnold Palmer, who started the PGA Tour by breaking off from the club pros at the PGA of America. Now, 73 tour victories, including 18 majors, later, if there has been one face of the PGA Tour, it's Jack Nicklaus.

And it's hard to believe Nicklaus would jeopardize all of that, including his beloved Memorial Tournament, for a rogue league.

Nicklaus was brief in his comments on LIV Golf and the lawsuit, which claims he failed to provide services and property through a deal for which he was paid $145 million in 2007.

Speaking publicly on the suit for the first time, Nicklaus said: "I'm not worried about that. I feel comfortable with where we are."

Those were the only subjects the relaxed, 82-year-old was uneasy with. When it came to his health, golf game, gambling habits and Tiger Woods, Jack was, well, Jack.

Nicklaus almost shoots his age

Jack played Muirfield Village Saturday and Sunday. He shot 84 Sunday.

"Wow, that's pretty good, right?" he said. "Yeah, without making a putt, without making a birdie."

And two weeks ago he played Augusta National with his son, Jack Jr., and two grandchildren and shot an 88 "without a birdie." He said he hasn't made a birdie yet this year but ...

"I had a chance to shoot my age both days and I choked."

The reason Jack is back on the course is the inflammation and arthritis that recently has kept him down is under control.

"Inflammation has been my problem and most of the inflammation I seem for some reason to have gotten out of me," he said. "When you've got inflammation everywhere, you just can't move. I'm doing very well. I feel better than I've felt in a long time."

Jack would not go as far as saying he "choked" when it came to the 1960 U.S. Open, but he did say it was the one tournament in which he made a bet. ... on himself.

Nicklaus still was an amateur for the tournament held at Cherry Hills Village in Colorado and he was preparing to be married to Barbara soon after. His dad told him the odds of him winning were 35 to 1 and asked, "do you want some of that?"

Nicklaus put down $20.

"So I'm coming down the stretch at the U.S. Open as a 20-year old amateur," he said. "I'm thinking about the $700 that I might make to go start our marriage. Well, I didn't win, so I didn't get the $700. I lost my $20, my one and only bet in golf."

Nicklaus finished two shots behind Palmer, a tournament he said he "gave away" but perhaps was necessary for him to take the next step in his career.

A career that has only one peer. Whether you believe Jack's 73 tour titles and 18 majors or Tiger's 82 tour trophies and 15 majors deserves the top spot is purely subjective.

Jack believes 18 remains a reachable number for Tiger, who has struggled this year in his attempt to return after nearly losing his leg in an auto accident 15 months ago. The Jupiter Island resident shot a pair of 78s on the weekend at the Masters and recently withdrew from the PGA Championship after carding a 79 on Saturday.

Still, Jack said he believes Tiger "might" have a chance at 18.

"I would never count him out, incidentally, of anything," he said.

That, too, goes for Jack one day shooting his age.

Tom D'Angelo is a journalist at the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at tdangelo@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Memorial Tournament host Jack Nicklaus talks LIV Golf, Tiger Woods