THERE are many ways in which the 21st century dazzles my parents but recent news that I have a) joined a gym, and b) that the cycling machines there permit me to pretend I am mountain biking in New Zealand or ascending Alpe D’Huez appear to have acted as some sort of tipping point. Forget social media, Donald Trump’s hairpiece or even my mother’s favourite topic of golfing conversation (“Is Tommy Fleetwood covering his expenses?” “I think he is, mum.”), it is stationary bikes that have them absolutely agog with astonishment.

As it happens, I was pretty impressed with them myself this week when an imaginary journey through the Patagonian desert reached levels of realism I hadn’t considered possible, with a heavy good vehicle overtaking me on a blind bend and then veering dramatically back into my space because something was coming in the opposite direction. At which point, a man on the adjacent machine, struggling chaotically to remove his feet from the pedals, toppled into me with the sort of exquisite timing comedians dream of.

Once back in the saddle, thoughts of the modern world’s desire for alternate realities led me to think that Jack Nicklaus has done it better than most because this week’s PGA Tour event (the Memorial Tournament) and the host venue (Muirfield Village) are his own treasured creations, ones he tweaks, teases and tinkers with to his heart’s content. No need for AI or Minecraft for Jack to conceive and construct an idealised world. He just did it all for real.

Jack and his wife Barbara sit on chairs by the 18th green every final round, watching and then greeting every player a little like grandparents at a family barbecue. Jack would like the winners to be a constant stream of the game’s elite, but the set-up has occasionally malfunctioned. The wins of David Lingmerth and William McGirt nearly a decade ago were not exactly what he had in mind. Still, changes were made to the course, principally protecting against the onrush of technology, and in recent years the algorithms have been on point.

Indeed, the last six champions have been Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Cantlay (twice), Jon Rahm, Billy Horschel and Viktor Hovland. In the middle of that run the course also played host to an event during the immediate post-lockdown period and Collin Morikawa lifted the trophy. All of those winners have also won either a major championship or the PGA’s Tour Championship. 

It’s also true that winners of this event are proven on Nicklaus tests. In all, 10 of the last 15 champions already had a top three finish on one of his designs and, of the exceptions, two had a top three at Harbour Town (which Nicklaus co-designed with Pete Dye), a third had a fourth place finish on a Nicklaus track, and another had been second with 18 holes to play on one. 

Patrick Cantlay

We’ll kick off the 32-year-old Californian Patrick Cantlay whose game has proved to be a remarkably neat fit for Golden Bear examinations. He was a little fortunate to become a two-time winner at Muirfield Village (because the second came courtesy of Jon Rahm testing positive for Covid when six shots clear) but he has five top seven finishes on the course and is also a winner at Sherwood. Toss in the co-design at Harbour Town and he has 10 top four finishes (including three wins) in 19 Nicklaus starts.

 

Sahith Theegala

Another American and one who is yet to win a major or the Tour Championship but Sahith Theegala has the potential to do so in the future. He’s taken to Harbour Town with fifth place last year and third this, and he was also in the top three through 54 holes at the Nicklaus-designed Valhalla in last month’s PGA Championship before drifting back to T12th. He was fifth at Muirfield Village in 2022 and is hungry to win again after landing a first PGA Tour win last September.

 

Shane Lowry

It’s just a few weeks since Shane Lowry carded that sensational third round 62 at Valhalla in the PGA Championship and he can kick on from that, perhaps further buoyed by the success of Robert MacIntyre last week. The Irishman has played Harbour Town well, with a pair of thirds and a ninth in his log book, and he’s also finished top five in each of the last three years at PGA National which Nicklaus renovated from a Fazio family original. His work on Nicklaus originals includes top 20s at Gut Larchenhof, Glen Abbey, Montreux and Mount Juliet. He also has three top 20s at Muirfield Village including sixth in 2021. 

Sepp Straka

Lowry’s Ryder Cup partner lacks that elite shine but he’s a very fine performer on Nicklaus layouts. Back in 2018 he won at The Nicklaus Golf Club at Lions Gate on the Korn Ferry Tour and he’s added one top 20 at Montreux and two top 20s at Muirfield Village since. He’s also won (and finished fifth on defence) at PGA National and been third and fifth at Harbour Town. The last of those came at the end of April and he was fifth again last week.

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