Nicklaus' Major Streak Continues

March 16, 1998 / 9:02 PM EST / AP

Jack Nicklaus can play in the U.S. Open, after all. The USGA on Monday gave Nicklaus special exemptions for the next three tournaments through the year 2000.

When Nicklaus was not among those given exemptions by the USGA in January it appeared his streak of consecutive major championship would end at 145 after this year's Masters.

Now Nicklaus can extend that streak through the 2001 Masters, if he chooses, pushing it to 157 consecutive major championships. He has lifetime invitations to the Masters and the PGA Championship and can play the British Open until he is 65.

This year's U.S. Open is June 18-21 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. The 1999 Open is at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, and the 2000 tournament is at Pebble Beach.
"The invitation was a surprise to Jack," Nicklaus spokesman Scott Tolley said from Golden Bear offices in North Palm Beach, Fla. "He told USGA officials he would call them back this week."

Tolley said Nicklaus felt the position he was being offered was an important spot for a young golfer and that he wanted to feel certain he was physically able to play before accepting.

The U.S. Open is the centerpiece of Nicklaus' season. If he decides to play in the Open it not only means he will likely play all four majors but it also means he will play other tournaments to get ready.

That is likely the decision he will consider over the next few days.

Scott Simpson, the winner of the 1987 U.S. Open at Olympic who took the Buick Invitational in February for his first PGA Tour victory in five years, was also granted a special exemption.

"I am grateful to the USGA for this invitation and its faith in me as a past champion," Simpson, 43, said.

Nicklaus has played in every Open since he was a 17-year-old amateur in 1957 and has said he would play as long as he feels competitive.

At Doral two weeks ago, Nicklaus shot rounds of 70, 74, 72 and 77, finishing in 58th place at 5-over-par 293, 15 strokes behind winner Michael Bradley.

Nicklaus, 58, has won 18 major professional championships and two U.S. Amateur titles. He won his first U.S. Open at the age 22 in 1962. Only Nicklaus, Bob Jones, Willie Anderson and Ben Hogan have won the U.S. Open four times.

Nicklaus has played in all four of the majors each year since turning pro in 1962 and has played in 152 of the professional majors dating back to the 1957 U.S. Open.

Last year, Nicklaus played in the U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club on his fifth special exemption since 1991 and finished 52nd.

Nicklaus has not finished in the top 20 in the U.S. Open since 1986 when he was eighth. That was also the year he won the last of his 18 professional major championships in the Masters.