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Honoring mother's wishes Nicklaus to continue playing in PGA Championship
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Despite the death of his mother, Jack Nicklaus will finish his final year of major championship play by playing in the PGA Championship. Nicklaus was on the fourth hole of a practice round Wednesday when he was informed of the death in Columbus, Ohio, of Helen Nicklaus, who was 90. Helen Nicklaus earlier told her son that she didn't want her death to interfere with his plans to play, said Jim Awtrey, chief executive of the PGA. Nicklaus saw his mother Monday and she told him she was ready to die after a two-year illness. "After all she had been through, he felt it was a blessing," Awtrey said. Nicklaus planned to stay in Louisville and attend a Wednesday night dinner at which the PGA was to present him its Distinguished Service Award. He is scheduled to tee off at 9:13 a.m. Thursday at Valhalla Golf Club with Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh. The PGA is the final major tournament of a year, which the 60-year-old Nicklaus said would be his last of playing all four majors. He also designed the Valhalla course. Awtrey said Nicklaus was honoring his mother's wishes by playing. "She was afraid of dying at a time that would be a critical point in Jack's career," he said.
The Northwest Chapel of the Schoedinger Funeral Service in Columbus will handle funeral arrangements, said Matt Jones, a funeral director there. The arrangements were not complete.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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