Nicklaus wants to challenge, not punish, players

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) -- The morning calm at Muirfield Village was shattered by a sound that was sure to be sweet music to players.

It came from the engine of a lawn mower.

Mowers were thought to be a myth last year at the Memorial. The rough was supposed to be 4 inches, yet it doubled in length by the end of the week, and was particularly punishing around the greens. It felt as though the U.S. Open had arrived two weeks early.

Geoff Ogilvy feared some players would stop coming.

Phil Mickelson showed his displeasure by praising the course of every tournament he had played that year except for the Memorial. Even before his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, Lefty did not have Muirfield Village on his schedule this year.

"We were over the top last year," said Slugger White, the PGA Tour official in charge of setting up the course.

The fault fell to Jack Nicklaus - at least that's the perception of most players.

After all, this is the course Jack built for a tournament he has hosted since 1976. Nicklaus built his career around the majors, and he wants the Memorial to be the next best thing.

But even Nicklaus was troubled by the high grass, not to mention the complaints.

"The one thing I never liked as a golfer was hack-out rough," Nicklaus said Tuesday. "I've always felt that if you put the ball in the rough, there should be some chance of playing a shot to reach the green, but not be able to control the ball like you would normally. I think recovery is a beautiful part of the game."