Sure, it was special to be paired with Jack Nicklaus. Sure, it will be something to tell his grandchildren. Sure, it might be the ultimate pairing of his lifetime.
But Tom Sipula, a redheaded, 27-year-old native of Ottawa, Ill., had too much on his plate to indulge in knee-buckling hero worship Saturday. Sipula didn’t have the luxury of allowing himself to be awed by being paired at a U.S. Open with the best golfer in history.
Nicklaus had a job to do. So did Sipula.
“I came out to play golf, not to be a spectator,” Sipula said. “It was a great opportunity and a lot of fun to play with him, but I came out to shoot a score. I didn’t come out to watch Jack Nicklaus. I’m out here to do a job.”
Sipula, a rookie on the Canadian tour, would have preferred to have done a better job. He shot a 78 to stand at 14-over 224, setting the tone with a rocky start. His opening holes were bogey, bogey, par, triple-bogey.
“I could have played better,” Sipula said. “I must have missed five or six putts within 7 feet.”
Sipula, though, insisted he didn’t have any jitters playing with Nicklaus, who shot a 73. Sipula was excited when he learned of the pairing Friday night. But then, he already was excited after making the cut, having followed his opening 75 with a 71. He qualified for the tournament by surviving the sectional at George Dunne National at Oak Forest.
Sipula knew what to expect from Nicklaus. He met the legend a few years back when he was paired with Nicklaus’ son, Gary, at the PGA Tour qualifying school.
“Jack’s a gentleman,” Sipula said. “He made me feel at ease. It was a great day.”
Still, it wasn’t a typical day for Sipula. For starters, he isn’t used to playing with the security guards who follow Nicklaus.
“I usually tell my caddie, `You’re my bodyguard,’ ” Sipula said. “I told him not to worry about it today.”
Sipula usually isn’t in a group that receives a standing ovation as it approaches every tee and green. “That was neat,” he said.
But other than that it was golf. He and Nicklaus exchanged some casual banter about their shots, but for the most part each player went about his business.
Sipula, whose father, Mike Jr., owns Pine Hills Golf Club in Ottawa, has aspirations of making a mark as a pro golfer. After the Open he is off to Edmonton for the first of three straight Canadian events.
The players on that tour naturally will ask what it was like to play with Nicklaus. It was a dream pairing, but Sipula has another one he would love to have, but won’t.
Sipula’s grandfather, Mike Sr. was a standout player who once earned raves from Byron Nelson. He still plays a few holes at 84.
“I would like to have played with my grandfather when he was in his prime,” Sipula said. “That would have been something.”
