AUGUSTA, Ga. – Are you headed to the Masters Tournament this weekend in Augusta? Be forewarned: security is tight. How tight? Even six-time Masters champion Jack Nicklaus got stopped by guards as he made his way down Magnolia Drive.
Things began smoothly. A sheriff’s official welcomed the “Golden Bear” onto the grounds, and they briefly chatted about the menu for the night’s Champions Dinner (spoiler alert: it was BBQ). Nicklaus even got to flex the perks of being a golf by getting his son, who was in a car behind him that apparently didn’t have a sticker needed for entrance, in without a problem.
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But the sheriff’s official seemed to sense what may lay ahead.
“They got a little booth up there with the part-time security guard people who will want to know who you are,” he said. “We know who you are, so we’re good.”
After pulling onto Magnolia Lane, Nicklaus, 76, took a stroll through memory lane. When asked by his unnamed passenger if “this ever got old,” Nicklaus was direct:
“Well it is old,” said Nicklaus, who first played at the Masters in 1959. “But it is nice. It looks exactly the same as did 30 years ago, or 50 years ago, 60 years ago.”
From there it got a tad bit awkward. A security guard stopped the man widely regarded as the greatest golfer of all-time on one of the sport’s most hallowed grounds and asked to see his badge.
Nicklaus flashed the badge, but that wasn’t enough for the guard.
“I need to scan it,” he said.
Nicklaus, clearly surprised, asked “Mine?”
The guard, who had likely been through this routine many times beforehand, automatically replied, “Yes sir. All –“
And then it hit him. The driver before him was the man had won the most major golf championships of all-time.
“Oh, how are you doing,” He said. “Welcome, welcome.”
The guard took back the need to scan the badge, and had no problems with letting Nicklaus’ son in as well.
For his part, Nicklaus took it in stride.
“You don’t have to apologize, you’re just doing your job,” he said.
At yet another checkpoint, a sheriff’s officials appeared to be taken aback at first.
“It took me a minute to recognize you,” the sheriff’s official said.
“I’m getting old, it’s OK,” Nicklaus replied.
“You go wherever you like,” the official said.
The video ended with the unnamed passenger asking Nicklaus, “Why are they so nice to you?”
