AUGUSTA, Ga., April 12 (UPI) -- Six-time Masters champion Jack Nicklaus said Saturday he may not play in next year's tournament if weather conditions are as bad as they were this year.
"I didn't enjoy or compete this year," said the 63-year-old Nicklaus after missing the tournament's 36-hole cut by a whopping 24 strokes.
"If we have dry conditions (next year), I'll play. But if it's like this again next year, I may drop out on Wednesday. I don't want to clutter up the field like I did this year."
Nicklaus, who won his sixth Masters and record 18th major title at age 46 in 1986, shot 85-77--162.
"I didn't even play halfway decent," he said.
Nicklaus won his first Masters at age 23 in 1963 and captured three titles in a four-year span. In the 45 years since he first appeared in the Masters as a 19-year-old U.S. Amateur champion from Ohio State, Nicklaus has failed to start in the tournament only twice.
He missed the 1999 event as he recovered from hip replacement surgery and did not play in 2002 while suffering from back problems.
As for the future, he said, "I'll take it year by year. I'd like to play, but I don't want to play if I play like I did these past two days."
Rain this week forced postponement of the first round Thursday and the field attempted to get in two rounds on Friday. But darkness caught most of the golfers still on the course and they had to return Saturday to complete the second round.
"I started the second round with three straight bogeys," he said. "I wasn't excited about that. The only way I can play this golf course is if it's fast."
Arnold Palmer, 73, who announced his retirement from Masters competition after last year's tournament and then changed his mind to reach 50 appearances by playing this year and next, had back-to-back 11-over-par 83s.
"I feel great," he said. "It wasn't that tough. I enjoyed it. I could have gone another 36 holes. Well, I think I could have."
