AKRON, Ohio, June 5 (UPI) -- Jack Nicklaus returns to the site of one of his record 18 PGA Tour major titles this week to compete in the Senior PGA Championship, which gets under way Thursday.
Nicklaus claimed the 1975 PGA Championship at Firestone. But he iss not considered a favorite this week, especially since his ailing back has limited him to two starts this season.
Nicklaus struggled through nine practice holes Wednesday at Firestone, which he redesigned in 1985. He claimed three of his 70 PGA Tour titles at the course, winning the American Golf Classic in 1970 and the World Series of Golf in 1976.
"I was not so much worrying about the nostalgia and the last hurrah at Firestone," the 62-year-old Hall of Famer said. "I was trying to figure out how to reach a par-4 in two."
Nicklaus has played only eight competitive rounds this season and is winless on the Senior Tour since 1996. Most of his problems have been related to his back, which limited his play Wednesday.
"Some days, I have good days. Some days, I don't," he said. "It wasn't too good today, but I'll be all right tomorrow."
One of Nicklaus' two competitive tournaments of 2002 came two weeks ago at the Memorial, the PGA Tour event he hosts. He broke par twice in the first three rounds, but finished with a 79 and placed 71st.
"I wore out, which I suspected I might," he said. "But the only way I know to get endurance is keep playing and keep trying to push the envelope a little bit until you get yourself back in shape."
Asked if he could contend this week based on his performance at the Memorial, Nicklaus said, "Good gracious. Everybody is applauding me for shooting 71. You don't compete when you shoot 71.
"I have no illusions about what I can do. I don't know what I'll do around here. I haven't a clue. We'll just have to wait and see."
Except for the recently reshaped greens, Nicklaus knows the course well. He has several fond memories, especially his playoff win over Lee Elder in the 1970 American Golf Classic.
"I think the playoff with Lee Elder was kind of memorable because I holed like four putts in a row of 25 feet or something like that," Nicklaus said.
Nicklaus is not the only player with fond memories of Firestone.
Defending champion Tom Watson, who last year won the event at Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey, claimed the World Series of Golf in 1980 for one of his 34 PGA Tour titles.
