What happens to Jack? “The Golden Bear”In 1997, Nicklaus challenged Tiger Woods to an exclusive golf match.
Colin Koenig, author of Major Wager is exploring this idea in his book Major Wager The Pure Round of Golfjack Challenged Tiger To.
Two men arrive at a course of golf in the early morning on a hot and humid day in the late nineties. The two men have not told their family or friends that they are playing this round. They’re there by themselves. No cameras, no crowds, no fans. Only two guys playing a round. It turns out that it is so much more.
Nicklaus wonders if Tiger can beat his 18 major wins record. He is a talented young player. Tiger enjoys playing with such a great golf prodigy and is eager to see how his round goes.
Koenig brings the two characters to life with his clever dialogue and an inside look into their minds. “Jack would prefer to defeat young Mr. Woods by playing well on is own, instead of relying on Tiger to screw up. Golf was no different than any other sport in this regard: The best defense is a good offense.”
The two of them are just the two of them, playing together, with their own clubs and without any entourage. “Jack and Tiger both decided to sit for a moment on the split-backed wooden bench provided at the tee box. Nicklaus lit a cigarette. Tiger bounced his ball, up and down, up and down, off the clubface of his driver.”
Koenig plays the 18-hole round throughout the whole book. This is where he answers the most common questions that golfers would like to ask:
Was there anything they would discuss?
Is there anything going on in their minds as they play?
Are two top pros able to keep the match secret between them?
This book was a great read. I loved the idea and insight Koenig gave into how the characters think. His human touch brings out a side of two characters we have only seen in public. The book is in need of some editing. The author should also include a Forward explaining the origin of this story and how he researched golf.
The story, in my opinion, would make a wonderful read for those who love golf and are interested to see what happens if these two amazing men compete in the same field.