It’s not just a tournament; it’s an emotion for Jack Nicklaus! It’s a legacy he’s carefully nurtured for 50 years. From designing the Muirfield Village Golf Club to founding this prestigious tournament, Nicklaus has poured his heart and soul into building the Memorial Tournament. Notably, this year’s tournament is extra special for him, as he made his wife, Barbara, the official tournament honoree this year. This shows how much family and tradition really matter to the Golden Bear, indeed. And while the emotions run deep, make no mistake, Jack still keeps a sharp eye on what’s happening on the course.

On the course, the competition is as fierce as ever. Ben Griffin currently holds the lead, playing solid golf and trying to hold off the chasing pack. And as usual, the walk-and-talk happened, that new-age style of media coverage. It was all routine at first: Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard asked Griffin about his form and the course conditions. Nothing surprising there, just a casual mid-round interview.

But things got interesting once the broadcast cut back to the booth. Jack Nicklaus jumped straight in and said, “I can’t stand that.” It was a bold and abrupt move and he was brutally honest about not liking the idea of interviewing players in the middle of a round. And he explained pretty clearly why it bothers him.  

“I mean, seriously, here’s a guy who’s leading the golf tournament, he’s just hit the edge of the rough, he’s got a very difficult shot on a very difficult hole, and you’re talking to him about stuff that totally takes his mind off of what he was doing.” And Jack’s not wrong. The 17th at Muirfield is brutal, and Griffin had just missed the fairway and was staring down a tough shot. That’s not the moment to be chatting about energy levels.

He also added, “How would you think [Ben] Hogan would respond to that question?” And he answered it himself, “You would not have any teeth left if you did. He’d hit you right in the face with it.” Nicklaus wasn’t just making a joke; he was pointing out how different today’s golf culture is from the old-school mindset. Back then, a mid-round interview would’ve been seen as completely disrespectful. So when Jack said Hogan would knock your teeth out, he wasn’t being dramatic. But why did Jack point out Ben Hogan?

Why did Nicklaus give the example of Ben Hogan? 

Nicklaus name-dropped Ben Hogan for a reason. Hogan was the ultimate symbol of focus, discipline, and control on the golf course. Known for being intensely private and borderline unapproachable during tournaments, he was famous for blocking out everything around him. He barely spoke to playing partners, let alone entertained questions from the media mid-round. Players and reporters alike kept their distance out of respect.

Hogan treated each shot like a surgical task. Indeed, he would’ve seen anything that broke his rhythm as an insult to the game itself. Moreover, his laser focus translated into one of the most dominant careers in golf history. He racked up 64 PGA Tour wins—fourth all-time—and secured nine major championships.

And the craziest part? He did all this after nearly dying in a car crash in 1949. Doctors weren’t even sure he’d walk again, let alone swing a club. But not only did he walk—he made history. It was a true testament to his mental strength, something the modern media age probably wouldn’t understand.

So when Jack said Hogan would knock your teeth out if you tried a walk-and-talk on him, he wasn’t exaggerating. Hogan’s reputation made it clear that kind of access would’ve never flown in his time. Nicklaus, who idolized Hogan growing up, used him as the ultimate example of how seriously players once guarded their in-round concentration—something he clearly feels the modern game is losing.