Nicklaus warns of PGA Tour's crowded calendar as Memorial fights to stand out

Memorial is still the tournament Jack Nicklaus built. It still means something. But it now feels like another stop on a long and lucrative road.

Memorial Tournament host Jack Nicklaus: "I hate to see tournaments bunched too much together with too many big tournaments too close together." Pic: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Jack Nicklaus never said he wanted the Memorial Tournament to be the “Masters of the North” when it began 50 years ago. The best sales pitch was to let others do the talking.

It never really came to that over the years, anyway, except it was clear Nicklaus found inspiration from the Masters, the major he won a record six times. It wasn’t about Muirfield Village trying to replicate Augusta National. It was more about the tournament experience unlike any other in the non-major division.