Jack Nicklaus, founder of the Memorial Tournament and one of the greatest golfers of all time, will not be teeing up competitively this year, but 2002 Memorial winner Jim Furyk still looks back on the moment he won the tournament and the impact that Nicklaus had on him.

“Having him present, having this be his tournament with his name on it, it’s a wonderful feeling,” Furyk said. “I’ll always remember that. And whether he tees it up in the golf tournament or not, the fact that he’s here and he takes pride in this place is plenty. The fact that he played until 65-years-of-age with hip problems is phenomenal.”

This will be Furyk’s 10th appearance at Muirfield Village Golf Club located in Dublin, Ohio.

“I really look forward to coming back to Columbus,” Furyk said.

He met his wife during a past Memorial Tournament and said they have many friends and family in the Columbus area.

Furyk said he and his wife try to raise their kids similarly to how their parents raised them, although his father actually held him back from the game of golf.

“My father was a club professional. I’ve always had very good instructions and equipment as a kid.”

Although Nicklaus will not be golfing in this year’s tournament, he has decided to make a big change to the game at Murfield Village.

The new wooden rakes for the bunkers have every other tooth missing, which makes it more difficult to hit out of the sand trap. Furyk said that during the years the bunkers have been made deeper and he likes the rake concept in theory.

“I think it’s a good idea, but I want to see it in the tournament first,” he said. “I don’t see a problem with making (bunkers) harder. There are times when it’s true in certain bunkers you would rather have the ball in the sand, not in the rough.”

Furyk said in the future the gap of the average and good bunker players will be widened.

“From 30 yards away you can’t even tell, but once you get on the ball, you’re like ‘Oh boy’. I have a hard time believing that we won’t dial the ball back within the next 20 years. It’s a shame 7,200 (yards) isn’t long enough anymore.”

Regarding his unusual swing Furyk said he has tried other approaches, but during a tough shot it is best to get back to what feels good.

“It’s just natural,” he said. “I was fortunate with my father being my teacher. He had a very good work ethic. The difficult part is that not only is he a player but he is a teacher.”