Nicklaus weighs in on Rory-Tiger 'intimidation'

• By Ryan Lavner
• Sep 20, 2012 2:03 PM ET

One of the hot topics on sports-talk radio this week – along with RGIII, Tebow and baseball’s playoff race, of course – was Greg Norman’s belief that Tiger Woods is now “intimidated” by Rory McIlroy.

Apparently not even Jack Nicklaus could escape the discussion. He was asked his thoughts on the growing controversy when he joined ESPN 980 in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.

“Quiet, Greg, quiet. Down boy,” Nicklaus said in the interview, a transcript of which has since been posted on sportsradiointerviews.com. “I think Tiger had a pretty darn good year this year. It’s the first time he has gotten himself back into contention in the majors; he didn’t finish them and I think by his own admission he said he had a hard time finishing them.

“That’s like anything else. He had a pretty big event in his life that changed a lot of things, and he has to learn how to go back and play again. I think he’s learned how to play again; now he has to learn how to finish again.

“I think Tiger has a lot of wins left in him. He does have a lot more competition. During the couple of years when Tiger wasn’t really there, all of the sudden you have Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley and I could probably name a half dozen other guys that have all won and learned how to win in Tiger’s absence.

“They’re not scared of him anymore. Before Tiger just showed up coming down the stretch and everybody said, ‘Oh there’s Tiger, and I wilt.’ They don’t do that anymore. Tiger’s got his work cut out for him, but I don’t think Tiger is by any means finished. I just think Tiger is too good of an athlete and too good of a player.”