On the 50th anniversary of his first US Masters victory in 1963, Jack Nicklaus met with reporters to reminisce last night, although the questions were often about the future.

For example, Nicklaus was again asked to assess whether Tiger Woods would surpass his record of 18 major championships.

"I continue to say that I still expect him to break my record," Nicklaus said. "I think he's just too talented, too driven and too focused on that."

But Nicklaus added that Woods was now 38. When told that Woods was only 37, Nicklaus looked surprised. He recovered well, though.

"In his 38th year," he said with a smile. '`From here, he's got to win five majors, which is a pretty good career for most people. And he's starting at age 37.

"He's played very, very well this spring, but he is getting older and he's going to have to figure it out. If he figures it out here this week, it will be a great boost for him. If he doesn't figure it out here, after the spring he's had, I think it will be a lot tougher for him."

There was a little time for Nicklaus to look back. He said his expectations heading into the 1986 Masters, which he won for his sixth title, were not particularly high.

But once he was in contention on the final nine holes of the tournament, he said: "All of a sudden, I remembered how to play. I had not played well for a couple of years and was just going through the motions, but suddenly I remembered what to do coming down the stretch."

Nicklaus also recounted the story of how the original green jacket they put on him in 1963 did not fit by three sizes.

Beginning the next year, he wore an Augusta National green jacket that had belonged to Thomas E Dewey, a former New York governor. Nicklaus wore that jacket until 1998, when he was finally fitted for his own.

Pulling on the lapels of his green jacket, Nicklaus said with a snicker: "So now I have a green jacket, guys. Same one." New York Times