Though a middle-of-the-field finish was not unlike his debut here in 1962, Jack Nicklaus had the considerable satisfaction of improving on that score by no fewer than 12 strokes. Not bad for a 57-year-old facing the prospect of a hip replacement!

On the way to a bogey at the 72nd hole for a round of 75 and an aggregate of 293, the Bear was cheered to the echo. And joining the chorus was his playing partner, Payne Stewart, who had reached the green ahead of him.

There had been doubts that he would actually compete here in a 37th successive Open and the faithful wanted him to know that his effort was appreciated.

"It's always very nice," he said of the ovation. But with the enduring pride of a leading performer, he quickly added: "I'd much prefer to have been coming up four or five hours later when there's a lot more spectators in the grandstand and I'm in contention."

Still, he had reason to be pleased with a third successive cut in the Open. His old rival, Gary Player, actually made his 42nd successive Open appearance here, but he failed to make the cut. And at 61, he has made only two cuts since sharing 61st place behind Seve Ballesteros at Royal Lytham in 1988.

"Troon is where I started playing links golf," Nicklaus went on. "And I hope it's not the end. In fact I'm looking forward to coming back over here, but only if I'm competitive. At this stage, it's a year to year deal."

As to ongoing hip trouble, which causes him to walk in a stiff, stooped manner, he said: "I think my hip will always be a problem from now on. "It hurts only when I walk, not when I'm hitting a golf ball. Maybe I shall have to have a hip replacement at some time in the future, but it doesn't concern me at the moment."

Nicklaus won his three Open titles in Scotland - at Muirfield in 1966 and at St Andrews in 1970 and 1978. And four of the seven occasions that he finished runner up in the championship also happened to be north of Hadrian's Wall.

So, he clearly has a great affection for the place and the people. "People in Scotland have been perfect to me through the years," he said. "I'll be 58 when Birkdale comes around next year and I will make my decision on playing about a week before I'm due to travel."

But he added: "I don't come to play in the Open to walk the 18th fairway at two o'clock on a Sunday afternoon. I don't walk up the 18th to be applauded for my golf of the last 30 years."

Then the great man concluded: "Sure, making the cut is decent, but it's not competitive. And I'm not here just to play four days. To compete in the real sense, you must have a chance of winning."

Given his fiercely competitive nature, one would hardly expect anything different from the Bear. Yet whatever about his views, it is clear that his loyal supporters remain delighted simply to see him.