The first wave came as he walked down the fairway of the opening hole and unless he is careful, Jack Nicklaus is in danger of suffering a repetitive strain injury before he gives his last. Whether that comes on Friday, when the cut is made, or on Sunday in a fitting finale, there will be plenty of emotion along the way, emotion that was evident even Sunday when a huge, roving gallery watched his first practice round.

It was not just the spectators who craved a memento, as the mobile-phone cameras clicked away on every shot, for even Nick Faldo wanted to capture the moment that they crossed the Swilcan Bridge. It was made more sentimental by the fact that both had their sons as caddies, but then we have always suspected that Faldo was a big softie at heart.

“I thought it would be a neat picture and it will be emotional when he walks up the 18th for the last time,” Faldo said. “He was the inspiration that got me started in golf. He is the best ambassador for the sport both on and off the course. ”

Faldo had asked to play with Nicklaus this week, and the four-ball that resulted enjoyed an entertaining romp around the Old Course. For the record Nicklaus, who is 65, went round in 73, and in tandem with Fred Couples beat Faldo and his partner, the American Brad Bryant.

Nicklaus would not be competing here if he thought he was going to be swallowed up by the nostalgia of his eighth St Andrews Open, and though he dismisses his own chances with a tongue-in-cheek response to requests for names of potential winners ? “I haven’t thought past myself, yet” ? he does not want to retire before Sunday.

“If I didn’t think I was capable of playing on the weekend, I wouldn’t be here,” he said. “I’ve come here with one thing in mind and that’s to play golf. I shot about par today so although that’s not going to win anything it was fun to be playing half-decent.”

He was cheered at every turn Monday, and enjoyed plenty of banter with his colleagues, even delivering a lecture on the Ryder Cup and the spirit in which it should be played. It came on the fifth tee, after Couples had announced he was to captain the American junior team, and, of course, involved Faldo, who will lead Europe in 2008.

“A Junior Ryder Cup? They have that these days?” Nicklaus asked. “Yes,” replied Couples, “and we got smoked last year.” “Sorry,” Faldo interjected. “Are we talking about the junior one, or the real one? You see, that’s how the Ryder Cup is supposed to be,” said Nicklaus to general applause.

“It’s about the bragging rights. You give him a little dig, he gives you one back. That’s the way it should be, not a war.”

Unless the wind picks up the course will be at the mercy of the big hitters, but there is still a place for those, like Nicklaus and Faldo, who can work their way around, avoiding the bunkers. The changes that have lengthened the fourth and 14th holes caused Nicklaus some problems, but unlike at Augusta, it is not only those he called the “gorillas” who can prosper.

“Length is not a big issue here. In the States it is and it has eliminated a lot of players ? and I’m talking about modern players. I was a big hitter in my prime and that was always an advantage, but it never spilled over into eliminating everybody else,” he said.

Tony Jacklin, 61, the Open winner in 1969, announced Monday that this would also be his final appearance. Jacklin said he was playing out of respect for Nicklaus, whom he termed “the greatest player of my generation”.