Through eight presidencies and the first man on the moon, from young kid to grandfather, from using wooden drivers to titanium, Jack Nicklaus has been there for every major championship. Starting in 1962, whenever one of golf's four biggest tournaments commenced, the Golden Bear teed it up. But now, after 146 consecutive majors _ which included a record 18 victories _ Nicklaus is putting an end to the streak. A nagging hip problem led Nicklaus to decide to withdraw from next week's British Open at Royal Birkdale. "I'm sad about it," Nicklaus, 58, said Wednesday during a news conference in Dearborn, Mich., where he is playing in the Senior Players Championship. "I love to play the game of golf. I love to play major championships more than anything in the world. "But all good things must come to an end. And I'd like it to come to an end knowing that I've played reasonably well up until this time." If you count the major championships for which Nicklaus has been eligible, his streak extends to 154. He began playing in the Masters and U.S. Open as an amateur in 1957. He was not eligible for the PGA Championship until 1962, after he turned professional. Nicklaus said various factors led to his decision, including the poor condition of his hip and the scheduling of the tournament. The U.S. Senior Open is in Los Angeles the week after the British Open. He did not rule out playing in future majors but said he will not play in next month's PGA Championship outside Seattle. Nicklaus has won six Masters, four U.S. Opens, three British Opens and five PGA Championships. He stirred memories of his greatness at this year's Masters, pulling within two shots of the leaders early in the final round before settling for a tie for sixth. Last month he tied for 43rd at the U.S. Open in San Francisco. Nicklaus had maintained that his streak would end this year after the Masters. But the United States Golf Association gave him a special exemption to play in the U.S. Open, his 42nd in a row. It also extended passes to next year's Open at Pinehurst and the 100th playing of the tournament in 2000 at Pebble Beach. That meant Nicklaus could have kept the streak going much longer. As a Masters champion, he is exempt for life, as he is with the PGA Championship. British Open champions are exempt through their 65th birthday. "I've reflected on it (the streak) for a lot of years," Nicklaus said. "My sole thing has been to not embarrass myself. I think I've been playing on borrowed time for the last couple or three years. I don't want to stretch that any further. I think I stretched it far enough when I was healthy. "When I played at the U.S. Open, I played nine holes in the two weeks before the tournament. I couldn't play. I played pretty well at the U.S. Open. I made a stance change that allowed me to get it around the golf course. "I've always prided myself on being able to prepare. There's no excuse to not be prepared. But I didn't think I could do that. If I couldn't do that, I really don't deserve to play." Nicklaus said his left hip seized up on him the day after the U.S. Open while he played in an event with his son near Salt Lake City. He plans to play in the U.S. Senior Open in two weeks, then not play for the rest of the year. Nicklaus said he will consult with specialists to see if a lengthy layoff, exercise or hip replacement surgery is necessary. After the Senior Players Championship, Nicklaus is headed to Manchester, England, where on Monday he will open a course he designed. No player is within sight of Nicklaus' mark for consecutive majors. Nick Faldo has the next-longest streak, having played 44 in a row. He would have to play in every major into 2024 to break Nicklaus' record. Several other feats are worth noting. He is one of four players with a career Grand Slam, victories in the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship. (The others are Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan and Gary Player). Nicklaus is the only player to have at least three wins in each. He has been runner-up in majors 19 times, and for each of his first 26 years as a pro, he had a top-20 finish in at least one major. Nicklaus said his 1986 Masters victory, when he shot a final-round 65 to win his last PGA Tour title at age 46, probably ranks as his most special win. He remembered three epic disappointments. "I don't have regrets for the ones where I played well and somebody beat me," he said. "Like the '82 (U.S.) Open at Pebble Beach (where Tom Watson chipped in for birdie on the 71st hole) or '77 at Turnberry (where Watson shot 66-65 on the weekend to Nicklaus' 66-66 to win the British Open) or '72 at Muirfield (where a Lee Trevino chip-in denied Nicklaus a chance at the third leg of the Grand Slam). "Those are three that got away from me where somebody beat me and I couldn't do anything about it. As far as the others I try to forget those."