L E’s Stories – “The Golden Bear Made Golfing Fans Forget About The King” – Tribute To The Life & Legend of Jack Nicklaus

As a sportsphile, I have been a serious golf fan since I was 10 years old…..when I rooted for fellow Texans Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Don January and Miller Barber……and my favorite time of all in golf was when Arnie’s Army went hunting for Golden Bear in the woods of the PGA Tour….. which was something that they could never get a clear shot at.  Arnorld Palmer was the “creme de la creme” of professional golf…..who built an enormous fan base with his aggressive attacking style of play…..that was until a young “Baby Huey” sort of young fellow named Jack Nicklaus came along after winning the US Amateur Title in 1959 and 1961…..and finishing  2nd in the 1960 U.S. Open, two shots behind Arnold Palmer…..then he turned  professional at age 21 toward the end of 1961.  By this time, Nicklaus was just beginning to become The Bear…..which would ascend to The Golden Bear in his 1st decade as a pro.  He earned his 1st professional victory at the 1962 U.S. Open…..while defeating Palmer by three shots in a next-day 18-hole playoff…..which launched one of the entire world of sports greatest rivalry between golf superstars with Arnie’s Army pitting their champion Arnold Palmer against The Bear Jack Nicklaus…..and that rivalry would boil over throughout the following decade…..while creating incredible global fan excitement in the game of golf.  At that time, I was a huge Arnold Palmer fan…..for he was everything that a world class athlete was supposed to be…. which made for a perfect future as the King of Golf…..but little did anyone realize…..The Bear would claw and scratch his way to the top of the golfing world….while leaving Arnie’s Army in the rear view mirror……and the truth be known…..albeit I never lost my appreciation for Arnold Palmer…..the fact remains that by the end of 1979 PGA season, The Bear had become The Golden Bear…..and by then, he had become the G.O.A.T in golf throughout history of the PGA Tour…..and even though some golf pundits hail Tiger Woods as the replacement of Nicklaus for the honor of golf’s best ever…..I am simply not one of those people…..cuz albeit their talents are too equal to be able to clearly say one was better that the other…..the person that Nicklaus was on and off the tour to the present in 2022, puts Nicklaus a notch above Woods from our perspective here at ImaSportsphile…..and that is why we are so delighted to present the life and legend of The Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus…..the single greatest golfer of all time. 

Golf – PGA – 1960 T0 1984 – USGA Documentary Special – “Jack Nicklaus: The Making of a Champion”                                                                   

 Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940), nicknamed The Golden Bear, is a retired American professional golfer and golf course designer…..who is widely considered to be the greatest golfers of all time…..where he won 117 professional tournaments in his career.  Over a quarter-century, he won a record 18 major championships…..which is three more than 2nd-placed Tiger Woods.  Nicklaus seemed to bring his greatest focus to the major championships he played in including the Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, British Open Championship and PGA Championship…..where he competed in 164 major tournaments…..which is more than any other player…..while he  finished with 73 PGA Tour victories…..which is 3rd behind Sam Snead (82) and Tiger Woods (82).                                                                                                                 

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1960 To 1984 – ESPN Special – “Sports Century: Jack Nicklaus”                                                                                   

 

Nicklaus won the U.S. Amateur in 1959 and 1961…..and finished 2nd in the 1960 U.S. Open…..while being just two shots behind Arnold Palmer.  Nicklaus turned professional at age 21 toward the end of 1961…..while earning his 1st professional victory at the 1962 U.S. Open…..where he defeated Palmer by three shots in a next-day 18-hole playoff and launching a rivalry between golf superstars.  In 1966, Nicklaus became the 1st player to win the Masters Tournament two years running…..plus, he also won The British Open Championship….while becoming at age 26 the youngest player to win all four golf majors.  He won another British Open Championship in 1970.                     

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1962 – USGA Special – 1962 US Open Championship Special – “Jack Nicklaus: First Major Championship Win Documentary”

 

 

Between 1971 and 1980, he won nine more major championships…..which  overtook Bobby Jones’s record of 13 majors…..and became the 1st player to complete double and triple career grand slams.  He won the 1986 Masters at age 46…..which was his 18th and final major championship victory…..and remains through the 2022 PGA season as the tournament’s oldest winner. Nicklaus joined the Senior PGA Tour (now known as the PGA Tour Champions) when he became eligible in January 1990…..and by April 1996 had won 10 tournaments….which included eight major championships despite playing a very limited schedule.  He continued to play at least some of the four regular Tour majors until 2005 when he made his final appearances at the Masters Tournament and The British Open Championship.                                                                                                                     

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1962 To 1984 – ESPN Special With Jim Lampley – “Top 50 American Athletes of the 20th Century” – Jack Nicklaus # 20

 

 

Today, Nicklaus heads Nicklaus Design…..which is one of the world’s largest golf course design and construction companies…..plus The Golden Bear runs an event on the PGA Tour, the Memorial Tournament, named after the annual honoring it bestows to individuals associated with the game of golf.                             

 

 

Golf – 1962 To 1984 – PGA Tour Special – “Top 10: Essential Jack Nicklaus”                                                                                                                             

 

Nicklaus’s books vary from instructional to autobiographical, with his Golf My Way considered one of the best instructional golf books of all time…..as the video of the same name is still the best-selling golf instructional to date.                    

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1987 – Special Golf Teaching Video – “Jack Nicklaus: Golf My Way”                                                                                             

 

Nicklaus was born on January 21, 1940, in Columbus, Ohio…..and grew up in the suburb of Upper Arlington.  He is of German descent, the son of Helen (Schoener) and Charlie Nicklaus, a pharmacist…..who ran several businesses named Nicklaus Drug Store.  Charlie was a skilled all-round athlete who had played football for the Ohio State Buckeyes…..and had gone on to play semi-professional football under an assumed name for the Portsmouth Spartans…. who later became the NFL’s Detroit Lions.  Charlie had also been a scratch golfer and local tennis champion in his youth.  Charlie Nicklaus died of pancreatic cancer at age fifty six.                                                                                                                                                         

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1962 To 1984 – Golf Plus Special – “The Legacy of Jack Nicklaus”                                                                          

 

Jack Nicklaus attended Upper Arlington High School…..whose nickname and mascot are coincidentally the Golden Bears.  In Nicklaus’s senior year, he was an honorable mention All-Ohio selection in basketball as a shooting guard….. and he received some recruiting interest from college basketball programs, including Ohio State.  During his youth, he also competed successfully in football, baseball, tennis, and track and field.  He took up golf at the age of 10…..while scoring a 51 at Scioto Country Club for his 1st nine holes ever played…..whereby Charlie Nicklaus had joined Scioto that same year…..while returning to golf to help heal a volleyball injury.  Young Jack was coached at Scioto by club pro Jack Grout, a Texas-developed contemporary of golf greats Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan…..as Grout had played quite successfully on the PGA Tour and would become Nicklaus’s lifelong golf instructor. Nicklaus overcame a mild case of polio as a 13-year-old.  Nicklaus won the 1st of five straight Ohio State Junior titles at the age of 12. At 13, he broke 70 at Scioto Country Club for the 1st time…..and became that year’s youngest qualifier into the U.S. Junior Amateur…..where he survived three match-play rounds.  He had earned a handicap of +3 at age 13…..which was the lowest in the Columbus area.  Nicklaus won the Tri-State High School Championship (Ohio/Kentucky/Indiana) at the age of 14 with a round of 68 …..and also recorded his 1st hole-in-one in tournament play the same year. At 15, Nicklaus shot a 66 at Scioto Country Club…..which was the amateur course record…..and qualified for his 1st U.S. Amateur.  He won the Ohio Open in 1956 at age 16…..which was highlighted by a phenomenal 3rd round of 64…..while competing against professionals.  In all, Nicklaus won 27 events in the Ohio area from age 10 to age 17.                                                               

 

 

Golf – 1945 To 1984 – PGA Tour Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Ohio Roots”                                                                           

 

In 1957, Nicklaus won the International Jaycee Junior Golf Tournament, having lost the previous year in a playoff.  Nicklaus also competed in his 1st of 44 consecutive U.S. Opens that year…..but missed the cut.  In 1958 at age 18, he competed in his 1st PGA Tour event, the Rubber City Open, at Akron, Ohio, tying for 12th place after being just one out of the lead at the 36-hole mark…..plus, he made the cut in the U.S. Open…..while tying for 41st place. Nicklaus also won two Trans-Mississippi Amateurs in 1958 at Prairie Dunes Country Club and 1959 at Woodhill Country Club…..with final match victories of 9 & 8 and 3 & 2, respectively.  Also in 1959, Nicklaus won the North and South Amateur at Pinehurst, North Carolina…..and competed in three additional PGA Tour events…..with his best finish being another 12th place showing at the Buick Open.                                                                                                            

 

 

Golf – NCAA – 1957 To 1961 – Big Ten Network Special – “Big 10 Icons: Jack Nicklaus # 18”                                                                                    

 

While attending Ohio State, he won the U.S. Amateur twice (1959, 1961) …..along with an NCAA Championship in 1961.  In the 1959 U.S. Amateur, Nicklaus defeated two-time winner and defending champion Charles Coe 1-up in the final 36-hole match when he birdied the 18th hole.  This was significant not only because of Coe’s proven ability as a player…..but also because Nicklaus became the then-youngest champion in the modern era, 2nd only to Robert A. Gardner…..who won in 1909.  In 1961, Nicklaus became the 1st player to win the individual title at the NCAA Championship…..and the U.S. Amateur in the same year……as he was followed by Phil Mickelson in 1990, Tiger Woods in 1996, Ryan Moore in 2004 and Bryson DeChambeau in 2015.  Nicklaus also won the NCAA Big Ten Conference Championship that year with a 72-hole aggregate of 283…..while earlier claiming the Western Amateur in New Orleans.  In his 2nd and last U.S. Amateur win in 1961, Nicklaus convincingly defeated Dudley Wysong 8 & 6 at Pebble Beach in the 36-hole championship match.  For the week, Nicklaus was 20 strokes under par, including 34 birdies and two eagles.                                                                                     

 

 

Golf & Talk Shows – 2021 – In Depth With Graham Benzinger Special – “Jack Nicklaus: His Life and Lifestyle”

 

 

Golf – 2018 – Alex Moore Golf Special – “Jack Nicklaus Career Montage”
 

 

At the 1960 U.S. Open, 20-year-old Nicklaus shot a two-under-par 282…. while finishing in 2nd place two strokes behind winner Arnold Palmer…..as this score remained the lowest ever by an amateur in the U.S. Open until Viktor Hovland beat the record in 2019.  Nicklaus played the final 36 holes with Ben Hogan…..who later remarked that he had just played 36 holes with a kid who should have won by 10 shots…..when during the final 36 holes, Nicklaus was two-under-par…..as he had shot every round of the tournament at or below par…..and was the only entrant to do so…..for Nicklaus had led by two shots with six holes to play.  In 1960, Nicklaus also tied for 13th in the Masters Tournament.  He tied for 4th in the 1961 U.S. Open after finishing three shots behind champion Gene Littler…..while having played the final 54 holes one under par.  Each of these three major championship finishes designated Nicklaus as low amateur…..however, Nicklaus’s one-under-par 287 tied for 7th in the 1961 Masters Tournament…..and was 2nd that year only to Charles Coe’s low amateur placing…..when he tied for 2nd with Arnold Palmer at seven-under-par 281, one shot behind champion Gary Player.                                                                                                                                    

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1960 – US Open Final Round Highlights – Featuring Winner Arnold Palmer + Runner-Up Amateur Jack Nicklaus                                                                                                                                                                

 

Nicklaus represented the United States against Great Britain and Ireland on winning Walker Cup teams in both 1959 and 1961…..while decisively winning both of his matches in each contest.  On the 1959 trip to Britain, he also made his only attempt at the British Amateur, the world’s oldest international amateur event, at Royal St George’s Golf Club…..while losing 4 & 3 in the quarterfinal round to fellow-American, Bill Hyndman.  He was also a member of the victorious 1960 U.S. Eisenhower Trophy team…..while winning the unofficial individual title by 13 shots over teammate Deane Beman with a four-round score of 269…..which is a record that still stands….. as this score was 18 shots lower than Ben Hogan’s earlier U.S. Open aggregate of 287 at the same site…..which had, however, been scored under much tougher conditions.  For three straight years (1959–1961), Nicklaus was named the world’s top amateur golfer by Golf Digest magazine.                                                              

 

 

Golf – 1959 – USGA Special – “Jack Nicklaus Looks Back on His 1959 Walker Cup Match”                                                               

 

Nicklaus attended Ohio State University from 1957 to 1961…..where he majored in pre-pharmacy…..and had good grades in his 1st three years…..as he intended to follow his father into pharmacy after graduation.  As his amateur golf achievements mounted, Nicklaus changed his mind on his career path…..and he switched programs to study insurance.  At that stage, he planned to remain an amateur golfer and earn his living by selling insurance…..and for a time, he worked in the insurance field while he also attended college.  He married Barbara Bash (b. 1940)…..who was a nursing student at Ohio State…..and in July 1960, their 1st of five children, Jack Jr., was born in September 1961.  The following month, Nicklaus was intent on becoming the 1st amateur to win the Masters…..then in early November, he changed his mind and announced that he was turning professional in order to support his family.   He wound up a few course hours short of graduating from college…..when in a goodwill gesture, Ohio State granted him an honorary doctorate in 1972.                                                                                                                

 

 

 Golf – PGA – 1962 To 1984 – British Open Record Breakers Special – “Jack Nicklaus: The Most Runner-up Finishes Ever”                                                                                                                                                                                             

 

Nicklaus officially turned professional in late 1961…..and began his career on the PGA Tour the following year.  He had previously debated the idea of remaining an amateur in order to further emulate his idol, Bobby Jones….. however, Nicklaus realized that in order to be regarded as the best, he would have to compete in greater frequency against the best.  Shortly after turning professional, Nicklaus’s future agent, Mark McCormack, was interviewed by Melbourne Age writer Don Lawrence…..who inquired about the American golf scene…..when McCormack described Nicklaus as the “large, strong, and blond” player that reminded him of “the Golden Bear”…..which was a nickname that would become synonymous with Nicklaus throughout his professional life…..even though another possible origination of the name derives from the high school that Nicklaus attended in Upper Arlington, Ohio…..whose mascot was the Golden Bears for its sports teams…..as  mentioned above, Nicklaus played on several Golden Bears athletic teams….. which included captaining its 1956 state-champion golf squad…..while  suggesting that McCormack may have adopted the name through Nicklaus’s high school affiliation…..but regardless, by 1963, the nickname had stuck.                                         

 

 

PGA – 1963 – PGA Tour Presents – Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf Special – “Jack Nicklaus Vs Sam Sneed At Pebble Beach Country Club”                                                                                                                                                                      

 

Nicklaus won his 1st PGA tournament in his 17th start…..as he and Arnold Palmer were tied for the lead at 1962 U.S. Open at Oakmont after Rounds 3 and 4 were played on Saturday…..then Nicklaus won the Sunday 18-hole playoff and earned $17,500 ($15,000 plus the $2,500 playoff bonus)…..which is far behind Matt Fitzpatrick’s $3,150,000 check for the 2022 U.S. Open.  During the match the galleries were more vocal in their support for Palmer which was due to Arnie’s Army…..as The King had grown up in nearby Latrobe…..but Nicklaus won the playoff by three shots (71 to 74).  In 90 holes, Nicklaus had only one three-putt green…..as the 1962 U.S. Open victory made Nicklaus the reigning U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur champion. This major championship win was also The Bear’s 1st PGA Tour win…..as Nicklaus had yet to ascend to his The Golden Bear status.  In addition, at age 22, Nicklaus  was the youngest U.S. Open champion since Bobby Jones won at age 21 in 1923…..and remained the youngest winner until Jordan Spieth won the 2015 U.S. Open at age 21…..while John McDermott is still the youngest winner of the U.S. Open at age 19 in 1911.  The U.S. Open win thrust Nicklaus into the national spotlight…..as he was featured on the cover of Time magazine.  This was also the beginning of the Nicklaus-Palmer rivalry, which attracted viewers to golf on television…..and the age of “Arnie’s Army Vs The Golden Bear was rocketed into full gear.                                                                                                                                 

 

 

 PGA – 1962 – US Open At Oakmont Special – “Jack’s First Major Tournament Win”                                                                                 

 

By the end of 1962, Nicklaus had won two more tournaments…..which were back-to-back in the Seattle Open and Portland Open…..plus, he tied for 3rd in his 1st appearance in the PGA Championship.  Nicklaus completed the year with over $60,000 (equivalent to $537,492 in 2021) in prize money…..while making 26 of 26 cuts with 16 top-10 finishes and placing 3rd on the PGA Tour money list…..while being named Rookie of the Year.  He also won the inaugural staging of the World Series of Golf…..which was a select-field event for the year’s major champions…..and collected another $50,000 (equivalent to $447,910 in 2021) in unofficial money for that win.                                                                           

 

 

PGA – 1962 – Golfing World’s This Week In Golf Special – “Jack Nicklaus wins the 1962 U.S. Open at Oakmont”                                                                                                                                                                                   

 

In 1963, Nicklaus won two of the four majors, the Masters and the PGA Championship…..when these victories made him the then-youngest winner of the Masters and 3rd-youngest winner of the PGA Championship…..and each win came in just his 2nd year as a professional.  Along with three other wins including the Tournament of Champions, he placed 2nd to Arnold Palmer on the PGA Tour money list with just over $100,000 (equivalent to $885,109 in 2021).   He also teamed with Palmer to win the Canada Cup (now the World Cup of Golf) in France….while representing the United States in an  event that was shortened to 63 holes due to heavy fog…..when Nicklaus also finished as low individual scorer for that event.                                                                            

 

 

PGA – 1963 – Masters Tournament Highlights – Jack Nicklaus: 3rd Youngest Golfer To Ever Win The PGA Championship – With Victory Over Dave Reagan

 

 

PGA – 1963 – PGA Tournament Championship Highlights – Jack Nicklaus: Youngest Golfer To Ever Win The Masters – With Victory Over Tony Lema                                                                                                                                  

 

Nicklaus’s meteoric rise to fame immediately after turning professional enabled opportunities for him to earn significant endorsement income…..when these business opportunities were facilitated by Mark McCormack…..who also managed Palmer and Gary Player. Golf was growing rapidly in popularity and media coverage during the early 1960’s…..which was led by the performances of these three star players. This association was the start of the agency that became known as International Management Group, and IMG, after building a base in golf management, eventually expanded into other sports.  The Palmer-Nicklaus-Player rivalry developed into the so-called “Big Three” of Golf.  In the early 1960’s, McCormack set up a series of televised golf matches around the world among the three stars….. which was known as Big Three Golf.  In the early 1970’s, Nicklaus left IMG to set up his own management agency, Golden Bear Inc…..plus he also signed a contract with Eastern Airlines…..and could be seen on TV saying, “If you play golf, Eastern is your airline.”                                                                                                        

 

 

PGA – 1962 To 1970 – Skysports Golf Documentary – Classic Sports Rivalries Special – “The Big Three: Gary Player + Arnold Palmer + Jack Nicklaus”                                                                                                                                  

 

Despite winning no majors in 1964…..when he had three runner-up finishes ….that is when Nicklaus led the PGA Tour money list for the 1st time in his career by a slim margin of $81.13 over Palmer.  At The British Open Championship at St Andrews, Nicklaus set a new record for the lowest score in the final 36 holes with 66–68 in high winds…..which was the 1st time in the history of The British Open that 70 had been broken in each of the last two rounds…..which was not enough, however, to win the event…..as Nicklaus placed second to Tony Lema.  Nicklaus also set a record for the lowest final-round score in the PGA Championship with a 64…..which has since been broken by Brad Faxon in 1995 with a 63…..but fell three shots short of champion Bobby Nichols and his record-setting score of 271.  In 31 official worldwide events in 1964, Nicklaus achieved six victories, seven runners-up, placed in the top five 21 times, the top-10 a mere 21 times and had only one missed cut…..as Nicklaus and Palmer also defended their team title at the World Cup in Hawaii…..with Nicklaus again finishing as low individual scorer.                                                             

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2012 – British Open Special – “Jack Nicklaus Greatest 18 Open Championship Holes”                                                        

 

When Nicklaus won the Masters in 1965 and 1966, he became the tournament’s 1st back-to-back winner…..along with the youngest two-time and three-time winner.  He broke Ben Hogan’s 72-hole scoring record of 274 in 1953…..when he compiled a new aggregate of 271 in the 1965 Masters….. which was a record that was tied by Raymond Floyd in 1976…..and lasted until Tiger Woods shot 270 in 1997…..which was a 72-hole record that was subsequently tied by Jordan Spieth in 2015.  When Woods and Spieth shot 270, the scores were achieved with significantly improved golf equipment on essentially the same-length golf course over which Nicklaus and Floyd shot 271.  During the 1965 tournament, Nicklaus hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation and had 123 putts…..which included just one three-putt green…..which was  good enough to win by nine shots over Arnold Palmer and Gary Player…..as  this margin of victory was a tournament record that would last for 32 years until Woods won by 12 shots in 1997.  The week’s performance was highlighted by a 3rd-round 64 that consisted of eight birdies and no bogeys. It was of this round that Nicklaus said, “I had never before and have never since played quite as fine a complete round of golf in a major championship as I did in the third round of the 1965 Masters.”  This round tied Lloyd Mangrum’s record set at Augusta National in 1940…..and remained in place until Nick Price shot 63 during the 3rd round in 1986.  It was at this time that Bobby Jones stated Nicklaus played a game with which he was unfamiliar….. as Jones called Nicklaus’s result “the greatest performance in all of golfing history”.                                                                                                                                 

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1965 – The Masters Tournament Special – “Jack Nicklaus Breaks Ben Hogan’s Scoring Record by 12 Shots”

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1966 – Masters Tournament Special – “Jack Nicklaus Wins His 2nd Masters in a Row”
 

 

After Nicklaus’s record performance at Augusta National in 1965, the course underwent some minor changes to make it tougher…..but these changes and the difficult weather in the 1966 tournament did not deter Nicklaus…..as he successfully defended his title with an even-par aggregate of 288…..which was 17 shots higher than his 1965 winning total.  He won in an 18-hole playoff over Gay Brewer…..when Brewer had three-putted the 18th green to force the playoff…..but he redeemed himself the following year by winning the tournament…..and Tommy Jacobs by shooting a two-under-par 70. Nicklaus led the PGA Tour money list again in 1965 by a healthy margin over Tony Lema…..albeit Nicklaus and Lema formed the U.S. team for the World Cup, held in Madrid, Spain, but could not defend the title as South Africa won.  In all, Nicklaus competed in 28 official worldwide events in 1965, accumulating five victories, seven runners-up, 19 top-5 finishes, 23 top-10 finishes and zero missed cuts.                                                                                                                            

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1965 – The Masters Tournament Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Smashes Ben Hogan Low Score” (Video Only)

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1965 – The Masters Tournament Special – “Jack Nicklaus Smashes Par In Winning Masters” 

 

 

In 1966, Nicklaus also won The British Open Championship at Muirfield in Scotland under difficult weather conditions…..when he used his driver just 17 times because of very heavy rough. This was the only major he had failed to win up to that point…..as this win made him the youngest player, age 26 (his 5th year on Tour)…..and the only one after Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, and Gary Player…..which stood until Tiger Woods at age 24 in 2000, also during his fifth year on Tour to win all four major championships…..which is now known as the Career Grand Slam…..when Jack Nicklaus eventually accomplished the double career grand slam in 1971…..and the triple career grand slam in 1978…..while winning all four majors two and three times, respectively.  Nicklaus was part of another title for the U.S. in the World Cup in Japan…..and concluded 1966 playing 22 official worldwide events…..with four victories, four runners-up, 14 top-5 finishes, 16 top-10 finishes and zero missed cuts.                                                                                                                                    

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1966 – 95th British Open Highlights Special – “Jack Nicklaus Conquers Muirfield”

 

 

 PGA – 1962 To 1984 – BBC Sports Special – “Jack Nicklaus: At The British Open Tribute”

 

 

In 1967, Nicklaus won the U.S. Open for a 2nd time…..as the tournament was held at Baltusrol…..where he broke Hogan’s 72-hole record by one shot with a 275 when he birdied the par 5 on the 18th hole.  During the four rounds, Nicklaus hit 61 of 72 greens in regulation…..and finished this record win with a dramatic 238-yard 1-iron shot, uphill into a breeze and light rain, to the 72nd green (an approximate 260-yard equivalent)…..while holing out a 22-foot (6.7 m) birdie putt to close out a final nine of 30…..and a final round of 65 to shoot 275…..which was four shots better than runner-up Arnold Palmer. Nicklaus and Palmer were the only two players to break par for the week. Sports Illustrated ran a cover photo of Nicklaus throwing his leg high in the air with the headline, “Nicklaus Breaks the Open Record”.  He also finished runner up in The British Open Championship and 3rd in the PGA Championship…..which was one shot out of a playoff between Don January and Don Massengale.  In 1967, Nicklaus led the PGA Tour money list for the 3rd time.  Later that year, Nicklaus and Palmer teamed up for a 13-shot wire-to-wire World Cup victory in Mexico City.  Nicklaus competed in 24 official worldwide events in 1967, with five victories, four runners-up, 14 top-5 finishes, 16 top-10 finishes and one missed cut.  For most of his professional career, Nicklaus employed Angelo Argea as his caddie.                                                        

 

 

Golf – 1967 – USGA Film Special – “Nicklaus and the Record at Baltusrol”

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1967 – USGA Masters Tournament Highlight Special – “Jack Nicklaus Will Always Remember His Third Shot on the Final Hole of the US Open                                                                                                                                 

 

                                                                                                                 

Golf – PGA – 1967 – US Open Final Round @ Baltusrol (Full Telecast) – Featuring Jack Nicklaus 2nd US Open Win

 

 

After Nicklaus won the 1967 U.S. Open in record-breaking fashion, he did not win another major championship until the 1970 British Open Championship at the Old Course at St Andrews. Moreover, his highest finish on the Tour money list for the years 1968–70 was 2nd…..while his lowest was 4th…..and his worst ranking on the list since he had turned professional….. however, his 4th-place ranking in 1970 would have been elevated to 2nd if The British Open Championship winnings were included during that period in the official PGA Tour money list…..like they are today.  Nicklaus finished runner-up in both the 1968 U.S. Open to new rival Lee Trevino…..and the 1968 Open Championship to old rival Gary Player.                                                                   

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1968 – ABC Original Broadcast of the US Open Final Round @ Oak Hill Country Club (Entire Telecast) – Featuring a Shoot-Out Between Doug Sanders + Lee Trevino + Jack Nicklaus

 

 

 
Golf – PGA – 1968 – USGA Look Back at US Open @ Oak Hill CC Special – “A Look Back: 1968 U.S. Open at Oak Hill”                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

 

Nicklaus made his inaugural appearance in the 1969 Ryder Cup at age 29….. as eligibility rules at the time required a minimum five-year PGA Tour membership before points could be counted for team qualification…..as these rules have been relaxed significantly since…..when in the 1969 Ryder Cup, the entire competition came down to the anchor singles match between Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin…..when at the par-5 17th hole with Nicklaus leading by the score of 1 up, Jacklin made a 35-foot (11 m) eagle putt to square the match.  With the entire competition outcome riding on this match, Nicklaus made a five-foot par putt on the last hole before controversially conceding Jacklin’s par putt…..which ensured that this game, and the overall match, ended in a tie.  Afterwards United States team Captain Sam Snead said “This is the greatest golf match you have ever seen in England.”                                                                                                                                        

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1969 – Ryder Cup Special – “The Concession: Highlights from the Epic Final Match Between Jack Nicklaus & Tony Jacklin in the 1969 Ryder Cup”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

 

Golf – PGA – 2019 – Ryder Cup Special – “Jack Nicklaus & Tony Jacklin Interview on the 50th Anniversary of the 1969 Ryder Cup Final Hole Concession” – Considered the Greatest Show of Sportsmanship Ever in a Professional Event                                                                                                                                                                      

 

During this period, Nicklaus’s physical condition declined somewhat…..when he put on some excess weight…..which affected his stamina.  Following the Ryder Cup, he significantly improved his condition in the fall of 1969 by losing 25 pounds (11 kg) in one month…..and his game started to return to top form.  In February 1970, Nicklaus’s father, Charlie Nicklaus, died of pancreatic cancer at age 56.  Five months after this, Nicklaus won the 1970 British Open Championship under difficult scoring conditions in Scotland where the wind howled up to 56 mph…..while defeating fellow American Doug Sanders in an 18-hole playoff round in emotional fashion…..when on the 18th hole of the playoff, Nicklaus drove about 380 yards, through the par-4 green with a three-wood…..and was forced to pitch back to the hole….. where his eagle pitch finished approximately eight feet short of the hole. Nicklaus threw his putter into the air after sinking the winning putt, as he was thrilled to have won the Open at the home of golf, St Andrews.  He describes this period in his life as follows:  I was playing good golf, but it really wasn’t that big a deal to me one way or the other.  And the my father died and I sort of realized that he had certainly lived his life through my golf game.  I really hadn’t probably given him the best of that.  So, I sort of got myself back to work.  So ’70 was an emotional one for me from that standpoint…..It was a big boost.”  Nicklaus also went on to capture the Piccadilly World Match Play Championship in 1970 with a 2 & 1 win over Lee Trevino in the championship match.  In all for the year, Nicklaus competed in 23 official worldwide events, won four, placed in the top-5 10 times, and the top-10 in 14.                                                                                                                           

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1970 – Picadilly World Match Play Special – “Jack Nicklaus vs Lee Trevino Vintage World Match-play Final”                                                                                                                                                                            

 

Although Nicklaus’s performance had declined somewhat during this period, he was still ranked as the # 1 player in the world, for 10 straight years, beginning in 1968, on the McCormack’s World Golf Rankings…..which were introduced that year by sports agent Mark McCormack.  These rankings, the 1st attempt to take into account results from professional tours around the world, were not official during that era…..but they eventually evolved into the current Official World Golf Ranking, starting in 1986.                                           

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1966 – World Match-play Final Special – “Jack Nicklaus vs Gary Player and The Incident”                                                  

 

With his win in the 1971 PGA Championship, Nicklaus became the 1st golfer to win all four majors twice.  In this championship, Nicklaus was the only player to break 70 consecutively in the 1st two rounds under windy conditions….as he finished at seven-under-par 281.  Nicklaus finished 2nd twice and 5th in the remaining three major championships for the year. While he finished tied for 2nd in the Masters with Johnny Miller…..that is when Nicklaus made a big enough impression on a young Nick Faldo…..while watching on TV in England in order for Faldo to take up the game seriously.                             

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1971 – ABC Presents US Open Final Round – Featuring Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino – With Byron Nelson + Chris Schenkel

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1971 – US Open 18 Hole Playoff – Featuring Lee Trevino Vs Jack Nicklaus                                                               

 

By the end of 1971, Nicklaus had won four additional PGA tournaments….. which included the Tournament of Champions by eight shots…..and the National Team Championship with Arnold Palmer by six shots.  With $244,490 in official PGA Tour earnings, Nicklaus established a new single-season money record during the year.  Nicklaus also claimed his third World Cup individual title in 1971…..with help from a 63 in the 3rd round.  He also won the team competition with partner Lee Trevino by 12 shots.  The year 1971 brought Nicklaus a victory in the Australian Dunlop International as well, punctuated by a course record 62…..which was his career-low score in competition; one of three…..in the 2nd round.  For the record, Nicklaus played in 23 official worldwide events in 1971, won eight, had 17 top-5 finishes, 20 top-10 finishes, and compiled a 5–1–0 record in that year’s Ryder Cup competition.                                                                                                                    

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1972 – USGA Special – US Open Golf Championship Highlights – “Jack Nicklaus: My U. S. Open”                                                                                                                                                                                                 

 

Nicklaus won the 1st two major championships of 1972 by three shots each in wire-to-wire fashion……as he won the Masters and the U.S. Open…..thus creating talk of a calendar-year Grand Slam…..when Nicklaus opened with a four-under-par 68 at Augusta National and never looked back…..as he was the only player under par for the week when he and the field battled difficult scoring conditions.  In the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach again under severe scoring conditions, Nicklaus struck a one-iron on the 218-yard par-three 17th hole during the final round into a stiff, gusty ocean breeze that hit the flagstick and ended up three inches from the cup.  The U.S. Open was Nicklaus’s 13th career major…..and tied him with Bobby Jones for career majors…..albeit a different group of tournaments had been considered majors in Jones’s time.  This victory was also Nicklaus’s 11th professional major, tying him with Walter Hagen…..and made him the 1st player to win the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open championships on the same golf course.

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1972 – USGA Special Film – US Open Championship: “Jack and Pebble Beach”

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1972 – USGA Special Film – US Open Championship – “My U.S. Open: Jack Nicklaus “ 

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1972 – USGA Special US Open Highlight – “Jack Nicklaus Miracle One Iron @ Pebble Beach”                                  
 

 

 
Golf – PGA – 1972 – Master Tournament Special – “Final Round Broadcast” – Jack Nicklaus Winner                              

 

During the 1972 PGA Tour season, Nicklaus won seven tournaments and was runner-up in three events…..however, he was unable to complete the Grand Slam that year…..as Lee Trevino repeated as the British Open Championship winner when Nicklaus finished 2nd, one shot behind…..and Gary Player prevailed in the PGA Championship…..albeit The Golden Bear closed out this remarkable year with a 2nd of three consecutive Walt Disney World Golf Classic victories by shooting a 21-under-par 267 to win by nine shots.  He concluded 1972 by competing in 20 official worldwide events winning seven, placing second in four, and compiling 15 top-10 finishes.                                                

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1972 To 1974 – Walt Disney World Golf Classic Special – “Highlights of Jack Nicklaus Winning Three Disney Classics in a Row”

 

 

Bobby Jones’s record of majors was soon broken when Nicklaus won the PGA Championship in August 1973 by four shots over Bruce Crampton for his 12th professional major…..thus surpassing Hagen’s mark of 11…..and the 14th overall when using the old-style configuration of Jones’s day.  In that year he won another six tournaments…..when he won the 1973 Ohio King’s Island Open, he became the 1st PGA Tour player to win a Tour event on a course that he designed himself.  The PGA Player of the Year was awarded to Nicklaus for the 3rd time…..and the 2nd year in a row.  Nicklaus was also the 1st player to win over $300,000.00 in official money for a single season in 1972 at $320,542….as he eclipsed that threshold again the following year with $308,362.  The former total was $106,137 more than runner-up Lee Trevino…. while the latter total for the year 1973 catapulted Nicklaus over the $2 million career PGA Tour earnings mark…..thus making him the 1st player to reach that milestone.  Nicklaus teamed with Johnny Miller for another team title in the World Cup of Golf, held in Spain.  For the year, Nicklaus competed in 20 official worldwide events and claimed seven victories, 14 top-five finishes, 17 top-10s, and compiled a 4–1–1 record in that year’s Ryder Cup competition.                                                                                           

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1973 – PGA Tournament Championship Highlights Special – “Jack Nicklaus Surpasses Bobby Jones With His 14th Majors Win at Canterbury Golf Club, Cleveland, Ohio”                                                                       

 

Nicklaus’s failure to win a major in 1974 was somewhat offset when he won the inaugural Tournament Players Championship…..and was named one of the 13 original inductees into the World Golf Hall of Fame.  Nicklaus said this honor was a “nice memento” after a “disappointing season”.  Although he had no major championship victories in 1974, Nicklaus still achieved four top-10 finishes in the four events, three of which were in the top four and placed 2nd on the official money list behind Johnny Miller.  While less than a stellar year, Nicklaus was able to claim two victories and 13 top-10 finishes in 20 official worldwide events.                                                                                                   

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1974 – PGA Tournament Championship Highlights – “Jack Nicklaus Final Round Golf Shots ”                                             

 

Nicklaus started off well in 1975…..as he won the Doral-Eastern Open, the Sea Pines Heritage Classic and the Masters in consecutive starts.  His Masters win was his 5th…..which was a record he was to break eleven years later.  In this tournament, Nicklaus’s 40-foot (12 m) birdie putt on the 16th hole of the final round was a key in his victory over Tom Weiskopf and Johnny Miller in a riveting final-round battle.  He also won the PGA Championship in August at Firestone Country Club by two shots over Bruce Crampton for his 4th win.  Having won the Masters and PGA Championship, Nicklaus missed a playoff for the U.S. Open by two shots…..and a playoff for the British Open Championship by one shot.  His performance in 1975 resulted in his being named PGA Player of the Year for the 4th time and tying Ben Hogan…..plus  he was also named ABC’s Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year.  Nicklaus also captured his 4th Australian Open during the year.  The year 1975 yielded Nicklaus six wins, 12 top-5 finishes, and 16 top-10 finishes in 18 official worldwide events.

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1975 – The Masters Final Round (Complete Broadcast) – Featuring Jack Nicklaus Winning His 5th Masters

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1975 – The Masters Final Round Highlight Special – “Jack Nicklaus: 16th Hole”                                           

 

 Golf – PGA – 1975 – The Masters Final Round Highlight Special – “Jack Nicklaus: One Iron Shot”                                                   

 

Nicklaus placed 1st on the PGA Tour money list again in 1976…..albeit while  competing in only 16 events…..and winning just two, Tournament Players Championship and World Series of Golf….as neither of them were majors….. while playing what he called “hang-back-and-hope golf”.  The 1976 Tournament Players Championship saw Nicklaus set a championship record of 19-under-par 269 for his 2nd win in this event…. which remained in place until Greg Norman’s 24-under-par 264 assault in 1994.  He also won the PGA Player of the Year award for a record 5th time…..for the fact remains that between 1972 and 1976 the only time he failed to win this award was 1974. The year 1976 also concluded an official streak of 105 consecutive cuts made on the PGA Tour…..which ended at the World Open…..as the streak had begun for Nicklaus in 1970.  At the time this streak was 2nd only to Byron Nelson’s record of 113.                                                                                                                

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1986 – Toyota Challenge of Champions Special – “Jack Nicklaus Vs Seve Ballesteros                              

 

The following year, 1977, was also major-less for Nicklaus…..but he did achieve four top-10 finishes in the four events inclusive of two 2nd and one 3rd-place finish…..which was one shot out of the PGA Championship playoff between Lanny Wadkins and Gene Littler.  Despite a brilliant final round 66 at the Masters, he finished 2nd by two shots to Tom Watson…..but his subsequent 2nd-place finish behind Watson at the Open Championship at Turnberry created headlines around the world…..when in a one-on-one battle dubbed the “Duel in the Sun”, Nicklaus shot 65–66 in the final two rounds, only to be beaten by Watson, who scored 65-65.  This event marked the 1st time 270 was broken in a major championship…..and the 3rd-place finisher Hubert Green scored 279.  Nicklaus would later say: “There are those in golf whou would argue into next month that the tinal two rounds of the 1977 British Open were the greatest head-to-head golf match ever played.  Not having been around for the first five hundred or so years of the game, I’m not qualified to speak on such matters.  What’s for sure, however, is that it was the most thrilling one-on-one battle of my career.”

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1977 – British Open Final Round Special – “Jack Nicklaus Vs Tom Watson: Duel In The Sun”                                      

 

In 1977, Nicklaus won his 63rd tour event…..thus passing Ben Hogan to take 2nd place on the career wins list behind only Sam Snead.  He also became the 1st player to amass over $3 million in official PGA Tour earnings.  The year also saw Nicklaus win for the 1st time his own Memorial Tournament….. where he described the victory as the most emotional moment of his entire career…..and nearly decided to retire from competitive golf.                                             

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1977 – The British Open @ Turnberry Highlights Special – “Tom Watson Vs Jack Nicklaus”                                          

 

During the 1977 Ryder Cup at Royal Lytham & St Annes, Nicklaus approached the PGA of Great Britain about the urgency to improve the competitive level of the contest…..as the issue had been discussed earlier the same day by both past PGA of America President Henry Poe and British PGA President Lord Derby…..when Nicklaus pitched his ideas, adding: “It is vital to widen the selection procedures if the Ryder Cup is to continue to enjoy its past prestige.”  The changes in team selection procedure were approved by descendants of the Samuel Ryder family, along with The PGA of America.  The major change was expanding selection procedures to include players from the European Tournament Players’ Division, and “that European Members be entitled to play on the team”. This meant that professional players on the European Tournament Players’ Division, the forerunner to the European Tour we have today, from continental Europe would be eligible to play in the Ryder Cup.                                                                                                              

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1973 – Ryder Cup – Great Britain + Ireland Vs United States – Featuring Tony Jacklin Vs Jack Nicklaus In Final Match                                                                                                                                                      

 

When Nicklaus won the 1978 Open Championship at St. Andrews, he became the only player to win each major championship three times…..as this record was tied by Tiger Woods when he won the 2008 U.S. Open.  Nicklaus and Woods are the only two players to win three “Career Grand Slams”.  Nicklaus considered his performance in the 1978 Open as the finest four days of tee-to-green golf he had ever produced…..and was most proud that the win came at St. Andrews, his favorite place to play golf.  The victory was also his most emotional to date.                                                                                                    

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1978 – The British Open Official Film – “Jack Nicklaus wins at St Andrews”                                                   

 

Nicklaus won three other tournaments on the PGA Tour in 1978…..with one of those wins coming in the Jackie Gleason-Inverrary Classic…..where he played the final 36 holes 13 under par…..and scored five consecutive birdies over the closing holes in the final round.  He also won his 3rd Tournament Players Championship in difficult weather conditions…..when he had won three of the 1st five stagings of that tournament….and he remains the championship’s only three-time winner.  He was named Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated.  The year 1978 also marked Nicklaus’s 6th and final Australian Open victory.                                                                                                    

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1962 To 1984 – USGA Highlights Special – “Jack Nicklaus: A Look at His Eight USGA Titles”

 

 

In 1979, Nicklaus suffered a lapse of form and did not win a tournament. This was the 1st year in his professional career in which he failed to win a PGA Tour event.  He had only one runner-up finish…..plus a tied-for-2nd with Ben Crenshaw behind 22-year-old Seve Ballesteros at The British Open Championship.  He would not win another tournament until June 1980. Previously, Nicklaus won at least one PGA Tour tournament per year…..which is a record he shares with Arnold Palmer…..and a minimum of two tournaments per year for 17 consecutive years….which is another PGA Tour record.                                                                                                                                       

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1979 – The British Open @ Royal Lytham and St. Annes Final Round Official Film – “Ben Crenshaw and Jack Nicklaus Chasing Seve Ballesteros”                                                                                           

 

During the offseason, Nicklaus addressed two problems that had hurt his performance…..when his lifelong teacher Jack Grout noticed that he had become much too upright with his full swing…..which caused a steep, oblique approach into the ball…..while compared with a more direct hit…..as this was corrected by slightly flattening his backswing.  Then Nicklaus’s short game, never a career strength, was further developed with the help of Phil Rodgers, a friend for more than 20 years….who was an earlier PGA Tour rival that had  become a fine coach.  Rodgers lived for a time at the Nicklaus home while this work was going on.                                                                                                   

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2007 – Golf My Way Instructional Special – “Jack Nicklaus: One Swing”

 

 

In 1980, Nicklaus recorded only four top-10 finishes in 14 events…..but two of these were record-setting victories in majors…..the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship…..while the other two were a tie for 4th in The British Open Championship…..and a runner-up finish in the Doral-Eastern Open to Raymond Floyd via his chip-in birdie on the 2nd hole of a sudden-death playoff.                                                                                                                                                 

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1980 – US Open Highlights Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Wins His 4th US Open”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

 

Golf – PGA – 1980 – US Open Final Round Special – “Jack Nicklaus Wins His 4th US Open at Age 40”

 

 

Nicklaus set a new scoring record for the 1980 U.S. Open with an aggregate of 272…..which eclipsed his earlier record of 275 from 1967 over the same golf course…..and that record, while since having been tied by three other players, stood until Rory McIlroy’s 268 in winning the 2011 U.S. Open…..as this was Nicklaus’s 2nd major win at Baltusrol Golf Club.  Nicklaus opened with a record-tying 63 in round one and fought off his playing partner of all four rounds, 1978 Colgate World Match Play Championship winner, Isao Aoki.  Entering the final round, Aoki had caught Nicklaus after three consecutive rounds of 68…..but over the course of the last day, Nicklaus pulled away by two shots.  Each player birdied the final two holes for a dramatic finish…..when Aoki’s aggregate of 274 was the lowest score for a U.S. Open runner-up…..and Nicklaus’s win was his 4th and final victory in the championship…..while tying him with Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones, and Ben Hogan.  Nicklaus referred to this win as “by far the most emotional and warmest reaction to any of my wins in my own country”.                                                            

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1980 – PGA Tournament Championship Final Round Highlights Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Wins His 5the PGA Championship”

 

 

 
Golf – PGA – 1980 – PGA Championship Final Round Highlights Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Wins at Oak Hill Country Club”                                                                                                                                                                             

 

In the 1980 PGA Championship, Nicklaus set another record when he won the tournament by seven shots over Andy Bean at the Oak Hill Country Club…..as the win was largely due to exceptional putting. Nicklaus shot an even-par 70 in the first round…..which was followed by three successive rounds in the 60’s over the difficult course…..and he was the only player to break par for 72 holes…..when for the week, the field averaged 74.60 strokes while Nicklaus averaged 68.50.  This was Nicklaus’s 5th and final victory in the PGA Championship…..which elevated him to record-holder for the most wins in the stroke-play era…..and which tied him with Walter Hagen for the most wins overall…..since Hagen’s victories were all during the match-play era.  Nicklaus’s seven-shot winning margin remained the largest for the stroke-play version of the championship until Rory McIlroy’s 2012 victory. This victory also made Nicklaus the only player since Gene Sarazen in 1922 and Ben Hogan in 1948 to win the U.S. Open and PGA Championship the same year…..which was subsequently equaled by Tiger Woods in 2000 and Brooks Koepka in 2018.                                                                                                            

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1970 -British Open Championship Final Round and Playoff Highlights Special – “Jack Nicklaus Defeats Doug Sanders in 18 Hole Playoff at The Old Course at St. Andrews”                                                                                      

 

Between 1981 and 1985, Nicklaus accumulated seven more top-10 placements in major championships…..which included three runner-up performances.  He won only twice on the PGA Tour during this period, the Colonial National Invitation in 1982 and his own Memorial Tournament in 1984 for the 2nd time by defeating Andy Bean in a sudden-death playoff to become the tournament’s 1st two-time champion.                                                            

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1985 – Skins Game 1st Nine (Entire Broadcast) – Featuring Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus + Tom Watson + Fuzzy Zoeller – With Vin Scully Behind the Mic

 

 

 
Golf – PGA – 1985 – Skins Game Back Nine (Entire Broadcast) – Featuring Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus + Tom Watson + Fuzzy Zoeller – With Vin Scully Behind the Mic

 

 

In 1983, Nicklaus closed out the PGA Championship and World Series of Golf with brilliant final rounds in the mid-60’s…..after passing a host of players to move into contention…..but finished runner-up in each to Player of the Year Hal Sutton and Nick Price, respectively…..who dominated the tournaments from start to finish.  Despite not winning a PGA Tour event in 1983, Nicklaus finished 10th on the PGA Tour money list…..and passed a significant milestone by becoming the 1st player to eclipse the $4 million level in career earnings.                                                                                                                                      

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1984 – Skins Game (Entire Broadcast) – Featuring Arnold Palmer + Tom Watson + Gary Player + Jack Nicklaus – With Vin Scully Behind the Mic                                                                                                                   

 

In 1985, Nicklaus finished 2nd to Curtis Strange in the Canadian Open….. which marked his 7th and final 2nd-place finish in that tournament….. which is a record for that event.  These seven runner-up finishes came over the course of 21 events…..or one 2nd-place finish for every three tournaments played…..which does not include a 3rd-place finish in 1983…..which was one shot out of the playoff between John Cook and Johnny Miller.                                         

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1985 – The Canadian Open Final Round Highlights Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Believes He Should Have Won The Tournament”                                                                                                                                           

 

During the five-year period between 1981 and 1985, the Ryder Cup matches provided Nicklaus with two bright spots…..as he completed his competition as a player in style by contributing a perfect 4–0–0 record (inclusive of a 5 & 3 anchor singles match win over Eamonn Darcy) in 1981…..and captained the United States team in 1983 to a one-point win over Europe.                                              

 

 

Golf – International – 1981 – Ryder Cup Highlights of Each Round – USA vs Europe                                                     

 

In 1986, Nicklaus capped his victories in major championships by winning his 6th Masters title under challenging circumstances…..when he posted a six-under-par 30 on the back nine for a final round of seven-under-par 65.  At the 17th hole, Nicklaus hit his 2nd shot to within 18 feet (5.5 m) and rolled it in for birdie…..as he raised his putter in celebration after completing his match with an eagle-birdie-birdie run.  Nicklaus made a solid par-4 at the 72nd hole…..and waited for the succeeding players, several of whom (Tom Kite, Greg Norman) were still in contention, to fall short.  Nicklaus played the final ten holes seven under par, with six birdies and an eagle.  At age 46, Nicklaus became the oldest Masters winner in history…..which is a record that still stands at the start of 2023 PGA season.  On the feat, sports columnist Thomas Boswell remarked…..“Some things cannot possibly happen, because they are too improbable and too perfect. The U.S. hockey team cannot beat the Russians in the 1980 Olympics…..and Jack Nicklaus cannot shoot 65 to win The Masters at age 46.  Nothing else comes immediately to mind.”                                                                                                              

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1986 – Masters Highlights Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Final Round”

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2019 – USGA Special – “Jack Nicklaus:  Destroys Hole 15, 16 and 17 at 1986 Masters”

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1986 – The Masters Tournament Final Round Broadcast – Featuring Eventual Champion Jack Nicklaus                                                                                                                                                                                       

 

This victory was his 18th and final major title.  This victory was to be his last in his long career on the PGA Tour…..and was described at the time by noted golf historian and writer Herbert Warren Wind as “nothing less than the most important accomplishment in golf since Bobby Jones’s Grand Slam in 1930”.  Author Ken Bowden wrote after the win:  “There have been prettier swingers of the club than Jack Nicklaus.  There may have been better ball-stikers than Jack Nicklaus.  There have definitely been better short-game exponents than Jack Nicklaus.  Other golfers have putted as well as Jack Nicklaus.  There may have been golfers as dedicated and fiercely competitive as Jack Nicklaus.   But no individual has been able to develop, combine and sustain all of the complex physical skills and the immense mental and emotional resources the game demands at its highest level as well as Jack Nickjlaus has for as long as he has.”                                                                                                                                    

 

 

 Golf – PGA – 1986 – The Masters Golf Tournament Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Battle Lines”                                                

 

At the 1998 Masters, Nicklaus was 58 when he tied for 6th place despite being hampered by an ever-increasing painful left hip.  Nicklaus’s five-under-par 283 is the lowest 72-hole score in the Masters by a player older than fifty.                                                                                                                                       

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2022 – The Masters Presents “Jack Nicklaus: 60 Years at Augusta – A Love Letter”                                                 

 

During the course of a 25-year span (1962–1986), Nicklaus won 18 major championships and finished second 18 times…..which excluses the 2nd-place finish at the 1960 U.S. Open as an amateur…..as he also placed 3rd nine times …..and 4th seven times in this span…..and was one stroke out of a playoff on five of those occasions…..1963 Open Championship,1967 PGA Championship, 1975 Open Championship, 1977 PGA Championship and 1979 Masters Tournament.  His total span of 73 top-10 finishes over 39 years (1960–1998) is a record in total number as well as longevity among the four major championships and encompassed his tenure from an amateur through the majority of his Champions Tour career.                                                                                

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2022 – What’s Viral Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Unbreakable 18 Major Wins – Part 1: Prodigy”

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2022 – What’s Viral Legends Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Unbreakable 18 Major Wins” – Part 2: Prime”

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2022 – What’s Viral Legends Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Unbreakable 18 Major Wins – Part 3: (Final) – St Andrews”

 

 

Nicklaus became eligible to join the Senior PGA Tour, now known as PGA Tour Champions, when he turned 50 in January 1990, at which point he declared, “I’m never satisfied. Trouble is, I want to play like me—and I can’t play like me anymore.”  He then quickly won in his 1st start on the Tour, The Tradition, also a Senior Tour major championship…..as Nicklaus would go on to win another three Traditions…..with the final two in succession…..while the most anyone else has won is two.                                                                                             

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1990 – The Seniors Tour – Tradition Tournament Highlights Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Wins 1st Tradition Senior Golf Championshps”

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1991- The Seniors Tour – Tradition Tournament Highlights Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Wins 2nd Tradition Senior Golf Championshps”

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1996- The Seniors Tour – Tradition Tournament Highlights Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Wins 3rd Tradition Senior Golf Championshp”                                                                                                                                    

 

Later in the year, Nicklaus won the Senior Players Championship by six shots over Lee Trevino for his 2nd win of the year…..and also his 2nd major of the year by shooting a record 27-under-par 261.  The next year, in 1991, Nicklaus won three of the five events he started in…..with those being the U.S. Senior Open at Oakland Hills by firing a 65 in a playoff against Chi-Chi Rodríguez and his fine round of 69, the PGA Seniors Championship and The Tradition for the 2nd year straight…..as these, again, were all majors on the senior circuit.                                                                                                                                               

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1990 – The Seniors Tour – US Seniors Open Final Round at Ridgewood Country Club –
Featuring Duel Between Lee Trevino and Jack Nicklaus                                                                                                            

 

Nicklaus has won all the senior majors with the exception of the Senior Open Championship (also known as the Senior British Open)…..however, he never played in that event until after he turned 60…..and it was only elevated to a major in 2003.  After a winless year in 1992, Nicklaus came back to win the U.S. Senior Open for the 2nd time in 1993 by one shot over Tom Weiskopf. Also in that year, he teamed up with Chi-Chi Rodríguez and Raymond Floyd to win the Wendy’s 3-Tour Challenge for the Senior PGA Tour team.                                   

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2016 – Senior PGA Flashback Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Miraculous Putt Showing Playing Partner How To Make The Putt”                                                                                                                                               

 

In 1994, Nicklaus won the Senior PGA Tour’s version of the Mercedes Championship for his only win of the year.  The Tradition was his again in 1995, in a year where he made the top 10 in all of the seven tournaments he entered in…..then his 100th career win came the next year…..when he won the Tradition for the 4th time….. and 2nd time in succession…..as he made a double eagle in the final round…..and Nicklaus closed the final 36 holes with back-to-back seven-under-par rounds of 65 to shoot a 16-under-par 272 and win by three shots over Hale Irwin. This was to be his last win on the Senior PGA Tour, and the last official win of his career.                                                                              

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1994 – The Seniors Skins Game (Entire Broadcast) – With Arnold Palmer + Lee Trevino + Raymond Floyd + Jack Nicklaus                                                                                                                                            

 

In 2000, Nicklaus played in his 44th and final U.S. Open…..where he shot 73-82 and missed the cut at Pebble Beach Golf Links. This was the same tournament where Tiger Woods won his 1st Open when he outclassed the nearest competitors by a 15-shot margin.  During the tournament, after defending champion Payne Stewart had died in an airplane crash the previous October, Nicklaus was given Stewart’s place in the traditional opening pairings alongside the Open Championship winner (Paul Lawrie) and the U.S. Amateur winner (David Gossett)…..and Nicklaus asked for a moment of silence in Stewart’s honor before his opening tee shot.                                                 

 

 

Golf – Amateur and PGA – 1959 To 1990 – USGA Special – “Jack Nicklaus: The Terrific Trio – US Amateur + US Open + Seniors US Open”                                                                                                                                                   

 

Later in the year, he was paired with Woods and Vijay Singh in his final PGA Championship…..where he missed the cut by one shot only a few days after the death of his 91-year-old mother.  In both tournaments, Nicklaus provided last-minute heroics by reaching the par-5 18th in two shots in the U.S. Open …..and nearly holing his wedge shot for eagle at the par-5 18th in the PGA Championship.                                                                                                                            

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2000 – The PGA Championship 2nd Round Highlights Special – “A Passing of the Torch” – Featuring Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus aa Playing Partners                                                                                                    

 

Nicklaus played without much preparation in the 2005 Masters…..which was a month after the drowning death of his 17-month-old grandson Jake (child of his son Steve) on March 1, 2005.  In a written statement, Nicklaus said that it was impossible to put into words the devastation of his family.  Nicklaus later spoke emotionally about the tragedy saying: “It has really been an overwhelmingly difficult and trying time for my entire family…..as the loss of our precious 17-month-old grandson Jake was devastating.”  Nicklaus and his son Steve played golf as therapy for their grief following Jake’s death.  After days of playing, Steve suggested his father return to The Masters…..when he made that his last appearance in the tournament.                                                           

 

 

Golf & Talk Shows – PGA – 2016 – In Depth With Graham Benzinger – Interview With Jack Nicklaus – On The Note He Got at Every Masters                                                                                                                                                                        

 

Later in 2005, Nicklaus finished his professional career at The British Open Championship played at St Andrews on July 15.  On St Andrews, Nicklaus stated:  “I’m very sentimental and the place gets to me every time I go there.  In May, I walked around and welled up with hardly anyone watching me.  St Andrews was always where I wanted to finish my major career.  Nicklaus turned 65 in January that year…..which was the last year he could enter The British Open Championship as an exempt player…..when he played with Luke Donald and Tom Watson in his final round.  After hitting his tee shot off the 18th tee in the 2nd round, Nicklaus received a ten-minute standing ovation from the crowd…..then on the 18th fairway, he gave his final farewell to professional golf…..while standing on the iconic Swilcan Bridge…..  Soon afterwards, Nicklaus ended his career with a birdie, holing a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th green. Nicklaus missed the 36-hole cut with a score of +3 (147).                                                                                                                                      

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2005 – British Open Highlights Special – “Jack Nicklaus 2005 British Open Farewell”

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2005 – British Open Special – “Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus relive Jack’s farewell to The Open in 2005”                                                                                                                                                                                   

 

The last competitive tournament in which Nicklaus played in the United States was the Champions Tour’s Bayer Advantage Classic in Overland Park, Kansas, on June 13, 2005.                                                                                                              

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2014 – Golf World Special – “Jack Nicklaus: My Best Shot Ever”                                                                                 

 

On April 8, 2015, Nicklaus hit his first-ever hole-in-one at the Augusta National Golf Club at the age of 75 when participating in the Masters’ Par 3 Contest…..albeit on the Par 3 Course, while playing with Gary Player and Ben Crenshaw.  He hit 20 holes-in-one in professional tournament play at other venues over his career.                                                                                                                      

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2015 – Masters Tournament Par 3 Tournament Special – “Jack Nicklaus Makes Hole In One at Age 73”                                                                                                                                                                                                 

 

Nicklaus devotes much of his time to golf course design and operates one of the largest golf design practices in the world. In the mid-1960’s, Pete Dye initially requested Nicklaus’s opinion in the architecture process of The Golf Club in suburban Columbus, Ohio…..and the input increased from that point forward. Nicklaus considered golf course design another facet of the game that kept him involved and offered a challenge. His 1st design, Harbour Town Golf Links, co-credited with Dye, was opened for play in 1969.  The nine-hole, par-3 golf course of Cheeca Resort & Spa was also designed by Nicklaus in the 1960’s.  A subsequent early, yet more prominent design was Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, OH which opened in 1974…..and has hosted the Memorial Tournament since its inception in 1976…..while this course has also hosted the 1987 Ryder Cup, the 1998 Solheim Cup matches and the 2013 President’s Cup.  For the 1st few years, all of his projects were co-designs with either Pete Dye or Desmond Muirhead…..who were two of the leading golf course architects of that era.                                                                          

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2021 – Jack Nicklaus Design Special – “Jack Nicklaus on The Inside Story of Jack Nicklaus’ Final Muirfield Village Redesign                                                                                                                                               

 

His 1st solo design, Glen Abbey Golf Course in Oakville, Ontario, opened for play in 1976…..as this course served as the host site for the Canadian Open for many years, the 1st being in 1977.  The oldest golf club in the U.S, Saint Andrew’s Golf Club in New York, was redesigned by Nicklaus in 1983.  In 2000, the King & Bear course opened in St. Augustine, Florida, as a joint collaboration between Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.  In 2006, the Concession Golf Club opened in Sarasota, Florida…..as a joint collaboration between him and Tony Jacklin, to commemorate their historic Ryder Cup singles match in 1969.                                                                                                                                          

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2015 – Jack Nicklaus Design Special – “Jack Nicklaus on His Design Philosophy of His Course in South Korea for the President’s Cup

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2013 – Jack Nicklaus Design Special – “Jack Nicklaus on his future Signature Golf Course at Baha Mar, Bahamas”                                                                                                                                                                  

 

Nicklaus is in partnership with his four sons and his son-in-law through their company, Nicklaus Design…..whereby the company had 299 courses open for play at the end of 2005…..which was nearly 1% of all the courses in the world (In 2005 Golf Digest calculated that there were nearly 32,000 golf courses in the world, approximately half of them in the United States.).  While the majority of Nicklaus-designed courses are located in the United States, the company has designed golf courses in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Europe, and Mexico. For 2009, Nicklaus Design had 12 courses in Golf Digest’s “75 Best Golf Resorts in North America”.  Past and present Senior Design Associates with Nicklaus Design include Chris Cochran, Chet Williams and Dave Heatwole.                                                                                                                 

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2017 – Golf Channel’s Design Week Special – “Nicklaus Design Featured on Golf Week”                                                                                                              

 

Nicklaus has written several golf instructional books, an autobiography (My Story), a book on his golf course design methods and philosophy, and has produced several golf videos.  The writer Ken Bowden often assisted him with this work. His book Golf My Way is one of the all-time classics of golf instruction…..and has been reissued several times since the initial printing in 1974.  Nicklaus has also written golf instructional columns for Golf Magazine and for Golf Digest magazine…..with which he is currently associated.  He also appeared as a television analyst and commentator with ABC Sports on golf broadcasts.  Several of the books have been reissued, sometimes under different titles, and My Story as a special high-quality limited edition for the 2000 Memorial Tournament.                                                                                       

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2022 – Fanatics View Special – “Jack Nicklaus 2005 British Open Interview on Becoming Honorary Citizen of St. Andrews et al”                                                                                                                                           

 

Between 1988 and 1998, Nicklaus also gave his name to promote the successful Jack Nicklaus computer game series published by Accolade. Several of the golf courses he designed were incorporated into the series’ various incarnations.  In addition, Jack Nicklaus 6: Golden Bear Challenge by Activision was published in 1999.                                                                                                                   

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2022 – The British Open Special – “Jack Nicklaus’s Last Round of Golf – Played at St. Andrews in 2005”                                                                                                                                                                                                            

 

Nicklaus continues to manage the Memorial Tournament…..which he founded in his home state of Ohio…..as the event is played at Muirfield Village, a course that he co-designed with Desmond Muirhead and opened in 1974.  The course was officially dedicated on Memorial Day, May 27, 1974, with an exhibition match between Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf.  Nicklaus scored a six-under-par 66…..which stood as the course record until 1979.  The forerunner to this tournament, the Columbus Pro-Am was held on the course where he 1st learned to play the game of golf, Scioto Country Club, from 1966 through 1975…..then the inaugural Memorial Tournament was held at Muirfield Village in 1976.  The tournament has become one of the more prestigious events on the PGA Tour.                                                                                         

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2021 – PGA Tour Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Redesigning Muirfield Village Golf Club”                                

 

Each year, the tournament selects one or more individuals as honorees who have made a significant impact on the game…..when the inaugural tournament in 1976 paid tribute to the late Bobby Jones…..while the 25th edition in 2000 honored Nicklaus.  The honoree is selected by the Captain’s Club…..which is a group that acts independently of the tournament organization…..but also advises on player invitations and the general conduct of the event.  Members of the Captain’s Club have included Peter Alliss, Peggy Kirk Bell, Sean Connery, Arnold Palmer, and Gary Player among others.  The Memorial Tournament continues the PGA Tour’s philanthropic focus through its relationships with Central Ohio charities. The most significant of which is its relationship with Nationwide Children’s Hospital since 1976.  The Memorial Tournament has raised more than $5.7 million to support the programs and services at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in those 30-plus years.  In 2005 the Memorial made a pledge that will elevate its level of giving to more than $11 million in the coming years.                                

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2019 – Memorial Tournament Highlights Special – “Golf is Hard at Muirfield Village”                                                     

 

Nicklaus and his wife Barbara serve as honorary chairman and active chairwoman of the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation in North Palm Beach, Florida.  The foundation provides valuable programs and services free of charge to more than 4,000 hospitalized children and their families through Child Life programs, the Pediatric Oncology Support Team and the Safe Kids program. The Nicklaus family established “The Jake”, a pro-am golf tournament played annually at The Bear’s Club in Jupiter, Florida in honor of their 17-month-old grandson who drowned in a hot tub in 2005.  It has become the foundation’s chief fundraiser…..with players such as Robert Allenby, Raymond Floyd, Tom Watson, Ian Baker-Finch, Ernie Els, Jay Haas, Johnny Miller and Gary Player have participated.  In 2010, Nicklaus partnered with Terlato Wines to produce a collection of three Napa Valley wines: Jack Nicklaus Private Reserve (a red blend), Cabernet Sauvignon and Private Reserve White (a white blend).  In 2012, Golden Bear Reserve, a Bordeaux-style red blend, was released to mark the 50th anniversary of Jack Nicklaus’s first major championship victory, the 1962 U.S. Open.                                 

 

 

Golf & Charity – 2015 – Special – “Jack Nicklaus sits down at The Table with Terlato Wines:  Jack’s House Philanthropy”                                                                                                                                                                             

 

Nicklaus and retired General John Shalikashvili, who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1993 to 1997, are serving as honorary chairs for the American Lake Veterans Golf Course capital campaign in Tacoma, Washington. The $4.5 million campaign in 2009 was established to complete the nation’s only golf course designed for the rehabilitation of wounded and disabled veterans.  The existing nine-hole course is operated, maintained, and managed by 160 volunteers.  Funds are needed to add nine new holes and other improvements.  A two-day event was held at Bighorn Golf Club at Palm Desert, California featuring Nicklaus…..who is donating his design services for the “Nicklaus Nine”.  In announcing his donation of services, Nicklaus said, “I was moved to see the amazing efforts at American Lake Veterans Golf Course where our wounded warriors learn to play golf with the help of an incredible army of volunteers.” Monies raised during the campaign will be used to construct the new holes, complete the construction of the Rehabilitation and Learning Center, make improvements to the original holes to enhance accessibility, upgrade the maintenance facilities and restrooms, and help underwrite operational costs.                                                                             

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2010 – PGA Tour Highlights Special – “Jack Nicklaus Compilation”                                                                  

 

Nicklaus owns Nicklaus Golf Equipment, which he founded in 1992…..which manufactures equipment in three brands: Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus Signature and Nicklaus Premium…..as these brands are designed to target golfers at different stages of golfing ability.  He is known for giving advice to younger golfers…..with one notable example coming in 1984…..when a teenage Canadian golfer who had previously met Nicklaus at an exhibition wrote him for career advice. The young golfer was right-handed but played left-handed…..albeit he was showing considerable promise as a left-hander, he had been told that he might be an even better player if he switched to right-handed play.  He wrote to Nicklaus asking for advice…..as Nicklaus replied advising him not to change if he was comfortable playing left-handed.  The young Canadian, Mike Weir, decided to stay with left-handed play…..and eventually became a Masters champion.  He still keeps Nicklaus’s letter framed in his home.                                                                                                  

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2022 – Golf Plus Highlights Special – “Jack Nicklaus: What’s Going On With The Jack Nicklaus Family?”

 

 

Nicklaus lends his name and likeness to a line of flavored lemonades from Arizona Beverage Company, the same company that sells the Arnold Palmer line of lemonade/iced tea blends.                                                                                     

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2013 – The Masters Par 3 Contest Highlights Special – “The Big 3: Tee Off At The Masters Par 3 Contest”                                                                                                                                                                                  

During his prime, Nicklaus was consistently among the longest and straightest hitters on the PGA Tour.  In 1963, he won the long-drive contest at the PGA Championship with a belt of 341 yards, 17 inches (312 meters)….. which was a record that lasted more than 20 years.  He preferred the fade (left-to-right shape) for his ball flight…..as this allowed the ball to stop quickly on hard and fast greens.  His fades could reach long par fours and par fives in two shots.  Nicklaus considers his longest drive in competition to be during the final round of the 1964 Masters on the 15th hole…..where he had less than 160 yards left to the 500-yard par five…..when he hit an eight-iron slightly over the green for his 2nd shot.  Nicklaus debuted as a young pro who hit the ball very high…..while later, he could also hit lower-trajectory shots as needed…..and he also developed a right-to-left controlled draw.                     

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1970 – The British Open Highlights Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Drives 360 Yards on 18th Playoff Hole Vs Doug Sanders”                                                                                                                                                           

 

In 1968, IBM kept PGA Tour statistics…..when Nicklaus led two categories for the season…..as he had an average driving distance of 275 yards…..and hit 75 percent of greens in regulation…..of which both marks were significantly ahead of his rivals.                                                                                                                     

 

 

Golf & Talk Shows – PGA – 2016 – In Depth With Graham Benzinger Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Cherished moments with Arnold Palmer”                                                                                                                                                  

 

Even though official PGA Tour statistics were not kept until 1980, Nicklaus was consistently the leader in greens hit in regulation through that year….. while displaying great command of the long and middle irons…..when  Nicklaus remained in the top six of this category through 1985…..which was  far past his best playing years.  Nicklaus also finished 10th in driving distance and 13th in driving accuracy in 1980 at age 40…..which equated to a “Total Driving” composite of 23…..while being a statistical level not attained since, by a comfortable margin…..as Nicklaus led this category through 1982.  One key to Nicklaus’s ball-striking ability and overall power was his exceptional swing tempo…..of which Tom Watson referred to it as Nicklaus’s greatest strength in its ability to remain smooth. This proved an asset, especially under pressure…..which allowed him to obtain great distance control with his irons.  Nicklaus was also known for his course management skills. He would plan to hit each full shot to the optimal position, to best set up his next shot, usually aiming for level lies and clear approach lines…..while favoring his preferred shot shapes.  He would often hold back on power to achieve this….. but had a power advantage over most rivals through the set…..so that he could hit a 3-wood or 1-iron from the tee with increased accuracy to avoid trouble…..with sufficient length to keep up with the drivers hit by most rivals.  An exceptional example of this came in the final round of the 1966 Open Championship at Muirfield…..when on the 17th hole, a 530-yard par 5 hole…..as Nicklaus needed a birdie…..but the hole was framed by tall fescue rough…..and was playing downwind with very firm turf conditions…..so, he used a 3-iron from the tee and hit the shot 290 yards…..then hit a 5-iron 240 yards onto the green, two-putted for birdie…..and parred the final hole to win the title.                                                                                                                    

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2022 – The Masters Highlights Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Sunday Mindset”                                                  

 

Nicklaus was the 1st player to chart and document yardages on the course on a consistent, planned basis.  For most of his career, he was not known for his skill on touch shots with the wedges…..so he would often play to avoid wedge shots that needed less-than-full swings.  Gary Player stated that Nicklaus had “the greatest mind the game has ever known”.  Nicklaus was also not known for being an outstanding putter…..but he was often able to make the important putts when they were needed…..however, Nicklaus’s putting was highly regarded by his rivals.  The truth be known, he was also known as a conservative player at times…..as he went for broke only when it was necessary. This was especially apparent on the greens…..where he would often choose to be less aggressive and make sure of an easy two-putt. Nicklaus spoke about this in his autobiography. “I was a fine two-putter, but sometimes too defensive—too concerned about three-putting—to go for putts that I probably should have gone for.”                                                                                 

 

Golf – PGA – USA Today Presents Instructional Special – “Jack Nicklaus Tip # 1: Fundamentals”

 

 

Golf – PGA – USA Today Presents Instructional Special – “Jack Nicklaus Tip # 1: One Swing”

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1966 – Saving Par Presents Final Round of British Open Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Putting Slowly and Making Par on # 18 to Tie Tom Watson”                                                                                                         

 

After Nicklaus’s 1st year on the PGA Tour in 1962, he received the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award…..as well as receiving the PGA Tour Player of the Year five times…..while topping the PGA Tour money list eight times…..plus he has also attained the Bob Jones Award and the Payne Stewart Award, among others.  Nicklaus was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 1974…..and then the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 1995.  His likeness was featured on a special commemorative issue five-pound note issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland…..which made him the 1st living person outside the Royal Family to appear on a British banknote.  In 1999 he was on the six man short list for the BBC‘s Sports Personality of the Century.  In 2001, Nicklaus was honored with the “Lombardi Award of Excellence” from the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation…..as the award was created to honor Coach Lombardi’s legacy…..and is awarded annually to an individual who exemplifies the spirit of the Coach.                                                          

 

 

Golf & Awards – 2015 – Congressional Gold Medal of Freedom Ceremony Before Congress – Jack Nicklaus Acceptance Speech Prior To President George W. Bush

 

 

Golf & Awards – 2015 – Special – “Sports Ilustrated’s Muhammad Ali Legacy Award Presented To Jack Nicklaus”                                                                                                                                                                                     

 

There is a Jack Nicklaus Museum on the campus of The Ohio State University in his home town of Columbus…..which was opened in 2002….and is a state-of-the-art, 24,000-square-foot (2,200 m²) facility offering a comprehensive view of Nicklaus’s life and career in and out of golf…..as well as exhibits celebrating the history and legends of the game.                                                              

 

 

Golf – NCAA + PGA – Ohio State University Special – “Jack Nicklaus Museum (Part 1)”

 

 

Golf – NCAA + PGA – Ohio State University Special – “Jack Nicklaus Museum (Part 2)”

 

 

Nicklaus had the rare privilege of “dotting the ‘i'” of “Script Ohio”, the signature formation of the Ohio State University Marching Band, at the Ohio State homecoming game on October 28, 2006…..when the Buckeyes played the Minnesota Golden Gophers…..while this is considered the greatest honor that can be bestowed on a non-band member…..as Nicklaus was the 5th non-band member to receive this award…..as other recipients include Bob Hope and Woody Hayes.  While at Ohio State University, Nicklaus became a member of the Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta.                                                                

 

 

NCAA Football & Halftime Show – 2006 – Ohio State Marching Band Time Honored Tradition Special – Jack Nicklaus: Dotting The “i”

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2021 – Rolex Watches Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Every Rolex Tells A Story”                                                 

 

Along with Annika Sörenstam, Nicklaus was named a Global Ambassador for the International Golf Federation in 2008 and was instrumental in bringing golf to the Olympics for the 2016 and 2020 Games.  Golf was last an Olympic sport at the 1904 Games in St. Louis, Missouri…..when the United States and Canada were the only two competing countries.  The International Olympic Committee approved the inclusion by a vote of 63–27, with two abstentions.                                           

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1971 – US Open Playoff Round at Merian Golf Club in Ardmore, PA (Entire Round) – Featuring Jack Nicklaus Vs Lee Trevino                                                                                                                                                             

 

Nicklaus joined Arnold Palmer as an honorary starter for the 2010 Masters. Nicklaus became the 8th honorary starter since the tradition began in 1963 when Nicklaus won his 1st green jacket. The Big Three were once again reunited in Augusta for the 2012 Masters Tournament as Gary Player joined Palmer and Nicklaus to kick off the 76th renewal of the major tournament.                                                        

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2018 – The Masters Highlight Special – “Jimmy Roberts Interview With Gary Player, Arnold Palmer & Jack Nicklaus”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

 

 
Golf & Talk Show – PGA – 2016 – In Depth with Graham Benzinger – With Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player – On Why Arnold Palmer was “The King”

 

 

 Golf – PGA – 2009 – Firestone Country Club Highlights Special – “Jack Nicklaus + Arnold Palmer + Gary Player at Firestone National”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

 

Golf – PGA – 2013 – Highlights Special – “Jack Nicklaus at 72, Arnold Palmer at 82, Gary Player at 76, Driver Swings”

Nicklaus, through his global reach in design and development, as well as the worldwide marketing and licensing of his golf and lifestyle brand, is atop Golf Inc. magazine’s coveted list of the “Most Powerful People in Golf” for a record-extending 6th consecutive year…..while he is the only golf industry figure who has ever been named to the # 1 spot for more than three years.  Nicklaus topped the 2009 worldwide list of 35 individuals who were selected by a panel of editors for their ability to influence and impact the business of golf, be it the development of courses and communities, the operation of courses, the equipment used by golfers or the rules and regulations of the game.  Golf Inc. wrote that while the Golden Bear’s reign at # 1 is unprecedented, “the fact is that he keeps adding to his legend, at the design table and in the business world. Despite a worldwide course development slowdown, Nicklaus’s design firm has over 40 courses in development around the globe…And he remains perhaps golf’s most respected spokesperson on a wide range of issues.”                                                          

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2020 – Golf News Central Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Stories From His Ffellow Tour Pros On His 80th Birthday”                                                                                                                                                                         

 

On May 19, 2014, the United States House of Representatives voted to pass H.R. 2203, a bill that would award Nicklaus the Congressional Gold Medal “in recognition of his service to the nation in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship”…..as the bill says that Nicklaus’s “magnetic personality and unfailing sense of kindness and thoughtfulness have endeared him to millions throughout the world”.  Congressman Thomas Massie objected to a voice vote, and demanded a roll call vote.  He then tried to rally opposition to the measure, but the vote passed easily over Massie’s objection: 371–10.                       

 

 

Golf – PGA – 1962 To 2005 – PGA Tour Champions Special – “Jack Nicklaus: Top Ten Shots of His Career”                     

 

He was awarded the Freedom of the Royal Burgh of St Andrews on 11 July 2022.

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2022 – MLive Special Presents: “Live Interview With Jack Nicklaus Regarding His Thoughts on New LIV Tour”                                                                                                                                                                              

 

Nicklaus holds the record for PGA major championships with a total 18…..as Tiger Woods is in 2nd place with 15.  Nicklaus has the 3rd most PGA Tour victories with 73…..which is behind Sam Snead (82) and Woods (82).  Nicklaus also holds the record for the most wins at the Masters with six….. and The Players Championship with three.  He played on six Ryder Cup teams, captained the team twice and the Presidents Cup team four times….. and topped the PGA Tour money list and scoring average eight times each. For 24 straight seasons, from 1960 to 1983 inclusive, he made at least one top ten finish in a major championship…..which is a record…..plus  73 PGA Tour wins…..9 European Tour wins…..3 PGA Tour of Australasia wins…..24  other wins…..10  Senior PGA Tour wins…..and 7 other PGA Senior wins.                                      

 

 

Golf – PGA – 2022 – A Golf Plus Special – “The Golden Bear Vs Tiger: The Harsh Truth About the GOAT Debate”                                                                                                                                                                                       

 

Concluding this post is one of the simplest jobs I have ever had to do…..for its a rare opportunity to be able to tell the story in video of an exceptional  and dominant athlete…..who exemplifies humility in loss as well as victory in equal portions…..while exhibiting integrity in his life as a competitor, a family man….as well in business and every day life.  The Golden Bear is truly “pure gold” when it comes to being a husband, father, family man, entrepreneur and businessman…..while being, in my book, the greatest golfer to ever play the game…..albeit, Tiger Woods comes in a close 2nd.  Jack Nicklaus has simply conducted his life at the highest levels of passion, commitment, honesty, integrity, humility in victory and defeat to himself, his competitors…..along with his generosity and overall kindness to people everywhere he goes….so, I ask, could it get any better than this!?!…..well maybe equaled, but not better.  The truth be known, it is truly rare to find any celebrity in any facet of life that this can be said about…..which explains why we here at ImaSportsphile are so honored to post this video tribute….. for the legacy that Jack Nicklaus’s has set as a standard to live and work by…. which is extremely difficult to achieve, especially in the realm of global stardom laced with fame and riches.                                                                                                    

 

 

 
Golf – PGA – 2016 – PGA Tour Special – “The Legend of Jack Nicklaus”