Jack Nicklaus

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Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940), nicknamed The Golden Bear , is a retired American professional golfer. Many observers consider him the greatest golfer of all time. Over a span of more than 25 years, he won 18 major championships in his career while producing 19 second place and 9 third place. Nicklaus focused on major championships - Master Tournaments, US Open, Open Championships and PGA Championships - and played a selective schedule of regular PGA Tour events, but still finished with 73 wins, third on the all-time list behind Sam Snead (82) and Tiger Woods (79).

Nicklaus won the US Amateur in 1959 and 1961 and challenged for the 1960 US Open, where he finished in second place, two shots behind Arnold Palmer. Nicklaus became professional at the age of 21 by the end of 1961. He achieved his first professional victory in the 1962 US Open championship when he defeated Palmer with three shots in an 18-hole game the following day. This victory over Palmer started a competition in the field between two golf superstars. In 1966, Nicklaus won the Masters Tournament for the second year in a row, becoming the first golfer to achieve this distinction, and also won the Open Championship, finishing his career slamming a major championship. At the age of 26, he became the youngest to do it at the time. He won another Open Championship in 1970.

Between 1971 and 1980, he won nine major additional championships, surpassing Bobby Jones's 13-track record, becoming the first player to complete double and triple bankruptcy from four professional golf championships. When Nicklaus claimed the 18th major and last championship at the age of 46 at the 1986 Masters, he became the oldest winner of the tournament. Nicklaus joined the Senior PGA Tour (now known as the PGA Tour Champions) when he qualified in January 1990, and in April 1996 had won 10 tournaments, including eight major championships despite playing in 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 in the Masters and Open Championships.

Nicklaus has also taken part in various other activities, including golf course design, charity and book writing. She is a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects and has helped design courses like Harbor Town Golf Links. Nicklaus also runs his own tournament on the PGA Tour, Memorial Tournament. His golf course design company is one of the largest in the world. Nicklaus's books vary from instructional to autobiographical, with Golf My Way regarded as one of the best golf learning books of all time; videos of the same name are the best-selling golf instructors today.

Video Jack Nicklaus

Early life and amateur golf pursuit

Nicklaus was born in Columbus, Ohio and grew up on the outskirts of Upper Arlington. He was of German descent, the son of Helen (Schoener) (1909-2000) and Charlie Nicklaus (1913-1970), a pharmacist who runs several businesses named Nicklaus Drug Store. Charlie is an all-skilled athlete who once played football for Ohio State Buckeyes and has gone on to play semi-professional football under the name assumed for the Spartan Portsmouth (who later became the Detroit Lions NFL). Charlie is also an agile golfer and local tennis champion in his youth. Charlie Nicklaus died of pancreatic cancer at the age of fifty-six.

Nicklaus grew up in Upper Arlington and attended Upper Arlington High School, whose nickname and mascot by accident were the Golden Bears. In his senior year, Nicklaus was the honorable 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 in soccer, baseball, tennis, and track and field.

Nicklaus took golf at age 10, scoring 51 at Scioto Country Club for his first nine holes ever played. Charlie Nicklaus joined Scioto in the same year, returning to golf to help heal volleyball injuries. Jack Nicklaus was trained at Scioto by pro club Jack Grout, a Texas contemporary golf player, Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan; Grout has been playing quite successfully on the PGA Tour and will be Nicklaus's lifelong golf instructor. Nicklaus copes with mild cases of polio at the age of 13.

Nicklaus won the first of five direct Ohio State Junior titles at the age of 12. At age 13, he broke his 70th in Scioto Country Club for the first time, and became the youngest player of the year to US Junior Amateur, where he held three games - playing round. He has gained 3 defects at the age of 13, 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 first hole-in-one at the tournament play in the same year. At 15, Nicklaus shot 66 at the Scioto Country Club, which was an amateur course record, and qualified for Amateur U.S. first. He won the Ohio Open in 1956 at the age of 16, highlighted by a phenomenal third round of 64, competing against professionals. Overall, Nicklaus won 27 shows in the Ohio area from the age of 10 to the age of 17.

In 1957, Nicklaus won the International Jaycee Junior Golf Tournament, having lost the previous year in the playoffs. Nicklaus also competed in the first of 44 consecutive US Open that year, but failed to qualify. In 1958 at the age of 18, he competed in his first PGA Tour event, Rubber City Open, in Akron, Ohio, to claim 12th place after becoming one of the leaders on the 36-hole mark, and making an incision at the US Open, binding to 41 places. Nicklaus also won two Trans-Mississippi Amateurs - in 1958 at the Prairie Dunes Country Club and 1959 at Woodhill Country Club, with the final victory of the 9 & amp; 8 and 3 & amp; 2, respectively. Also in 1959, Nicklaus won North and South Amateurs at Pinehurst, North Carolina and competed in three additional PGA Tour events, with the best finish being the 12th place featured in the Buick Open.

While attending Ohio State, he won American Amateurs twice (1959, 1961), and NCAA Championship (1961). In 1959, the U.S. Amateur, Nicklaus beat the two-time winner and defending champion Charles Coe 1-up in the last 36-hole match when he sounded the eighteenth hole. This is important not only because of Coe's proven ability as a player but also because Nicklaus became the youngest champion in the modern era, second only to Robert A. Gardner, who won in 1909. In 1961, Nicklaus became the first player to win an individual title at the NCAA Championship and US Amateur in the same year. He was followed by Phil Mickelson (1990), Tiger Woods (1996), Ryan Moore (2004), and Bryson DeChambeau (2015). Nicklaus also won the NCAA Big Ten Conference Champions that year with a 72-hole aggregate of 283, while previously claiming Western Amateur in New Orleans. In the US's second and last Amateur victory in 1961, Nicklaus convincingly defeated Dudley Wysong 8 & amp; 6 at Pebble Beach in a 36-hole championship game. For the week, Nicklaus is 20 punches below par, including 34 birdies and two eagles.

In the 1960 US Open, twenty-year-old Nicklaus shot two under par 282, finishing in second place two strokes behind Arnold Palmer, who won the tournament for the only time at the cost of the final round six under par 65 The score remained the one the lowest ever held by an amateur at the US Open. Nicklaus played the last 36 holes with Ben Hogan, who later commented that he had just played 36 holes with a boy who was supposed to win by 10 shots. Over the last 36 holes, Nicklaus is two under-par; he has shot every round of the tournament at or below par and is the only participant to do so. Nicklaus has led with two shots with six holes to play. In 1960, Nicklaus was also tied for the 13th in the Master Tournament. He was tied for fourth at the 1961 US Open, three shots behind champion Gene Littler, having played the last 54 holes below par. Each of the three major championships designates Nicklaus as a lowly amateur. However, Nicklaus' one-under-par 287 tied for seventh in the 1961 Masters Tournament, and the second year was only for the amateur placement of Charles Coe's low, when he tied for second with Arnold Palmer at seven under par 281, one shot behind the champ Gary Player.

Nicklaus represented the United States against England and Ireland in winning the Walker Cup team in 1959 and 1961, convincingly winning both games in each contest. On his 1959 trip to England, he also did his only business in Amateur England, the world's oldest international amateur event, at Royal St George's Golf Club, reaching the quarter-finals (top 8). He was also a member of the 1960 Eisenhower Trophy Cup team, winning an unofficial individual title with 13 shots over teammate Deane Beman with a score of four rounds of 269, a record that still survives; This score is 18 shots lower than the previous US Open aggregate Ben Hogan of 287 on the same site (which, however, has scored in much tougher conditions). For three years in a row (1959-1961), Nicklaus was named the world's top amateur golfer by Golf Digest magazine.

College and marriage studies

Nicklaus attended Ohio State from 1957 to 1961. He majored in pre-pharmacy and had good grades in his first three years; he intends to follow his father to the pharmacy after graduation. As his amateur golf feats rise, Nicklaus changes his mind on his career path; he switched the program to study insurance. At that stage, he plans to remain an amateur golfer and earn a living by selling insurance. For the time being, he worked in insurance when he was in college as well. He married Barbara Bash (born 1940), who was a nursing student at Ohio State, in July 1960, and the first of five children, Jack Jr., was born in September 1961, but the following month, Nicklaus still intends to become the first amateur who won the Masters. In early November, he changed his mind and announced that he became a professional to support his family. He spent several hours after graduating from college. In good standing, the State of Ohio awarded him honorary doctorate degrees in 1972.

Maps Jack Nicklaus

PGA Tour career

Professional professional breakthrough: 1962-1963

Nicklaus started his career on the PGA Tour in 1962. Although Nicklaus officially became a professional at the end of 1961, he strongly debated the idea of ​​remaining an amateur in order to emulate his idol, Bobby Jones. However, Nicklaus realizes that to be regarded as the best, he must compete in greater frequency against the best. Shortly after becoming a professional, Nicklaus's future agent, Mark McCormack, was interviewed by Melbourne Age writer Don Lawrence, who asked about the American golf world. When McCormack describes Nicklaus, Lawrence refers to the "big, strong, and blond" player as "Golden Bear," a nickname that will become synonymous with Nicklaus throughout his professional life. However, another possibility of the name comes from the high school that Nicklaus attended in Upper Arlington, Ohio, which uses the Golden Bear mascot for sports teams. As mentioned above, Nicklaus played in several Golden Bear athletics teams, including captaining the 1956 state champions team, suggesting that McCormack may have adopted the name through the Nicklaus high school affiliate. Regardless, in 1963, the nickname was jammed.

Nicklaus won his first PGA tournament on start of the 17th, when he defeated Arnold Palmer in Sunday's playoff at Oakmont for the US Open in 1962; Nicklaus earns $ 17,500 for his business. The galleries are more vocal in their support for Palmer - who grew up in Latrobe close - but Nicklaus won the playoff with three shots (71-74). In 90 holes, Nicklaus has only one three putt green. The US Open win makes Nicklaus the US Open and U.S. champion. Amateur. In addition, at the age of 22, Nicklaus was the youngest US Open champion since Bobby Jones won at age 21 in 1923, and he remains the youngest ever winner ever since (John McDermott is still the youngest winner of the US Open at 19 years old in 1911). The US Open victory pushed Nicklaus into the national spotlight, and he was featured on the cover of Time magazine. This is also the start of the Nicklaus-Palmer rivalry, which attracts viewers to play golf on television.

By the end of 1962, Nicklaus had won two more tournaments, which were back-to-back in the Seattle Open and Portland Open. In addition, he was tied for third in his first attempt at the PGA Championship. Nicklaus completed the year with more than $ 60,000 in prize money, making 26 of 26 cuts with 16 top-10 finishes, placed third on the PGA Tour money list, and was named Rookie of the Year. He also won the inaugural staging of the World Series of Golf, a field-pick for the top champions of the year, and raised $ 50,000 (unofficial money) for the win.

In 1963, Nicklaus won two of the four majors - Masters and PGA Championship. This victory earned him the winner of the youngest Masters of the day and the third youngest winner of the PGA Championship, and every victory came in his second year as a professional. Earlier in 1963, Nicklaus injured his left hip playing a rough shot approach - an injury that would manifest itself several years later. Ironically, Nicklaus admitted this injury by helping him change his swing towards the 1963 Masters, thus allowing him to play a draw easier. Along with three other victories including the Champion Tournament, he placed second for Arnold Palmer on the PGA Tour money list with over $ 100,000. He also worked with Palmer to win the Canadian Cup (now the World Cup of Golf) in France, representing the United States (the show was shortened to 63 holes due to heavy fog). Nicklaus also finished as a low individual printer for the show.

Business success

Nicklaus's meteoric rise became famous shortly after changing professional opportunities brought him to earn significant support revenues. This business opportunity is facilitated by Mark McCormack, who also manages Palmer and Gary Player. Golf grew rapidly in popularity and media coverage during the early 1960s, led by performances from these three star players. Palmer's filling and popularity style with the gallery makes him the most salable sport figure in the world. This association was the beginning of an agency known as the International Management Group, and IMG, having built a base in golf management, eventually evolved into another sport. The Palmer-Nicklaus-Player rivalry grew into what is called the "Big Three" of Golf. McCormack arranges a series of television golf matches around the world among three stars, known as the Big Three Golf, in the early 1960s. Nicklaus left IMG in the early 1970s, to establish his own management agency, Golden Bear Inc.

Continuing continuation: 1964-1967

Despite winning without majors in 1964 (he had three runners-up finished), Nicklaus led the PGA Tour money list for the first time in his career with a margin of $ 81.13 more than Palmer. At the Open Championships at St Andrews, Nicklaus set a new record for the lowest score in the last 36 holes with 66-68 in high winds (the first time in the championship history that 70 has broken in each of the last two rounds). However, this is not enough to win the event; Nicklaus placed second for Tony Lema. Nicklaus also scored a record of the last lowest round score on the PGA Championship with 64 (since broken by Brad Faxon in 1995 with 63), but fell three short shots from champion Bobby Nichols and scored 271 records. In 31 official events around the world in 1964, Nicklaus grabbed six wins, seven runners-up, placed in the top five 21 times, top-10 21 times, and only lost once. Nicklaus and Palmer also defended their team titles at the World Cup in Hawaii, with Nicklaus again settling as a low individual printer.

When Nicklaus won the Masters in 1965 and 1966, he became the first back-to-back winner of the tournament and the winner twice and three times the youngest. He broke the record of 72-hole Ben-Hogan 274 in 1953 when he collected a new aggregate 271 in the 1965 Masters Tournament. The record was tied by Raymond Floyd in 1976 and lasted until Tiger Woods shot 270 in 1997, which was a 72-hole record that was later tied by Jordan Spieth in 2015. When Woods and Spieth shot 270, the score was achieved with a significant increase in equipment golf is essentially the same golf course where Nicklaus and Floyd shot 271. During the 1965 tournament, Nicklaus reached 62 of 72 green in regulation and 123 putt, including just one putt green. It's good enough to win with nine shots over Arnold Palmer and Gary Player; this margin of victory is a tournament record that will last for 32 years until Woods won by 12 shots in 1997. This week's performance was highlighted by a 64 third round consisting of eight birdies and no bogey. In this round Nicklaus said, "I have never been and have never played an excellent round of golf in a major championship like I did in the third round of the 1965 Masters." This round tied Lloyd Mangrum's record in 1940 at Augusta National and remained in place until Nick Price shot 63 during the third round in 1986. It was at this point that Bobby Jones declared Nicklaus play a game he did not recognize; Jones called the Nicklaus results "the greatest show in all history playing golf."

After the Nicklaus recording performance at Augusta National in 1965, the course underwent several minor changes to make it tighter. This modification and the tough weather in the 1966 tournament did not preclude Nicklaus. He successfully defended his title with an even-par aggregate of 288, 17 shots higher. He won in an 18-hole playoff over Gay Brewer (Brewer had a three-putted green 18th to force the playoffs) and Tommy Jacobs by shooting two under par 70. Nicklaus led the PGA Tour money list again in 1965 by a healthy margin over Tony Echo. Nicklaus and Lema formed the US team for the World Cup, held in Madrid, Spain, but could not defend the title, as won by South Africa. Overall, Nicklaus competed in 28 official events around the world in 1965, collecting five wins, seven runners-up, 19 top-5 finishes, 23 top-10 finishes, and zero missed cuts.

In 1966, Nicklaus also won the Open Championship at Muirfield in Scotland in difficult weather conditions; he used his driver only 17 times because it was so heavy. This was the only course he had failed to win until then. This victory earned him the youngest player, aged 26 (his fifth year on Tour), and only one after Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, and Gary Player (up to Tiger Woods at age 24 in 2000, also during his fifth year on Tour) for won all four major championships, now known as Slam Careers. Nicklaus finally completed a dual career slam in 1971 and a triple slam career in 1978, winning four majors each two and three times. Nicklaus is part of another title for the US at the World Cup in Japan. Nicklaus concluded 1966 played 22 official events around the world, with four wins, four runners-up, 14 top-5 finishes, 16 top-10 finishes, and zero missed cuts.

In 1967, Nicklaus won the US Open for the second time. The tournament was held in Baltusrol, and he broke the 72-hole Hogan record with a single shot with 275 when he birdied his 5th hole in 18th. For four rounds, Nicklaus reached 61 of the 72 green in the regulation. Nicklaus completed this winning record with a 238-yard 1-iron dramatic shot, climbed into a light breeze and light rain, into the 72nd green (260-yard equivalent) and put a 22-foot (6.7 m) birdie putt shut the last nine from 30 and the final round of 65 to beat Arnold Palmer with four shots. Nicklaus and Palmer are the only two players to break the par for this week. Sports Illustrated ran a cover photo of Nicklaus throwing his legs high in the air with the headline, "Nicklaus Breaking Open Records." He also finished runners-up in The Open Championship and third in the PGA Championship, one shot from the playoffs between Don Jan and Don Massengale. In 1967, Nicklaus led the PGA Tour money list for the third time. Later that year, Nicklaus and Palmer teamed up to win a 13-wire wire-to-wire in Mexico City. Nicklaus competed in 24 official events around the world in 1967, with five wins, four runners-up, 14 top-5 finishes, 16 top-10 finishes, and one uncut failed. For most of his professional career, Nicklaus employs Angelo Argea as his caddy.

Career decline (1968-1970)

After Nicklaus won the 1967 US Open in record-breaking fashion, he did not win another major championship until the 1970 Open Championship at the Old Course in St Andrews. In addition, the highest achievement in the Tour's money list for 1968-70 is the second; the fourth lowest, its worst ranking on the list since the professional switch. However, it should be noted that his fourth rank in 1970 will increase to second if the Open Championship victory is entered during that period on the official PGA Tour money list, as it happens today. Nicklaus became runner-up in the 1968 US Open (for new rivals Lee Trevino) and the 1968 Open Championship (for the old rival Gary Player).

Nicklaus did not make his first appearance in the Ryder Cup until 1969 at the age of 29; the eligibility rules at that time require a membership of at least five years of PGA Tour before points can be counted for team qualification; the rules have relaxed significantly since then. In the 1969 Ryder Cup, the whole competition went down to the single anchor match between Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin. At the par-5 17th hole with Nicklaus leading with the score 1 ride, Jacklin made a 35-foot eagle putt (11 m) for square matches. With the result of the entire competition going up in this match, Nicklaus putt a five foot foot in the last hole before controversially recognizing Jacklin par putt, ensuring that the game, and the overall match, ends in a draw. Afterwards US team Captain Sam Snead said "This is the greatest golf game you have ever seen in England".

During this period, Nicklaus's physical condition declined somewhat; she wears some excess weight, which affects her stamina. After the Ryder Cup, he significantly improved his condition in the fall of 1969 by lowering 25 pounds (11 kg) in a month, and his game began to return to its best performance. In February 1970, Nicklaus's father, Charlie Nicklaus, died. Five months after this, Nicklaus won the 1970 Open Championship under difficult scoring conditions in Scotland where wind howled up to 56 MPH, beating fellow American Doug Sanders in an 18-hole playoff in an emotional fashion. In the 18th hole of the playoffs, Nicklaus travels about 380 yards, through green par-4 with three woods, and is forced to return to the hole. The eagle's throw finished about eight feet from the hole. Nicklaus tossed his putter into the air after drowning the winning putt, as he was happy to have won the Open at the golf house, St Andrews. He describes this period in his life:

I play good golf, but it really is not a big deal for me in one way or another. And then my father died and I was a bit aware that he definitely lived his life through my golf game. I really can not possibly give him the best of it. So I have to get back to work. So, '70 is an emotion for me from that point of view... That is a big boost.

Nicklaus also went on to capture the World Match Game Competition Played in 1970 with 2 & amp; 1 win over Lee Trevino in the championship game. In all for this year, Nicklaus competed in 23 official events around the world, winning four, placed in top-5 10 times, and top-10 in 14.

Although Nicklaus' performance declined somewhat during this period, he is still ranked as the # 1 player in the world, for 10 consecutive years, starting in 1968, at World Golf Rankings McCormack, introduced that year by sporting agent Mark McCormack. This rank, the first attempt to account for the results of professional tours around the world, was unofficial during that era, but they eventually evolved into the current Official World Golf Ranking, starting in 1986.

The Resurrection (1971-1977)

With his victory at the 1971 PGA Championship, Nicklaus became the first golfer to win all four majors. In this championship, Nicklaus is the only player to break 70 consecutive in the first two rounds in windy conditions; he finished at seven under par 281. Nicklaus finished second twice and fifth in three major championships remaining for this year. While he finished second in the Masters with Johnny Miller, Nicklaus made a big enough impression on the young Nick Faldo (watching on TV in the UK) that Faldo take the game seriously.

By the end of 1971, Nicklaus had won four additional PGA tournaments including the Champions Tournament with eight shots and the National Team Championship with Arnold Palmer with six shots. With $ 244,490 in official PGA Tour revenues, Nicklaus makes a new single-season currency record throughout the year. Nicklaus also claimed the third World Cup title in 1971, with the help of 63 in the third round. He also won a team competition with partner Lee Trevino with 12 shots. The year 1971 brought Nicklaus a victory at Australian Dunlop International as well, punctuated by a record 62 courses (low career score in competition, one in three) in the second round. Nicklaus played 23 official events worldwide in 1971, won eight, had 17 top-5 finishes, 20 top-10 finishes, and set a 5-1-0 record in the Ryder Cup competition that year.

Nicklaus won two first major championships in 1972 with three shots each in wire-to-wire mode. He won the Masters and US Open, creating talks about the Grand Slam calendar year. Nicklaus opened with four under par 68 at Augusta National and never looked back. He is the only player below par for this week as he and the field are struggling for a difficult judgment condition. At the US Open at Pebble Beach again under severe scoring conditions, Nicklaus hit the iron one at 218-yard par-three hole 17th during the last round into high winds, strong winds that hit the flag and ended three inches from the cup. Opening in the US is Nicklaus's 13th career major and tied him up with Bobby Jones for career majors (though different tournament groups have been regarded as majors in Jones's time). This victory is also the professional majors of the 11th Nicklaus, tied him with Walter Hagen, and make it the first player to win the U.S. championship. Amateur and US Open on the same golf course.

During the 1972 PGA Tour season, Nicklaus won seven tournaments and was runner-up in three games. However, Nicklaus did not win the Grand Slam of the year, as Lee Trevino was repeated as the winner of the Open Championship (Nicklaus finished second, one shot behind), and Gary Player won at the PGA Championship. Nicklaus closed out this remarkable year with a second win of Walt Disney World Golf Classic's three-game winning streak by firing a 21-under par 267 to win with nine shots. He concluded in 1972 by competing in 20 official events around the world winning seven, placing second in four, and compiling 15 top-10 finishes.

Bobby Jones 'record of the majors soon broke down when Nicklaus won the PGA Championship in August 1973 by four shots over Bruce Crampton for his 12 professional majors (surpassing Hagen 11 marks) and 14 overall when using Jones' old-style day-old configurations. In that year he won six other tournaments. When he won the Ohio King's Island Open in 1973, he became the first PGA Tour player to win a Tour event on his self-designed course. The PGA player of the Year awarded to Nicklaus for the third time, and the second year in a row. Nicklaus was also the first player to win over $ 300,000.00 in official money for one season in 1972 at $ 320,542; he surpassed that threshold again the following year with $ 308,362. The former total is $ 106,137 more than runner-up Lee Trevino. The final total for 1973 catapulted Nicklaus on a $ 2 million revenue from the PGA Tour, making him the first player to reach the milestone. Nicklaus teamed up with Johnny Miller for another team title at the World Golf Cup, held in Spain. For this year, Nicklaus competed in 20 official events worldwide and claimed seven wins, 14 top-five finishes, 17 top-10s, and set a 4-1-1 record in the Ryder Cup competition that year.

Nicklaus's failure to win the major in 1974 was somewhat offset when he won the inaugural Championship Tournament Tournament and was named one of 13 original inductees to the World Golf Hall of Fame. Nicklaus said the honor was a "nice keepsake" after "a disappointing season". Although he did not have a major championship victory in 1974, Nicklaus still achieved four top-10 finishes in four events, three of which were in the top four, and placed second on the official money list behind Johnny Miller. Despite being less than a one-year star, Nicklaus was able to claim two wins and 13 top-10 finishes in 20 official events worldwide.

Nicklaus started well in 1975: he won the Doral-Eastern Open, the Sea Pines Heritage Classic, and the Masters at the start of a row. His victory at the Masters was the fifth, a record he had to break eleven years later. In this tournament, Nicklaus's 40-foot (12 m) birdie putt in the 16th hole of the final round is key in his victory over Tom Weiskopf and Johnny Miller in a stunning final round battle. He also won the PGA Championship in August at Firestone Country Club by two shots over Bruce Crampton for his fourth win. After winning the Masters and PGA Championship, Nicklaus missed the playoffs for the US. Open with two shots and playoffs for the Open Championship with one shot. His 1975 appearance resulted in being named PGA Player of the Year for the fourth time, tying Ben Hogan, and he was also named ABC World of Sports Athlete of the Year. Nicklaus also won his fourth Australian Open all year. The 1975 resulted in Nicklaus six wins, 12 top-5 finishes, and 16 top-10 finishes in 18 official events around the world.

Nicklaus placed first on the PGA Tour money list again in 1976, despite competing in only 16 events, won just two (Tournament of Championship and World Series of Golf) - none of them majors - and played what he called "hang-back -and-golf chairs ". The 1976 Tournament Player Championship saw Nicklaus set a 19-under-par 269 championship record for his second victory in this event which remained in place until 24-under-par 244 attacks by Greg Norman in 1994. He also won the PGA Player of the Year award for the fifth record time. Between 1972 and 1976, the only time he failed to win this award was 1974. The year 1976 also ended officially a streak of 105 successive cuts made on the PGA Tour (ending in the World Open), which started for Nicklaus in 1970. In this row it was second after Byron Nelson had 113 points.

The following year, 1977, also had no majors for Nicklaus, but he reached four top-10 finishes in four events including two seconds and a third of the place finished - this being one shot of the PGA Championship Playoff between Lanny Wadkins and Gene Littler. Despite a brilliant final round of 66 at the Masters, he finished second with two shots to Tom Watson. However, in second place after Watson at the Open Championships in Turnberry create headlines around the world. In a one-on-one battle dubbed "Duel in the Sun," Nicklaus shot 65-66 in the last two rounds, only to be beaten by Watson, who scored 65-65. The event marked the first time 270 was broken in a major championship, and third-place finish Hubert Green scored 279. Nicklaus would then say:

There are people in golf who will argue next month that the last two rounds of the British Open 1977 are the biggest head-to-head golf game ever played. Never existed during the first five hundred years of the game, I am not qualified to talk about such things. What is certain, however, is that it is the most thrilling one-on-one battle of my career.

In 1977, Nicklaus won the 63rd tour, passing Ben Hogan to second place in the career winning list, behind only Sam Snead (the official Hogan PGA Tour career victory total of 64, including the 1953 Open Championship which is considered a retroactive Tour event Official PGA). He also became the first player to garner more than $ 3 million in official PGA Tour earnings. That year also saw Nicklaus win for the first time his own Memorial Tournament, where he described the victory as the most emotional moment of his entire career, and almost decided to retire from competitive golf.

Propose a Ryder Cup modification

During the 1977 Ryder Cup at Royal Lytham & amp; St Annes, Nicklaus approached the British PGA about the urgency to increase the competition level of the contest. This issue was discussed earlier on the same day by past PGAs of American President Henry Poe and UK PGA President Lord Derby. Nicklaus pitched his ideas, adding: "It's important to expand the selection procedure if the Ryder Cup will continue to enjoy the prestige of his past." Changes in team selection procedures have been approved by the descendants of the Samuel Ryder family, along with The PGA of America. The big change is to expand the selection procedure to include players from the European Tournament Division, and "that the European Members are entitled to play on the team." This means that professional players in the European Tournament Division, the pioneer for the European Tour we have today, from continental Europe will be eligible to play in the Ryder Cup.

Achieve a triple grand slam career (1978)

When Nicklaus won the 1978 Open Championship at St. Andrews, he became the only player who won the big championship three times. The record was tied by Tiger Woods when he won the 2008 US Open. Nicklaus and Woods are the only two players to win three "Grand Slam Careers". Nicklaus considers his 1978 Open appearance as the best four days of tee-to-green golf he has ever produced, and is most proud of that victory coming at St. Andrews, his favorite place to play golf. The victory was also the most emotional to date.

Nicklaus won three other tournaments on the PGA Tour in 1978. One of those wins came at Jackie Gleason-Inverrary Classic, where he played the last 36 holes below par and scored five birdies in a row over the final hole in the final round. He also won the third Tournament Players Championship in difficult weather conditions; he has won three of the first five wins of the tournament, and he remains the three-time winner of the championship. He was named Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated . The year 1978 also marked the sixth win and the sixth Australian Open Nicklaus.

A brief deterioration and revision

In 1979, Nicklaus suffered a loss of form and did not win the tournament. This is the first year in his professional career in which he failed to win the PGA Tour event. He has only one finish runner-up, plus tied for second with Ben Crenshaw behind 22-year-old Seve Ballesteros in The Open Championship. He will not win another tournament until June 1980. Previously, Nicklaus won at least one PGA Tour tournament per year (record he shared with Arnold Palmer), and a minimum of two tournaments per year for 17 consecutive years, and this is another PGA Record tour.

During the offseason, Nicklaus discussed two issues that have damaged his appearance. His lifelong teacher, Jack Grout, realized that he had become too upright with full swing, which led to a steep, sloping approach to the ball, compared to a more direct hit; this is corrected with a slightly flatter backswing it. Then Nicklaus short game, never had career power, developed further with the help of Phil Rodgers, a friend for over 20 years, and a previous PGA Tour contender, who has been a good coach. Rodgers stayed for a while at Nicklaus's house while this work was under way.

Winning the fourth US Open, the fifth PGA Championship (1980 )

In 1980, Nicklaus recorded only four top-10 finishes in 14 events, but two of them were record wins in majors (US Open and PGA Championship); the other two are ties for fourth in the Open Championship and finish runner-up in Doral-Eastern Open for Raymond Floyd via chip-in birdie in the second hole of a sudden playoff die. This victory and placement is more than justified the work Nicklaus put in his game during off-season.

Nicklaus set a new scoring record for the 1980 US Open with a 272 aggregate, beating the previous record of 275 from 1967 on the same golf course. The record, temporarily due to being tied by three other players, stood up to Rory McIlroy's 268 in winning the US Open 2011. This is Nicklaus's second big win at the Baltusrol Golf Club. Nicklaus opened with a record 63 in the first round and fought off his playmate from all four rounds, the 1978 Colgate World Match Play Championship winner, Isao Aoki. Entering the final round, Aoki manages to capture Nicklaus after three consecutive rounds of 68, but during the last day, Nicklaus is pulled by two shots. Each player birdies the last two holes for a dramatic finish. Aoki's aggregate amount of 274 is the lowest score for the US Open runner-up. Nicklaus's victory was his fourth and final victory in the championship, tying him up with Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones, and Ben Hogan. Nicklaus called this victory "as far the most emotional and warmest reaction to my victory in my own country".

In the 1980 PGA Championship, Nicklaus scored another record when he won the tournament with seven shots over Andy Bean at Oak Hill Country Club; The victory was largely due to the extraordinary putting. Nicklaus shot even par 70 in the first half. This was followed by three consecutive rounds in the 60s on a difficult pitch, and he was the only player who broke par for 72 holes. For the week, the field averaged 74.60 strokes while Nicklaus averaged 68.50. This is Nicklaus's fifth and final victory in the PGA Championship, which elevates him to record holders for the most stroke-play wins, and who tied him with Walter Hagen for overall victory, as Hagen's victory was during the game-play era. Nicklaus's seven-shot margin remains the largest for the stroke-play version of the championship until Rory McIroy's victory in 2012. This victory also made Nicklaus the only player since Gene Sarazen in 1922 and Ben Hogan in 1948 to win the US Open and PGA Championship on the same year (then equaled by Tiger Woods in 2000).

1981-1985

Between 1981 and 1985, Nicklaus collected seven more top-10 placements in major championships, including three runner-up performances. He won only twice on the PGA Tour during this period, the Colonial National Invasion in 1982 and his own Memorial Tournament in 1984 for the second time, defeating Andy Bean in a sudden playoff death to become the first repeat champion of the tournament.

In 1983, Nicklaus closed the PGA Championship and the World Series of Golf with a brilliant final round in the mid 60s, and went through many players to move into the showdown, but became runner-up in respectively for Player of the Year Hal Sutton and Nick Price, who dominated the tournament from start to finish. Despite not winning the PGA Tour event in 1983, Nicklaus finished 10th on the PGA Tour money list, and passed an important milestone by becoming the first player to reach $ 4 million in career income.

In 1985, Nicklaus came second for Curtis Strange at the Canadian Open, which marked his seventh and final finish in second place in the tournament; this is the record for the show. The seven runners-up finished 21 games - or second place for every three tournaments played - and excluding third place in 1983, a shot out of playoff between John Cook and Johnny Miller.

During a five-year period between 1981 and 1985, the Ryder Cup match gave Nicklaus two bright spots. He completed the competition as a player in style by donating a perfect 4-0-0 record (including 5 & amp; 3 anchor single-match victories over Eamonn Darcy) in 1981, and captained the United States team in 1983 for one- Europe.

Won the Sixth Masters at the age of 46 (1986)

In 1986, Nicklaus ended his main championship career by winning his sixth Masters title in a challenging situation; he scored six under par 30 behind nine for the last round seven under par 65. In the 17th hole, Nicklaus hit his second shot into 18 feet (5.5m) and rolled it up for a birdie; he raised his putter to celebrate and complete the birdie bird eagle track. Nicklaus made a solid par-4 on the 72nd hole, and awaited the next player, some of whom (Tom Kite, Greg Norman) still competed, failed. Nicklaus played ten holes last seven under par, with six birdies and an eagle. At the age of 46, Nicklaus became the oldest Masters winner in history, a record that still survives. On the achievement, sports columnist Thomas Boswell said,

Some things are impossible, because they are too impossible and too perfect. U.S. hockey team. could not defeat Russia at the 1980 Olympics. Jack Nicklaus could not shoot 65 to win the Masters at the age of 46. Nothing else comes directly to mind.

This victory was his 18th major and his last as a professional.

This victory will be the last of his long career on the PGA Tour, and was described at the time by renowned golf historian and author Herbert Warren Wind as "nothing less than the most important achievements in golf since Bobby Jones' Grand Slam in 1930".

Writer Ken Bowden writes after the victory:

There are more beautiful swingers than clubs than Jack Nicklaus. There might be a better batsman than Jack Nicklaus. There's definitely a better short-game exponent than Jack Nicklaus. Another golfer has putted as well as Jack Nicklaus. There may be a dedicated and highly competitive golfer like Jack Nicklaus. But no individual is able to develop, combine, and retain all the complex physical skills and vast mental and emotional resources required by the game at the highest level as well as Jack Nicklaus for as long as he has.

In the 1998 Masters, Nicklaus was 58 when he was tied for sixth place despite being hampered by a painful left hip that continued to grow. Nicklaus' five under par 283 is the lowest 72-hole score on the Masters by players older than fifty.

Over the span of 25 years (1962-1986), Nicklaus won 18 major championships and finished second 18 times (excluding second place finish in 1960 US Open as amateur). He was also placed third nine times and fourth seven times in this range and one stroke from the playoffs on five of those occasions (1963 Open Championship, 1967 PGA Championship, 1975 Open Championship, 1977 PGA Championship, and 1979 Masters Tournament). The total range of 73 top-10 finishes over 39 years (1960-1998) is a record in total and longevity among four major championships and covers his tenure from an amateur through most of his Champions Tour career.

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Senior golf career

Nicklaus became eligible to join the PGA Tour Senior, now known as the PGA Tour Champions, when he was 50 years old in January 1990, at which point he stated, "I am never satisfied, the problem is I want to play like me - and I can not play like me anymore. "He then quickly won his first start on Tour, The Tradition, also the Senior Tour championship. Nicklaus will continue to win three other Traditions - the last two in a row - while the most other people win are two.

Later in the year, Nicklaus won the Senior Player Championship with six shots over Lee Trevino for his second win of the year, as well as his second major this year by firing a record 27 below par 261. The following year, in 1991, Nicklaus won three of five events which he started in, they became Senior US Open in Oakland Hills by firing 65 in a playoff against Chi-Chi RodrÃÆ'guez and his fine round of 69, PGA Senior Championship and Tradition for a second straight year. This is, again, all majors in the senior circuit.

Nicklaus has won all senior majors with the exception of the Senior Open Championship (also known as the Senior British Open). However, he never played on the show until after he was 60 years old, and it was only appointed to the department in 2003. After a triumphant year in 1992, Nicklaus returned to win the US Open for a second time in 1993 with one shot. more than Tom Weiskopf. Also in that year he teamed up with Chi-Chi RodrÃÆ'guez and Raymond Floyd to win the Wendy 3-Tour Challenge for the PGA Tour Senior team.

In 1994, Nicklaus won the Senior PGA Tour version of the Mercedes Championship for his only win of the year. Tradition was his again in 1995, in the year in which he entered the top 10 in all of the seven tournaments he entered. His 100th career victory came the following year, when he won the Tradition for the fourth time, and the second time in succession. He made a double eagle in the final round. Nicklaus closed the last 36 holes with a back-to-back seven under par round 65 to shoot 16-under par 272 and win with three shots over Hale Irwin. It was his last win on the PGA Tour Senior, and the last official victory of his career.

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Close playing career

In 2000, Nicklaus played in his last US Open. He shot 73-82 and missed out on Pebble Beach Golf Links. This is the same tournament in which Tiger Woods won his first Open when he beat the closest competitor by 15 shots. Later in the year, he was paired with Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh in his final PGA Championship just days after the death of his 91-year-old mother, where he missed a one-shot strike. In both tournaments, Nicklaus gave the last-minute heroics by reaching par-5 18 in two shots at the US Open and almost coating his sliced ​​shot for the eagle in the par-5 18th at the PGA Championship.

Nicklaus played without much preparation at the 2005 Masters, a month after the drowning of his 17-month-old grandson Jake (son of his son Steve) on March 1, 2005. In a written statement, Nicklaus said that it is impossible to put into words the destruction his family. Nicklaus then spoke emotionally about the tragedy. He said: "This is a very difficult and difficult time for my whole family.The loss of our 17-month-old grandson, Jake, is devastating." Nicklaus and his son, Steve, play golf as a therapy for their sadness following Jake's death. After days of playing, Steve advised his father to return to The Masters. He made his final appearance in the tournament.

Then in 2005, Nicklaus ended his professional career at the Open Championship at St Andrews on July 15, 2005. At St Andrews, Nicklaus stated:

I am very sentimental and the place gets to me every time I go there. In May I walked and almost no one noticed me. St Andrews is always where I want to finish my main career.

Nicklaus was 65 years old in January of that year, which is the last year he can enter the Open Championship as an excluded player. He played with Luke Donald and Tom Watson in the final round. After hitting his tee shot from the 18th tee in the second half, Nicklaus received a standing ovation ten minutes from the crowd. At the eighteenth fairway, he gave his final farewell to professional golf while standing on the iconic Swilken Bridge. Shortly afterwards, Nicklaus finished his career with a birdie, put a 15 foot birdie on the 18th green. Nicklaus missed a 36-hole cut with a score of 3 (147).

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

On April 8, 2015, Nicklaus hit his first hole-in-one at Augusta National Golf Club at the age of 75 while participating in the Par 3 Master Contest, albeit at Par 3 Course, while playing with Gary Player and Ben Crenshaw. He hit 20 holes-in-one in professional tournament games elsewhere during his career.

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Off-field activity

Golf course design

Nicklaus devotes most of his time to designing a golf course and operates one of the greatest golf design practices in the world. In the mid-1960s, Pete Dye originally sought Nicklaus's opinion in the architectural process of The Golf Club in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio, and input has increased since then. Nicklaus considers the golf course design another aspect of the game that keeps him engaged and offers challenges. His first design, Harbor Town Golf Links, was credited with Dye, opened to play in 1969. Initial design, but more prominently is Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, OH which opened in 1974 and has hosted a Memorial Tournament since its inception in 1976 The course also hosted the 1987 Ryder Cup and the 1998 Solheim Cup match. For the first few years, all of his projects were designs together with Pete Dye or Desmond Muirhead, who were two of the leading golf course architects of the era.

His first solo design, Glen Abbey Golf Course in Oakville, Ontario, was opened for screening in 1976. The course served as the host site for the Canadian Open for many years, the first in 1977. The oldest golf club in the US, Saint Andrew's Golf Club in New York, redesigned by Nicklaus in 1983. In 2000, King & amp; Bear 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 Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin, to commemorate their historic Ryder Cup singles match in 1969.

Nicklaus works with his four sons and his son-in-law through their company, Nicklaus Design. The company has 299 courses open to play by the end of 2005, which is almost 1% of all programs in the world (In 2005 Golf Digest calculated that there are nearly 32,000 golf courses in the world, about half of them in United States of America.). Although most courses designed by Nicklaus are located in the United States, the company has designed golf courses in Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, and Mexico. For 2009, Nicklaus Design has 12 courses at 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.

Posts and media

Nicklaus has written several golf instructional books, an autobiography (My Story ), a book on his golf course design methodology and philosophy, and has produced several golf videos. Writer Ken Bowden often helps him with this work. His book Golf My Way is one of the classic golf instruction of all time, and has been re-published several times since its initial print in 1974. Nicklaus also wrote golf instructional columns for Golf Magazine and to Golf magazine's Digest , with which it is currently linked. He also appeared as a television analyst and commentator with ABC Sports on a golf broadcast. Some of the books have been re-published, sometimes under different titles, and My Story as a special high-quality limited edition for the 2000 Memorial Tournament.

Golf game golf

Between 1988 and 1998, Nicklaus also gave his name to promote the game series of Jack Nicklaus Golf computer developed by Accolade. Some of the golf courses he drafted were incorporated into the fourth incarnation of the Jack Nicklaus 4 game published in 1997. In addition, Jack Nicklaus 6: The Challenge of the Golden Bear by Activision is published on year 1999.

Other interests

Nicklaus continues to manage the Memorial Tournament, which he founded in his native Ohio. The show was played at Muirfield Village, a course he designed with Desmond Muirhead and opened in 1974. The course was officially dedicated to Memorial Day, May 27, 1974, with an exhibition match between Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf. Nicklaus scored six-under par-66, which stood as the course record until 1979. The pioneer for this tournament, Columbus Pro-Am, had last year in 1975, and the Inaugural Memorial Tournament was held the following year. This tournament is one of the prestigious events on the PGA Tour.

Each year, the tournament selects one or more individuals as honors who have made a significant impact on the game. His first tournament in 1976 paid tribute to the late Bobby Jones, while the 25th edition of 2000 honored Nicklaus, himself. This concept is Nicklaus's idea as a contribution to ensuring the greatest individual achievement in the game. Honors are elected by Captain's Club, a group that acts independently of the tournament organization, but also advises on players' invitations and general behavior of the event. Members of the Captain's Club include Peter Alliss, Peggy Kirk Bell, George H.W. Bush, Sean Connery, Arnold Palmer, and Gary Player.

The Memorial Tournament continues the philanthropic focus of the PGA Tour through its relationship with the Central Ohio charity. The most significant is the association with National Children's Hospital since 1976. Contributions generated through the support of more than 2,600 volunteers are distributed annually to Hospital infinite aid funds. These funds help ensure Central Ohio continues to have one of the best children's hospitals in the United States. The Memorial Tournament has raised over $ 5.7 million to support programs and services at Nationwide Children's Hospital in the 30-plus years. In 2005, the Warning made a promise that would increase its grant rate to more than $ 11 million in the coming years. A unique and successful relationship also exists with Fore Hope, James Cancer Hospital, Wolfe Associates, The First Tee, Central Ohio Junior Golf Association, Shriners, Lions Club and more.

Nicklaus and wife Barbara serve as honorary chairman and chairman of the Nicklaus Children Health Foundation Foundation in North Palm Beach, Florida that provides valuable programs and services for more than 4,000 children in their hospital and family, free of charge through the Child Life program, Pediatric Oncology Support, and the Safe Kids program. The Nicklauses founded "The Jake", a pro-am golf tournament played annually at The Bear's Club in Jupiter, Florida to honor their 17-month-old grandchild who drowned in a hot tub in 2005. It has been a foundation fundraiser this.. Players like Robert Allenby, Raymond Floyd, Tom Watson, Ian Baker-Finch, Ernie Els, Jay Haas, Johnny Miller, and Gary Player have participated. No one accepts fees. Everything goes to the foundation, more than $ 3 million over the last three years.

Nicklaus and retired General John Shalikashvili, who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1993 to 1997, served as the seat of honor for the American Lake Veterans Golf Course's capital campaign in Tacoma, WA. The $ 4.5 million campaign in 2009 was set up to complete the only national golf course designed for the rehabilitation of injured and disabled veterans. The existing nine hole courses are operated, maintained and managed by 160 volunteers. Funds are needed to add nine new holes and make other improvements to better accommodate requests from injured veterans wound inflow. The two-day event was held at the Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Desert, CA featuring Nicklaus, who donated design services for "Nicklaus Nine". In announcing his $ 500,000 donation service, Nicklaus said, "I was moved to see a remarkable effort at the American Lake Veterans Golf Course where our wounded soldiers learned to play golf with the help of an extraordinary volunteer army." The money collected during the campaign will be used to build new holes, complete the construction of the Rehabilitation and Learning Center, make improvements to the original holes to improve accessibility, improve maintenance and toilet facilities, and help cover operational costs.

Nicklaus owns Nicklaus Golf Equipment, which he founded in 1992. Nicklaus Golf Equipment produces equipment in three brands: Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus Signature, and Nicklaus Premium. This brand is designed to target golfers at different levels of golfing ability.

He is also known for reaching out to young golfers. One notable example came in 1984, when a Canadian teen golfer who previously met Nicklaus at an exhibition wrote him for career advice. The young golfer was left-handed but played a lefty; although he showed a lot of hope as a left-handed player, he was told that he might be a better player if he switched to a right-handed game. He wrote Nicklaus for advice; Nicklaus immediately replied to tell him not to change if he was comfortable playing left-handed. Canadian youngster Mike Weir decides to keep left-handed, and eventually becomes Masters champion. He still keeps Nicklaus's letter framed at his home.

Nicklaus lends his name and resemblance to a bottle of scented lemonade from Arizona Beverage Company, the same company that sells Arnold Palmer's line of lemonade/iced tea mixes.

In 2010, Nicklaus partnered with Terlato Wines to produce a collection of three Napa Valley grapes: Jack Nicklaus Private Reserve (red mix), Cabernet Sauvignon, and Private Reserve White (white fusion). In 2012, the Golden Bear Reserve, a mixed red Bordeaux style, was released to mark the 50th anniversary of Jack Nicklaus' first major championship win, the 1962 US Open.

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Source of the article : Wikipedia