“The Golden Bear” doesn’t need much of an introduction to anyone familiar with the game of golf. Many have considered him the greatest to have ever played the game. He is very simply, the most decorated golfer of all time. After joining the professional ranks in 1962 he amassed an impressive 73 PGA titles, including 18 major championships. If it weren’t for a certain player named Woods we could only dream of someone with such dominance in our era.
Jack began his career with a lofty goal and a worthy opponent. “Jones is the greatest golfer who ever lived and probably ever will live,” said Nicklaus in 1960. “That’s my goal. Bobby Jones. It’s the only goal.” And that is what he became, a Bobby Jones. The greatest of his era.
When Nicklaus burst on to the scene in 1962 Arnold Palmer was the crowd favorite. Hordes of “Arnie’s Army” followed their hero like teens at a rock concert. Much to the chagrin of Palmer’s faithful, Nicklaus didn’t defer to the crowd favorite. After losing the U.S. Open to Nicklaus in a playoff in 1962, Palmer said, “Now that the big guy’s out of the cage, everybody better run for cover.” And with that Nicklaus was the new man to beat.
Nicklaus was a fierce competitor with unrelenting determination. His ability to block out unnecessary noise and focus on the task at hand was one of his best assets. His fellow competitors were well aware of Jack’s intensity and capabilities. Tom Weiskopf once said, “Jack knew he was going to beat you. You knew Jack was going to beat you. And Jack knew that you knew that he was going to beat you.” He played with purpose and unmatched skill in his day.
Major championships are the most important tournaments for many reasons. They are played on some of the best and most difficult courses in the world and the best players in the world gather at the Majors. Only five players in history have won all four Major championships and Nicklaus is the only player to have won all four Majors on multiple occasions. He amassed a record 3 career grand slams. When it came to Major Championships, Jack lapped the competition.
Jack won the Masters a record six times. “The Masters and Augusta National are and always have been very special to me,” said Nicklaus. “From the first time I drove up Magnolia Lane at age 19, I had a special feeling about Augusta. Even today, I get chills driving up Magnolia Lane.” He has reason to love it because of the great success he found there. His last win on the PGA Tour came at Augusta National in 1986 when he became the oldest player to have won The Masters. His six victories at the Masters is another of his amazing accomplishments.
As for Nicklaus’ technique, he relied on fade for the bulk of his career. He set up to the ball with a slightly open stance and faded the ball into the target. His first book, “Golf My Way” explains his reasoning:
There is a tactical as well as a technical reason why the intelligent golfer rarely, if ever, tries to hit the ball dead strait. You aim 10 feet left of the hole. If you hit the ball straight you will have a 10-foot putt. If you slice the ball 20 feet you’ll still only have a 10-foot putt. This is percentage golf, a part of golf in which mind must rule muscles.
When you fade the ball, as Jack did for much of his career, it settles down without as much roll. This is invaluable when trying to stick greens from near and far. Only after playing for several years did he gain the ability to conjure a fade and a draw at will. It was his “power fade,” along with his unmatched putting stroke that delivered such success throughout his career.
Among the books that Sean O’Hair read before his victory last week at the John Deere Classic was “Golf My Way” by Jack Nicklaus. He kept some of the thoughts that Jack had penned years ago as his guiding swing thoughts.
Nicklaus followed in Bobby Jones’ footsteps as a course architect. Jack’s company, Nicklaus Design, has had it’s hand designing over 200 courses nationwide and in 31 different countries. Among his most famous designs is Muirfield Village, named for a course found in Muirfield, Scotland where Jack won one of his British Opens. Muirfield Village is home to Jack’s Memorial Tournament, where so many great players converge every year on the PGA Tour. It was Jack’s passion to create a tournament like The Masters at Jones’ Augusta National. There is some question as to whether his vision will survive in coming years.
Not many people can say they have their own personal museum. Ohio State University is the home to the Jack Nicklaus Museum where one can find memorabilia relating to Jack’s life and career.
Bobby Jones said of Nicklaus’ at the 1965 Masters, “Nicklaus played a game with which I am not familiar.” Nicklaus’ has taken the role of Jones once again as golf has continued to change since he dominated the PGA Tour. Nicklaus’ outspoken ideas on equipment are center stage in the current debate on direction for the future of the game. A Quick Nine With ‘The Ball Jack Wants You To Play’, The Distance Debate: Which Side are They On?, and Norman, Nicklaus, and Watson on the Ball are recent entries at The Sand Trap covering Jack’s views on how modern equipment is ruining the game. He may be guilty of being the pot who called the kettle black in this regard. He once said:
I guess it could be said my legacy might be that I changed an era. I came along during an era where the game of golf was more of a stylish game, and I added power to the game. I was probably the first player that played with real power and was successful. And I was able to play with finesse as well. If you look at today’s player, they all play with power. So I think I took the game in a different direction.
Nicklaus’ foundation for success had to be family. After marrying at age 20, he and Barbara build a relationship that stood the test of time. Jack had determined that golf wouldn’t get in the way of his role as a father and husband. Barbara said that after their first son Jacky had been born, he committed to never be gone for more than two weeks at a time. Jack said, “I refuse to have my kids go off to college and say, ‘Gee, I wish I had known my dad.'”
Barbara said, “He was so committed to the family, to all of us. He gives me a lot of credit but it was because of him that I think we both were a good team.” While Jack Nicklaus will be remembered for his assault on the record books, perhaps his greatest legacy is the one that he left his family.
Jack and Barbara have had an excellent relationship through the years. “I was one of the lucky guys,” Jack once said. “Most guys don’t find the right girl or don’t have the right relationship.” His sister Marilyn Hutchinson said of her brother and sister-in-law, “I think Barbara and Jack have an incredible relationship. They are not only husband and wife but they are best friends and I don’t think you can ever ask for anything more than that.”
This year’s British Open at St. Andrews is another of Jack’s low-key farewells. He wanted to avoid playing exhibition golf and go out as a competitor. It was his competitive spirit that enabled him to join the likes of Bobby Jones as a legend in golf. And that is how we’ll remember him.
Photo Credits: © Walter Iooss Jr./SI, Augusta.Com.