Jack Nicklaus
By admin | July 9, 2008
Before Tiger Woods came along to re-define what golf dominance is all about, the man who used to stand head and shoulders over everybody else in the world of golf was Jack Nicklaus. They called him “The Golden Bear” and his shadow loomed large over professional golf, specifically on the PGA Toiur for over two decades, from the sixties to the late-eighties. After retiring from the Tour, he then lorded it over the Champions Tour for retired golf pros, from the late-eighties to the nineties. Woods may be closing the gap fast but, for now, the Golden Bear is still widely regarded as the greatest golfer of all time.
Born in Ohio, Nicklaus attended public schools as a young child and had to overcome a mild case of polio. He started playing golf at the age of 10 and shot a score of 51 for his first nine holes, which is phenomenal for a first timer, whether adult of child. He won the Ohio Junior State title at age 12 and went on to win the same title five more times. He won the US Amateur title twice and an NCAA Championship once while he was still a student at Ohio State University.
He made his pro debut in 1962 and went on to win 18 major tournaments (three British Open Championships, four U.S. Opens, five PGA Championships, and six Masters) a record that still holds to this day, despite the recent assault of Tiger Woods on the record books. Nicklaus is only one of five golfers to win all four majors golf tournaments in their career (the “Career Grand Slam” as it is known). He is only one of two golfers (the other being Tiger Woods) who has won all four major tournaments more than once. However, he stands alone as the lone golfer to ever win all four major tournaments at least three times. Nicklaus also owns the distinction of being the oldest player to ever win The Masters which he set in 1986 at the age of 46. Overall, Nicklaus won 46 top-3 finishes in major tournaments (including 19 second-place finishes and nine third-places), 56 top-5 finishes, and 73 top-10 finishes.
Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Golf, Fitness, and Sports
Tags: Games, golf, Jack Nicklaus, PGA championships, SportsJack Nicklaus - His Career Achievements
By admin | June 28, 2008
Jack Nicklaus was born on 21st January 1940 in Columbus, Ohio. His competitive career spans five decades and he has been named “Golfer Of The Century” or “Golfer Of The Millenium” by almost every major golfing publication in the world.
Success came early to Nicklaus when he carded 51 in the first nine holes he ever played and won the Scioto Club Juvenile Trophy at the age of ten. At the age of twelve he won the Ohio State Junior Championship and continued to win this tournament for the following five years from 1952 to 1956. Aged seventeen he qualified for the US Open for the first time and at the age of twenty he came runner-up to Arnold Palmer in the US Open by two strokes and in the process established a record 282 for an amateur entry.
Since joining the PGA Tour in 1962 he has established himself as the most successful golfer ever. His impressive array of Professional Titles include 6 Masters (1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986), 5 PGA Championships (1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1980), 4 US Open Titles (1962, 1967, 1972, 1980) and 3 British Opens (1966, 1970, 1978). He won on his debut in the US Senior Tour (over-50) in 1990 and continued to win the title. He is the only player in history to have won each of the games majors at least twice and is the only player to have completed the career “Grand Slam” on both the regular and senior tours.
Arguably his finest hour in golf came in 1986 when he won the Masters by playing the last 10 holes in seven under par. He was then aged 46 and regarded by many as “past it”. In summary his major championship statistics comprise of 20 wins, 19 second place and 9 third place which is a truly remarkable career history.
Jack Nicklaus has also enjoyed huge success as a Golf Course Architect and has gained a number of honours in this field including: Architect of the Year 1993 (Golf World), Environmental Recognition Awards 1996 (John James Audubon-Links Magazine), Environmental Leaders in Golf Award 1998 (Golf Digest), ING Achievement in Golf Course Design 2000-2001 (International Network of Golf), Donald Rossi Award 2001 (Golf Course Builders Association of America) and the Donald Ross Award 2001 (American Society of Golf Course Architects). He has been involved in the design of 243 courses worldwide, some of the highest calibre including Muirfield Village and Glen Abbey. His business “Nicklaus Design” has 294 courses open for play around the world.
Jack Nicklaus played his 38th and final British Open in 2005 and to commemorate his incredible career achievements the Royal Bank Of Scotland issued a
Tags: bio, golf, great sportsmen, Jack Nicklaus, pga golf, sporting legends, successful golfersThe Legendary Jack Nicklaus
By admin | May 19, 2008
The general consensus seems to be that, at the rate he is going, Tiger Woods is destined to be the greatest golfer of all time before his career is over. That may be true. But he has a ways to go before he can catch the current holder of that title, “The Golden Bear” Jack Nicklaus.
Nicklaus has been a dominant force in golf for four decades, first on the PGA Tour from the 1960s to the mid-to-late 1980s, then on the Champions Tour from the late 1980s to the 1990s. His name is forever linked to that of another great golfer, Arnold Palmer, because together, they ushered in the renaissance of golf. The Palmer-Nicklaus rivalry was so compelling that it made golf a popular TV sport for the first time and spurred interest in the game all across America.
Born in Columbus, Ohio, Nicklaus took up golf at the age of ten and shot a remarkable 51 for his first nine holes. He was breaking 70 by the time he was 13 and he had already won his first championship by then. At the age of 12, Nicklaus won the first of six Ohio State Junior titles. As a student at Ohio State University, Nicklaus won the U.S. Amateur title twice (1959, 1961), an NCAA Championship (1961) and nearly won the US Open (1960), finishing second by two strokes to Palmer, who won the tournament with a final round 65.
In 1962, Nicklaus turned pro and compiled an astounding record of 18 wins in major tournaments (three Open Championships, four U.S. Opens, five PGA Championships, and six Masters) that is still unmatched. He is one of only five golfers to win all four golf majors (the “Career Grand Slam”). He was the first player to have won all four majors more than once, with Tiger Woods as the only other player to achieve that feat. Nicklaus is still the only golfer to have won all four majors at least three times. Even in the twilight to his career, at age 46, Nicklaus won The Masters in 1986 to become the oldest player to ever win the tournament. Overall, in major golf tournaments, Nicklaus has finished in the “top three” 48 times (including 19 second-place finishes and nine third-places), finished in the “top five” 56 times, and finished in the “top 10″ 73 times.
Tiger may one day be the greatest of them all, but for now, only Nicklaus has passed the toughest test of all -the test of time.
Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Golf, Sports, and Recreation
Tags: golf, Jack Nicklaus, PGA championships