Jack Nicklaus Majors

Jack William Nicklaus is an American pro golfer who was born on January 21st, 1940, in Columbus, Ohio. The 81-year-old retired professional golfer is one of the greatest golfers of all time. He goes by the nickname Golden Bear. Jack started as an amateur in 1959 and since then has played professionally from the age of 21 years.

Nicklaus’ first Victory at the PGA was the 1962 US Open which he won by an 18-hole playoff against fellow professional Arnold Palmer who is equally regarded as one of the greatest golfers and most charismatic players to have ever played professional golf in the world. When it comes to the most Masters wins ever achieved by a player, Nicklaus holds the record and most golf fans remember this.

Keep on reading to find out more about Jack Nicklaus also known as the Golden Bear and why he is considered to be one of the greatest golfers of all time.

How Many Golf Majors Has Jack Nicklaus Won?

Jack Nicklaus holds the record and has bagged 18 Major Championships during his career, reaching unprecedented heights in the golf world. His 18 victories at the most Majors have been won by any golfer in history. Tiger Woods follows him with 15 Majors. Tiger woods however has the most overall PGA Tour championship wins leading with 82 and Jack Nicklaus comes third at 73.

Jack begun his golfing career as an amateur at the age of 10 and won the Scioto Juvenile Trophy and again at the age of 11. He emerged as the winner of the Ohio Junior State Championship at the age of 12 and won his junior title at the age of 13. This was the Ohio State Junior Title. In 1954, Jack was the Ohio State Junior Crown winner and this run continued until the age of 18 when he joined the PGA.

His most notable wins during his amateur days from his Ohio State Junior title include the First National Tournament of the U.S.G.A. Junior Championship and the Columbus Junior Match-Play Championship. Other titles are the Columbus Junior Championship, Ohio State Junior Crown, Ohio Jaycees, Ohio State Junior, Columbus District Amateur Title, Columbus Junior Championship.

His successful run continued at the age of 16 when he won the Ohio State Open, Ohio State Junior, and Ohio Jaycees. He lost the U.S. National Jaycees Championship that year. Jack qualified for the U.S Open for the first time in 1957 and played in his first PGA Tour event in the following year. At the age of 19, he played in the Trans Mississippi Championships and emerged the overall winner.

His one and only attempt at the British Amateurs was in 1959. He and other Americans triumphed against Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup in 1959 and 1961 respectively. By 1960, he had solidified his position in the Amateurs and won his first major title in the World Amateur Team Championships with 18 shots, eclipsing the earlier record set by Ben Hogan.

1960 was a defining year for Jack because he got married to his sweetheart, Barbara Bash. He won the 1961 US Amateur and Western Amateur Championship titles. He was also the Big Ten Champion and Walker Squad winner. His foray into major championships started in 1962 when he was named the Rookie of the Year.

Jack Nicklaus’ greatest supporter has been his wife Barbara Bash. Jack met Barbara Bash in 1957 and got married to her in 1960. He credits the impact his wife has had on his game on a personal and professional level.

Jack Nicklaus PGA Tour Career and Professional Stats

Jack Nicklaus’ professional wins include five PGA championships, six Masters, four United States Opens, and three British Opens. In addition to the 18 professional Majors are eight wins in the U.S. Senior Professional golf tournaments and two amateur wins.

The Golden Bear managed to lift the Claret Jug three times in the course of his career. The Claret Jug has its origins from Bordeaux, France’s wine-making region where it was originally used to serve wine. The Golf Champion Trophy was fashioned in the similitude of the Claret Jug hence its characteristic claret shape.

The Claret Jug was first presented in 1872 and was officially retired by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club in 1928. Golfers are awarded a replica of the Claret Jug when they win their titles. The golfer who has held the Claret Jug the most is Harry Vardon, who has held it six times.

Major Championship Wins 1962 – 1966

Jack Nicklaus played in the US Open, The Masters Tournament, The PGA Championship, and the Open Championship between 1962 to 1966. All these events were 54 holes. In 1962 in the US Open after reaching the playoff he won with a  two-shot deficit; the runner-up was Arnold Palmer, another golf Legend.

In 1962 he played in four tournaments namely, The Masters, the U.S Open, the British Open, and the PGA Championship. He only won the U.S Open and emerged runner-up in the PGA Championship.

The following year he played in The Masters tournament and won with a one-stroke margin against Tony Lema. The year 1963 was a successful one for Jack Nicklaus because he won the PGA Championship with a two-strokes lead against David Reagan. He tied with Dave Marr in the 1964 Masters whose winner was Arnold Palmer.

Between 1965 and 1966, Jack Nicklaus won his second and third Masters tournament. In 1965, he won by nine strokes. The second runner-up was Arnold Palmer and the third runner-up was Gary Player in the event held at the Augusta National Golf Club. In 1966 he tied for the lead and won the playoff against Tommy Jacobs and Gary Brewer.

The Golden Bear is considered to be one of the greatest players of all times and he has played against some of the greatest players to ever compete in the Majors and Masters.

In 1966 he secured another victory at The Open Championship with a one-stroke victory against Doug Sanders and Dave Thomas. This win for the then 26-year-old Jack Nicklaus was a career Grand Slam that was previously achieved by Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer.

Major Championship Wins 1967 – 1972

Jack Nicklaus won his second US Open by defeating Arnold Palmer with four Strokes in 1967. In 1970 A1 the Open Championship was his second title in a playoff against Doug Sanders. The years 1971 and 1972 were very successful years for the legend.

In 1971 he won his second PGA Championship with a two-strokes lead against Billy Casper. He won his fourth Masters tournament in 1972 by a margin of three strokes. In the same year, he clinched his third US Open with a three-stroke victory against Bruce Crampton, a formidable Australian golfer.

Major Championship Wins 1973 – 1986

Jack Nicklaus first very stiff competition from Bruce Crampton in 1973 but he trumped his opponent with a four-strokes margin to win his third PGA Championship. In 1975, he won his fifth Masters tournament against Tom Weiskopf and Johnny Miller. In the same year 1975, he again crushed Bruce Crampton to win his fourth PGA championship title.

Jack Nicklaus competed in 1978 to win the Open Championship title and did not win any title for the next two years until 1980. He won the Open Championship against another worthy opponent, Raymond Floyd. Raymond Floyd is a fellow inductee together with Jack into the World Golf Hall of Fame and the winner of four Majors and three senior majors.

This was Jack’s final open championship where he defeated four contestants; Simon Owen, Tom Kite, Raymond Floyd, and Ben Crenshaw at St. Andrews, Scotland. He defeated them in a tournament that was commonly known as the British Open Outside the United Kingdom.

In 1980 he won his fifth PGA championship against Andy Bean with a seven-stroke margin. He won his sixth Masters tournament in 1986.

Career Grand Slams

Jack Nicklaus’ illustrious PGA Tour career is full of firsts. He won his third PGA Championship in 1973 at the age of 33 years and broke the record set by Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen in the professional major championships winnings. This golfing legend has three career grand slams. The only other player to have achieved this feat is Tiger woods.

Jack Nicklaus joins the ranks of five professional golfers whose career achievements include a win at least once in their career of the four Majors that is the U.S Open Championship, the Masters Tournament, and the PGA Championship. According to stats, Jack belongs to a handful of players to have achieved this difficult feat.

Pro players who have a career grand slam have won each of the above Majors at least once during their careers. Among the five players who have participated in all the above Majors and won during their careers are Tiger Woods, Gary Player, Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen, and Jack Nicklaus. Jack won the grand slam three times similar to Tiger Woods, who happened to be the youngest contender to win it.

Gary Player became the second player to get a career grand slam in 1965. Ben Hogan was the second player to win a career Grand Slam in 1953 at the Open Championship in Carnoustie which was also golf’s oldest major. The first person to win a Career Grand Slam was Gene Sarazen, who did so in the year 1935.

PGA Championship Tours and Champions Tour Events

Jack Nicklaus PGA Championship wins are unrivaled by many. He has won 18 major championships on the PGA Tour. The Golden Bear cemented his position among golfing greats after being named the Golfer of the Century in the year 1988 by journalists and golfing officials from around the world. Jack Nicklaus has competed in more champions tour events than any other athlete in PGA Tour tournaments.

He has 73 PGA Tour victories from 164 tournaments in his champion’s tour runs. His professional years span from 1962 to 2003

All PGA Championship and PGA Tour Wins (1962 -1986)

Jack Nicklaus won the U.S Open in 1962 at Oakmont Country Club, Pennsylvania in a playoff against Arnold Palmer in a PGA Tour that marked the beginning of his first major championship. This was an 18 hole playoff and marked the beginning of their rivalry. Palmer had held the lead when Bob Rosburg shot a 79 in the final round and fell out of the game. Nicklaus won an 18 hole playoff against the legend.

By the time of his entry into the majors in 1962, Nicklaus had already won the U.S. Amateur twice in 1959 and 1961. His first stab at the U.S. Amateur was in September 1959 at the Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado Springs. He won his second U.S. Amateur win in 1961 at the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California. These were his only U.S. Amateur wins.

In 1962, Jack Nicklaus, still a PGA Tour rookie won the Seattle World’s Fair Open Invitational at Broadmoor Golf Club. Tony Lema was the runners up with two strokes behind Jack Nicklaus. Jack won the Portland Open Invitational in 1962 to secure his third PGA Tour career win.

In 1963, Jack Nicklaus won the Palm Springs Golf Classic, an 18 hole playoff by beating Gary Player, who was eight strokes behind the Golden Bear. He went ahead to win the Masters tournament in 1963. In the final round of this tournament, Jack finished by one stroke ahead of close contender Tony Lema.

Jack Nicklaus won the Tournament of Champions in 1963. In the final round, Tony Lema and Arnold Palmer finished five strokes behind the Golden Bear. This was Jack Nicklaus’ seventh PGA Championship win. The same year saw Jack winning his first PGA Championship when he won with two strokes ahead of Dave Reagan. This was the third record win of his 18 Major championship titles.

He won another PGA Tour event, the Sahara Invitational in 1963 at the Nevada Country Club. He won it four times out of the seven that the event was hosted. Jack Nicklaus made his impact again at the PGA Tour in 1964 at the Phoenix Open in February of the same year. Bob Rue, the runner-up, was three strokes behind Jack Nicklaus, the winner.

Still, in 1964, he finished in the top and won the Tournament of Champions, the Whitemarsh Open Invitational, and Portland Open Invitational. The Golden Bear won the Australian Open in 1964 by scoring a five-under round in the final round of 67 for a round total of 287. This wasn’t his only appearance in the Australian Open.

He played a record 13 times in the Australian Open and won six times. He and Gary Player played a record 13 games between them. Gary Player played the Australian Open seven times. It will be remembered how the Golden Bear set a new course record at the tournament.

In 1965, he was the leader in The Masters, Memphis Open Invitational, Thunderbird Classic, Philadelphia Golf Classic, and Portland Open Invitational.

In 1966, he won The Masters, the British Open, and Sahara Invitational. The 1966 Masters was an 18 hole playoff that earned him his third Green Jacket by defeating Tommy Jacobs and Gay Brewer and became the first player to win two consecutive Masters in a row. In 1967, he won the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am, the U.S. Open, Western Open, Westchester Classic, and Sahara Invitational.

Jack Nicklaus won the Western Open and American Golf Classic in 1968. He won the American Golf Classic that year in a sudden-death playoff against Frank Beard and Lee Elder. Miller Barber lost the Western Open by finishing three strokes behind the Golden Bear.

In 1969, the Golden Bear won the Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational, Sahara Invitational, and Kaiser International Open Invitational.

Jack Nicklaus won Byron Nelson Golf Classic in 1970 by beating Arnold Palmer in a playoff. He went ahead to win the British Open and National Four-Ball Championship by teaming with Arnold Palmer in the same year.

He competed and finished in the top five PGA Tour events in 1971 namely: The PGA Championship, Byron Nelson Golf Classic, Tournament of Champions, National Team Championship teaming with Arnold Palmer, and the Walt Disney World Open Invitational.

The year 1972, was a defining year for Jack Nicklaus, he won a record seven wins in Champion Tour majors: Bing Crosby National Pro-Am, Doral-Eastern Open, The Masters, U.S. Open, Westchester Classic, U.S. Professional Match Play Championship, and the Walt Disney World Open Invitational.

He repeated the same number of wins in his champions tour career wins in 1973 by winning the following: Bing Crosby National Pro-Am, Atlanta Classic, Greater New Orleans Open, Tournament of Champions, PGA Championship, Ohio Kings Island Open, and the Walt Disney World Golf Classic.

Jack Nicklaus failed to secure a major championship once in four years but won two tournaments in 1974; the Hawaiian Open and Tournament Players Championship.

He bounced back in 1975 to win the following: Doral-Eastern Open, the Masters, PGA Championship, World Open Golf Championship, and Sea Pines Heritage Classic.

In 1976, the Golden Bear won the Tournament Players Championship and World Series of Golf. The World Series of Golf became an official PGA Tour event in 1976. Jack had won the event more than a decade earlier before it became an official tour event.

Jack Nicklaus missed the cut at the 1976 World Open. The first time the pro had missed the cut was at the 1970 Sahara Invitational. He finally missed the cut in his final attempt at the Masters in 2005 but birdied an impressive number 16.

In 1977 he won three champions tour tournaments namely: Jackie Gleason-Inverrary Classic, MONY Tournament of Champions, and the Memorial Tournament.

The Golden Bear had a good run in 1978 and won the Jackie Gleason-Inverrary Classic, Tournament Players Championship, British Open, and IVB Philadelphia Golf Classic. In 1980, he won the U.S. Open and PGA Championship.

He won the Colonial National Invitation in 1982 after having not won any golf tournament since 1980. Jack secured the deciding victory with a three strokes victory over Andy North. In 1986 the Golden Bear won the Masters Tournament which also happened to be his record 18th professional major.

PGA Tour Wins

The Golden Bear finished in the top in the 1962 US Open. The two contenders Gary Player and Bob Rosburg shot a 79 in the final round which edged them out of the game. Nichols and Rogers took the third runners-up position and the duel eventually fell between Palmer and Nicklaus. This led to a playoff where Jack Nicklaus won.

Jack topped the money list in 1967 and was named the Professional Golfer of the Year at the annual meeting of The Professional Golfers Association. He had teamed with Palmer to win the World Cup matches in Mexico earlier that week.

Nicklaus finished at the top of the money list in 1972 and won the PGA Player of the Year award. He won seven tournaments in that year’s PGA Tour events. He won the U.S. Open on June 18th of that year.

The Golden Bear won his fourth U.S. Open championship in 1980 against Isao Aoki. The tournament began with Tom Weiskopf and Jack Nicklaus tying at 63 in the first round. However, Tom Weiskopf failed to progress well and finished 37th overall in the tournament. Nicklaus rolled a birdie on the 18th hole to score against Isao Aoki to win his 16th major title championship.

In the same year, he got his fifth PGA Championship as well at the Oak Hill Country club. This was to be his final PGA Championship win and he tied with Walter Hagen for the most overall wins, equaling Hagen’s victories.

How Many Times Was Jack Nicklaus Runner-Up in Majors?

Jack Nicklaus has the most runner-up finishes. The Golden Bear has been touted by many as the greatest of all time in finishing second place not only in majors but in other championships as well. The Golden Bear holds the record of 19 runner-ups in major championship victories. Nicklaus holds the record for having the most top-five finishes, with a total of 56 in major championships.

According to stats, the Golden Bear has a 58-second place or ties and 36 third place or ties. He is among some of the golfers who have tied the most. Arnold Palmer follows Nicklaus with a distant 10-second place win from the Golden Bear’s 58. Tiger Woods has finished second place six times in each of the three Majors that he has played in the U.S.

In 1981 at the Masters Tournament held at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, Jack Nicklaus emerged second after a two-strokes victory by Tom Watson. Tom had won his first green jacket by defeating Jack Nicklaus in 1977 at the Masters in the same venue with a two-strokes margin. Charles Coody beat Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller to win his only Major championship in 1971.

Arnold Palmer won the 1964 Masters Tournament and Jack Nicklaus was the runner-up in that event. He had a total of four runner-up finishes in the Masters. In 1960 at the U.S. Open, the Golden Bear came second to Arnold Palmer when he appeared as an amateur. This is the same year that Palmer won his second Masters.

In 1968, Arthur Ashe won the U.S. Open by becoming the first African-American to achieve a win in a major title. The Golden Bear was the runner-up in that event. Lee Trevino defeated the Golden Bear by a three-stroke victory in an 18-hole playoff to win his second U.S. Open. The event took place in 1971 and Jack Nicklaus went ahead to win the event the following year.

Jack Nicklaus was to show up again at the U.S. Open in 1982 at Pebble Beach Golf Links where he was beaten by Tom Watson. Nicklaus was the runner-up in the Open Championship held in 1964 at the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, against Tony Lema who won it by five strokes ahead of him. Gary Player defeated both Jack Nicklaus and Bob Charles in 1968 to win the Open Championship.

Lee Trevino meets the Golden Bear again in 1972 at the Open Championship where he defeated him with one stroke and ended his bid for the Grand Slam that year. Johnny Miller won the event in 1976 defeating Jack Nicklaus and Seve Ballesteros. To Johnny Miller, this was his second and last Major Championship title.

The Open Championship in 1977 was won by Tom Watson in what was his second of five championship victories for the same title. Nicklaus took second place and finished two strokes behind Tom Watson in what golf fans remember as the “Duel in the Sun”. Seve Ballesteros won the Open Championship in 1979 ahead of the runners-up Jack Nicklaus and Ben Crenshaw.

Bobby Nichols won his Major title at the 1964 PGA Championship with a victory against the runners-up Arnold Palmer and Jack who both finished three strokes behind the winner. The Golden Bear was to again feature as runners-up in 1965 when Dave Marr won the PGA Championship with a two strokes lead in the event.

Jack Nicklaus became runner-up to Lee Trevino for the fourth and final time in 1974 when Lee Trevino won the 1974 PGA Championship at Tanglewood Park, North Carolina. The Golden Bear was the defending champion that year but Lee Trevino secured the win in what was one of his only two PGA championship victories with a one-stroke lead against Jack Nicklaus.

The last time Jack Nicklaus would appear and clinch second place as a runner-up was at the PGA Championship in 1983 at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, California against Hal Sutton in what was Hall Sutton’s only Major title. Sutton won with a one-stroke lead against Jack Nicklaus.

Jack has made appearances at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at the Bay Hill Country and Lodge in Bay Hill, Orlando, Florida. Nicklaus was a runner-up in the tournament in 1982, taking second place and Dennis Watson securing third place.

Has Anyone Ever won all 4 Golf Majors in One Year?

Bobby Jones is the only player to have won all four golf majors in one year. He achieved this feat in the year 1930. Jones secured all four championships in the same year and this was his Grand Slam title which included wins in the Amateur Championship, the Open Championship, the U.S. Open, and the U.S. Amateur.

Tiger Woods came close to this when he held four major titles but not won in the same year. Tiger Woods has only won three major titles in one year. The year 2000 was a record-setting year for the great player Tiger Woods. He won three major championships in a calendar year and came close to equaling the record set by Bobby Jones.

Tiger won the U.S. Open, The Open Championship, and the PGA Championship to become the second player along with Jack Nicklaus to have won three career grand slam titles. The similarity between Bobby Jones and Tiger Woods is that both won 10 majors before they attained the age of 30.

Jack Nicklaus U.S. Open Victories and Ryder Cup Record

Jack Nicklaus has a record of five Ryder Cup wins and a number of record losses at the Ryder Cup as well. He first made his Ryder Cup debut in 1969 where Great Britain’s Tony Jacklin secured a win against the United States represented by Jack Nicklaus in a PGA Tour event that is considered as one of the greatest displays of sportsmanship in the history of golf and other competitive sports.

His first Ryder Cup success with the United States team came in 1971 at Old Warson Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri. Other subsequent Ryder Cup wins were 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1981. His final Ryder Cup appearance was in 1981.

Interesting Facts About Jack Nicklaus

Jack is a true legend in the golfing scene. He literally came, saw, and conquered golf like no other golfing titan ever did. His highly acclaimed career is worth emulating and future golfers and critics alike will pore into his outstanding records and achievements for years to come.

Here are some very interesting facts about the legend himself:

1. In his senior tour, he won a record eight Majors.
2. His record for the most runner-up finishes in Majors is 19.
3. He successfully defended his Masters title in 1966 and became the first player to do so.
4. In 1993 at the age of 53, he was the oldest first-round leader in the Masters.
5. His six Masters wins is a record that still remains unbroken.
6. Jack was the oldest winner of the Masters in 1986, at the age of 46.
7. In 1998, he tied for the Masters at position six and scored the lowest 72-hole score in the Masters.
8. He ranks third behind Sam Snead and Tiger Woods in his 73 career PGA Tour wins.
9. Tiger Woods and himself are the only players to have won the Career Grand Slam three times.
10. He and Tiger Woods together with Ben Hogan, Gary Player, and Gene Sarazen have won Career Grand Slams.
11. Jack did not manage to win the Senior British Open championship.
12. He did not make it past the quarter-finals of the British Amateur in 1959.
13. Jack led after 54 holes 10 times. Out of the 10 times, he came from behind the pack to win eight times.
14. He finished as second runners-up 58 times on the PGA Tour.
15. On the Senior PGA Tour, he won eight times.
16. He became the first four-time winner of the 1964 Masters after winning it by a final round of 70 to win by six strokes.
17. He runs a golf course design company and his first solo design was Glen Abbey Golf Course in Ontario.
18. Jack shares his four-times U.S. Open wins with golf legends Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones, and Willie Anderson.
19. He became the first player to win both the U.S. Amateur and NCAA tournaments in the same year in 1961.
20. He has tied 36 times in third place ties.
21. 21.Jack’s career official tour earnings are above $5 Million.
22. Jack has 118 total victories around the world.
23. He missed the cut in 1957 after playing the first consecutive 44 U.S. Opens.
24. Pebble Beach is his favorite golf course.
25. The first PGA event that he played was in 1958 at the Firestone Country Club.
26. At the Majors, he has 73 top-ten finishes.
27. Jack was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.
28. In 2015, he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
29. He was awarded the Lincoln Medal in 2018.
30. Golf Magazine declared him the Golfer of The Century in 1988.
31. In his first five attempts at the Masters, he won it three times.
32. He reached the 5 million dollar mark career earnings and became the first PGA Tour player to achieve this feat.
33. He passed out every time he went to see his newborn children except when he went to see his fifth and last-born child, Michael.
34. He is the first American to have won the Australian Open six times. No other American has neared his record.
35. Jack won 15 Majors by an average 2.96 stroke margin.
36. He set the record as the only player to have won the U.S. Open in three different decades.
37. In 1967, he won his first Player of the Year award after completing his career grand slam in 1966.
38. There is a museum built in his honor in his hometown in Columbus, Ohio.
39. His business empire includes golf course design, golf academies, books, and other interests.
40. His worst finish at the masters was eighth.
41. Arnold Palmer was his greatest rival for more than fifty years.
42. The Nicklaus Children’s Healthcare Foundation is a charitable organization run by him and his wife.
43. He beat Frank Beard in the finals of the U.S. Professional Match Play tournament to win the Match Play tournament in North Carolina.
44. Jack set the lowest final round record in the Tournament Players with a seven-under score.
45. Time Magazine covered him after his 1962 U.S. Open win.
46. An an amateur, he finished an impressive second in the 1960 U.S Open.
47. At the start of the 1962 U.S. Open, he graduated and got his first professional win.
48. In 1972, he trumped Bob Jones’ 10 career record wins.
49. He qualified for his first U.S. Amateur at the age of 15 after setting the amateur course record at Scioto Country Club.
50. He and Tom Watson famously battled in what is known as the “Duel in the Sun” at the 106th Open at Turnberry.
51. Jack was the first player to win the United States Golf Association titles in more than five separate decades.
52. He married his wife in July 1960.
53. He has designed and co-designed more than 289 golf courses around the world for play.
54. He teamed with Arizona Beverages to produce a line of strawberry lemonades in his name.
55. At the age of 17, he captured the U.S. National Jaycees tournament with also happened to be his first national title.
56. Sports Illustrated named him the best individual male athlete of the 20th Century.
57. He has his image holding the Claret Jug on the back of two million five-pound notes as part of commemoration by the Royal Bank of Scotland. This was an honor only previously bestowed to the Queen and the Queen Mother.
58. He is a best-selling author who has published an instructional golf book, “Golf My Way” which has sold more than two million copies.
59. He was the captain of the Ryder Cup teams he played in and never lost the six times he played with the teams.
60. Jack had never owned any of his green jackets for his six Masters victories. He got one when he noticed that the borrowed one began to fray at the edges.
61. He won the 1961 U.S Amateur, three Bing Crosby National Pro-Ams, and the 1972 U.S Open at his favorite golf course, Pebble Beach Golf Course in Pebble Beach, California.
62. He made his Ryder Cup debut at the age of 29 years.
63. His first Claret Jug win was at The Open tournament at Muirfield.
64. Jack’s long-time caddie was Angelo Argea.
65. The Minority Golf Association named him the Father of the Year in 1999.

How Many Majors is Tiger Woods Behind Jack Nicklaus?

The great Tiger Woods is three Majors behind the record set by Jack Nicklaus on the PGA Tour. Jack Nicklaus remains the quintessential all-time winner to win the Majors and also set a record to become the only player to win a career Grand Slam twice and one has to ask if this has something to do with Tiger Woods WITB

PGA Seniors Championship

Men’s major golf championships are in five categories. Known as the Majors, these prestigious events are renowned in professional golf. They are PGA Championship, US Open, the Open Championship, the Masters Tournament, and the PGA seniors tour. The U.S. Senior Open PGA championship is considered a major championship.

Jack Nicklaus has participated in the U.S Senior Open Players tournament event since the Year 1990 and has played in eight major championships and won 10 of them by the Year 1996. Jack Nicklaus has the most major championships in golf, his all-time wins are 18 Majors. The PGA Seniors Championship is played by golfers who are 50 years and above.

Jack Nicklaus popularized the U.S Senior Open PGA Tour together with the likes of Chi Chi Rodriguez, Gary Player, and Lee Trevino. The year 1990 marked the beginning of his first Senior PGA championship wins that eventually led to eight senior PGA wins in addition to his earlier career victories.

The tournament was founded in 1957 and is the oldest seniors golf tournament in Europe. Most of the event has always been over 54 holes but was reduced to 54 holes in 2012 due to harsh weather. The Golden Bear has won five Senior Major Championships out of the eight Senior Major Championships he has appeared in and played.

When he reached the age of 50, Jack Nicklaus moved to the Senior tournament players’ championship and won 10 champions tour career wins. He won the Tradition at Desert Mountain and the Mazda Senior Tournament Players Championship. In 1991, he won the Tradition Desert Mountain tournament again together with the PGA Seniors’ Championship and the U.S. Senior Open.

He won the U.S. Senior Open again in 1993 and secured the Mercedes Championship in 1994. He again won the Tradition in 1995 and ended his two career wins in 1996 with a victory at the GTE Suncoast Classic and the Tradition. During the time he played at the Senior PGA Championship, he had a very limited tour schedule.

In 1998, Nicklaus captained the U.S Presidents Cup team for the first time and won decisively against their international competitor at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Victoria, Australia. This was the third competition of its kind held outside the U.S and steered by Nicklaus who was a non-playing captain. He finished with a T-6 at Masters in 1998 at the age of 58 years.

Jack’s favorite golfing destination was Pebble Beach. In the year 2000, he played in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and his final PGA tournament at Valhalla Golf Course in Louisville, Kentucky. The results of the U.S Open at the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach California was a record-setting win with none other than Tiger Woods over Miguel Angel Jimenez and Ernie Els.

Jack was one of the prominent golfers who were present in that event that coincidentally happened to be his final appearance at the U.S. Open. Other distinguished golfers present at the tournament included David Duval and the big Fijian Vijay Singh. Jack missed the cut in this event at Pebble Beach.

The event was marred by foggy conditions but Tiger Woods soldiered on and extended the lead in spite of the unfavorable weather conditions in the second round. Tiger Woods concluded the final round by finishing with 12 strokes under par in what made him the first player to finish a U.S. Open with double digits under par thereby setting a new record not previously set in the course.

Jack bid his fans farewell in the year 2005 when he played his final Masters and final Open at St. Andrews, Scotland. Jack was 65 years at the time. Nicklaus had won this course twice in his career and was playing in very familiar territory. Tiger Woods however secured his second Open championship win with a 19-under par record.

Nicklaus led the U.S Presidents Cup team at the Robert Trent Jones Club in Virginia to win the competition for the U.S team to the delight of the honorary chairman, retired former U.S president, George H.W. Bush. The team was steered by Jack and Jeff Sluman who both was the non-playing captain and assistant captain respectively.

Jack Nicklaus is a Golf Digest playing editor and an occasional writer for the magazine. He can be found commentating on some of the strategies through which he finished in the top-10 and attained victories many times before in his illustrious career. Included in his articles are tips about how to play in various golf courses.

Jack has a tournament in his honor called the Memorial Tournament. The name Memorial Tournament stems from Nicklaus’ desire to honor golf legends both living and departed and to support charities and other worthy causes. The Memorial Tournament was founded in 1976 and its inaugural winner was Roger Maltbie. At ProshotCBD We Love Golf and Jack Nicklaus, we salut you! What a legend!