Jack "The Golden Bear" Nicklaus (18 Time Professional Major Champion)

[BigJim]

Great quote:

Jack Nicklaus and Barbara and 50th wedding anniversary - Shag Bag Golf Blog | Golf Channel

In his book, ?Jack Nicklaus: My Story,? Nicklaus said this about why the marriage works so well: ?Both of us come from uncomplicated, hard working, down-to-earth, closely bonded Midwestern families. As a result, despite the millions of miles we travel, the glitzy places we visit, the famous people we know, and the many material comforts that grow from a successful career, we are both at heart still pretty simple-living homebodies who get their greatest joys and satisfactions from within the family unit. The `other lives,? the external lives, are fun for both of us in short takes, but we are most comfortable and content in our own tightly knit, informal, unpretentious, at-home normal world with our children and grandchildren at the center.?

 

[Buckskin86]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfhlsAmH6ic]YouTube - ‪Jack Nicklaus Sinks 100-Foot Putt‬‎[/ame]

 

[BuckTwenty]

The Golden One still has it!

 

[Buckskin86]

Jack is no. 18....

Local hero Nicklaus first flashed future elite level at Ohio State
BY DAN MCGRATH

He played only two years of varsity golf at Ohio State, but during that time, Jack Nicklaus offered enticing hints of what he eventually would become: the greatest player in the history of his game.

During one stretch of his storied amateur career, Nicklaus entered 30 tournaments and won 29 of them, including the 1961 Big Ten (by 16 shots) and NCAA championships for the Buckeyes. He was the first player to win the NCAA individual championship and the U.S. Amateur in the same year, a feat later matched by Phil Mickelson (1990), Tiger Woods (1996) and Ryan Moore (2004).

Nicklaus was 19 when he rolled in a nine-foot birdie putt to beat Charlie Coe on the 36th hole of the 1959 U.S. Amateur, becoming that tournament?s youngest champion in 50 years.

In 1960, Nicklaus, a sophomore, finished second by two shots to Arnold Palmer at the U.S. Open; his 282 score was a record low for an amateur. When he won the U.S. Amateur for a second time in 1961, there were no amateur worlds left to conquer. So he turned pro, and it?s no exaggeration to say Nicklaus revolutionized golf, setting records that might never be approached, let alone broken.

?He plays a game with which I am not familiar,? Bobby Jones, one of golf?s true luminaries, observed while watching Nicklaus win the 1965 Masters.

Nicklaus won 115 tournaments worldwide, including 18 majors: six Masters, four U.S. Opens, three British Opens and five PGA Championships, along with those two U.S. Amateur championships. But even as he was establishing himself as one of his era?s most dominant pro athletes, Columbus-born Jack Nicklaus never lost touch with his OSU roots.

?Since I was a kid growing up, my intention was to go to Ohio State,? he said. ?I had a lot of schools around the country talk to me about playing golf, but I told them not to bother---I was going to Ohio State.

?I have a special fondness for collegiate golf, and my experience at Ohio State is something I?ll always cherish.?

1961

Nicklaus became the first player to win the individual title at the NCAA Championship and the U.S. Amateur crown in the same year.
June 1961

Nicklaus tied for fourth at the U.S. Open, finishing just three shots behind champion Gene Littler.
June 16-18, 1960

At the 1960 U.S. Open, Nicklaus finished second, to Arnold Palmer, and carded the lowest score (282) ever shot by an amateur at the prestigious event.
1960

At the Eisenhower Trophy, Nicklaus led the United States to victory, winning the individual title by 13 strokes.
1959, 1961

Nicklaus won the U.S. Amateur Championship, the first time defeating two-time winner and defending champion Charles Cole to become the then-youngest victor.
1959, 1961

Nicklaus twice helped the United States beat Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup, easily winning both of his matches in each contest.
1959-1961

Nicklaus was named the world's top amateur golfer by Golf Digest Magazine for three straight seasons.

http://www.bigtenicons.com/openlocker.cfm?id=18&name=JACK-NICKLAUS

 

[cjmik_75]

Jack will always be number one in my book. His amateur and professional wins are astounding. I'm shocked he's only #18 and not atleast top 5 on this "icons" list. JMHO

Jack, you are the greatest golfer of all-time and you're a gentleman in every sense of the word.

Thanks for representing The Ohio State University with such class and character!
:osu:

 

[Buckeye Maniac]

Bull...He should be top 5 easily.

 

[fourteenandoh]

Jack will always be number one in my book. His amateur and professional wins are astounding. I'm shocked he's only #18 and not atleast top 5 on this "icons" list. JMHO

Jack, you are the greatest golfer of all-time and you're a gentleman in every sense of the word.

Thanks for representing The Ohio State University with such class and character!
:osu:

agreed. i think maybe they were going for a bit of symbolism giving him #18 though?

 

[buckiprof]

agreed. i think maybe they were going for a bit of symbolism giving him #18 though?

If that really is the reason why is at #18, then whoever was on the committee to come up with this list should be terminated immediately. That would be an absolutely ludicrous reason if true.

The top 5, hell the top 10, must be pretty special to not include the greatest golfer of all time.

 

[Jagdaddy]

If that really is the reason why is at #18, then whoever was on the committee to come up with this list should be terminated immediately. That would be an absolutely ludicrous reason if true.

The top 5, hell the top 10, must be pretty special to not include the greatest golfer of all time.

Might just be a function of his biggest accomplishments being professional and the relatively low profile of college golf. On the bright side, I've got to think that Jesse Owens will be #1 and that both Archie Griffin and Jerry Lucas will be very high on the list as well. Katie Smith should make the list IMO, but in no way should she be ahead of Jack so I'm guessing she got dissed.

 

[LitlBuck]

Jack was also a very good high school catcher (All Ohio) and probably could have played baseball at a very high level in college also.

I have not looked at the entire list but from what I have seen the list is a joke just like espin's list last year or the year before regarding the greatest football player.

Saying that, not seeing who is #1-#17 it is hard to say that #18 is not appropriate for Jack. I looked at the list and I don't know if they are basing their list on how guys performed just in college or after college also. Are they going to include coaches Also, I did not see Jesse Owens listed but maybe I did not go back far enough that it sees any further back than some other guys on this list this list is a joke.

Perhaps someone should start a thread on Big 10 Icons so that we can hammer the bad predictions yet to come.

 

[bassbuckeye07]

The top three Icons in the Big Ten are all Buckeyes.... Jesse, Jack and Archie..... notice a last name does not need to be used to know who they are....

 

[LitlBuck]

The top three Icons in the Big Ten are all Buckeyes.... Jesse, Jack and Archie..... notice a last name does not need to be used to know who they are....

In basketball circles, we know a guy named Jerry:)

 

[BB73]

Jack was also a very good high school catcher (All Ohio) and probably could have played baseball at a very high level in college also.

I have not looked at the entire list but from what I have seen the list is a joke just like espin's list last year or the year before regarding the greatest football player.

Saying that, not seeing who is #1-#17 it is hard to say that #18 is not appropriate for Jack. I looked at the list and I don't know if they are basing their list on how guys performed just in college or after college also. Are they going to include coaches Also, I did not see Jesse Owens listed but maybe I did not go back far enough that it sees any further back than some other guys on this list this list is a joke.

Perhaps someone should start a thread on Big 10 Icons so that we can hammer the bad predictions yet to come.

We've had the thread for quite a while.

BP.Big.Ten.Icons

 

[BB73]

Just a reminder that the BTN show on Jack as a Big Ten Icon is at 9 pm ET tonight.

For discussion of which icons should be which numbers, please use the thread linked in the previous post.

 

[Wingate1217]

Might just be a function of his biggest accomplishments being professional and the relatively low profile of college golf. On the bright side, I've got to think that Jesse Owens will be #1 and that both Archie Griffin and Jerry Lucas will be very high on the list as well. Katie Smith should make the list IMO, but in no way should she be ahead of Jack so I'm guessing she got dissed.

I believe he won the NCAA title (once) and the US Amateur twice while he was in college, not to mention 2nd in the US Open in 1960....