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Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940 in
Columbus, Ohio), also known as "The Golden Bear",
was a major force in professional golf from the
1960s to the mid 1990s, and is regarded as the
greatest golfer of all time.

Together with Arnold Palmer, he is credited with
turning golf into the major spectator sport it has
become. While Palmer brought golf into the TV era,
it was the developing Nicklaus-Palmer rivalry that
drove subsequent interest.

==Career Highlights==
Nicklaus took up golf at the age of ten, shooting
51 for his first nine holes. He won the first of
six Ohio State Junior titles at the age of twelve.
While attending Ohio State University he won the
U.S. Amateur title twice (1959, 1961) and an NCAA
Championship (1961).

Nicklaus began his professional career in 1962 and
his record of eighteen wins in majors|major
tournaments is as yet unmatched: three The Open
Championship|Open Championships, four US Open
(golf)|U.S. Opens, five PGA Championships, and six
The Masters Tournament|Masters. He is one of only
five golfers to win all four current majors in a
career, and the first of only two (the other being
Tiger Woods) to have won all four majors more than
once. In 1986, he became the oldest player to ever
win The Masters. In all, he had 48 top-3 finishes
in majors, including 19 second places and nine
thirds, 56 top-5 finishes and 73 top-10 finishes. 

Nicklaus's six wins at the Masters came in 1963,
1965, 1966, 1972, 1975 and 1986. His win tally is
a record and he was also runner-up four times. In
the 1970s he finished in the top ten every year.
He appeared in the event 45 times and made the cut
37 times.In 1998, at the age of 58 he finished an
impressive sixth.

He won the U.S. Open in 1962, 1967, 1972 and 1980,
and is tied with Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones
(golfer)|Bobby Jones and Willie Anderson for most
wins. He is the only player to win the title in
three different decades, and also had four
runner-up finishes in his 42 appearances. He made
the cut 35 times.

Nicklaus won the British Open in 1966, 1970, 1978,
and was runner-up seven times. He made the cut in
32 out of 38 appearances, and from 1966 to 1980 he
never finished worse than sixth. 

His five wins at the PGA Championship came in
1963, 1971, 1973, 1975 and 1980. He is tied with
Walter Hagen for most wins. He made the cut 27
times in 37 finishes and was runner-up four times.
His 1971 victory made him the first player to win
the career Grand Slam twice, an achievement which
was matched by Tiger Woods at the 2005 British
Open. 

Nicklaus also won the prestigious The PLAYERS
Championship|Players Championship three times. He
won events around the globe, including six
Australian Open (golf)|Australian Opens (1964,
1968, 1971, 1975, 1976 and 1978). 

He is second to Sam Snead on the all-time chart of
players with Golfers with most PGA Tour wins|most
PGA Tour wins, having accumulated seventy-three
titles. In seventeen consecutive seasons from 1962
to 1978 he always won at least one PGA Tour title
and always finished in the top ten on the money
list.  He topped the PGA Tour money list eight
times: 1964, 1965, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975,
1976.

In 1996, Nicklaus was the first person in the
history of the PGA to win the same Senior PGA Tour
(now the Champions Tour) event four times.  He is
the only person in the history of the PGA to win
all of the major championships on both the PGA
TOUR and Champions Tour. (Although he never won
the Senior British Open Championship|Senior
British Open, it was not recognized as a major in
the United States until 2003, after he had stopped
playing the Champions Tour.) He never played a
full schedule on the Champions Tour, but he won
ten Champions Tour events, including eight senior
majors|majors.

In 1978, he received Sports Illustrated magazine's
"Sportsman of the Year" award. In 1980 he was
awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year
Overseas Personality Award. 

In July 2005, the Royal Bank of Scotland announced
that Nicklaus's image would be printed on a
special issue of two million £5 notes. Apart from
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|HM The Queen
and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon|HM The Queen Mother, he
is the first living person to be featured on a
Scottish British banknotes|banknote
http://www.rbs.com/media03.asp?id=MEDIA_CENTRE/PRE
SS_RELEASES/2005/JULY/12_NOTE.

Jack Nicklaus had an unusual combination of being
one of the greatest putters of all time as well as
the longest hitter on the tour during his prime. 
He popularized the "power fade" which was his
characteristic ball flight.

==Current career==

Nicklaus turned 65 in January 2005, which is the
last year that he will be joining a PGA tournament
as an exempt player. He announced that he would
retire from tournament golf in 2005 at The Open
Championship at The Old Course at St Andrews. The
very fact that the 2005 Open was scheduled at The
Old Course can be seen as a tribute to Nicklaus.
Several years earlier, the organizers of The Open,
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews
(R&A), had scheduled the 2006 Open for The Old
Course. However, aware that Nicklaus' exemption to
play in The Open would run out after the 2005
Open, The R&A moved The Old Course up in the
rotation one year to give Nicklaus an opportunity
to play his last Open there.

He is currently a leading golf course architect,
in partnership with his sons and son-in-law
through Nicklaus Design, and is personally
responsible for well over 200 golf course designs.
 These include several of the world's leading
courses, such as Muirfield Village, Shoal Creek,
Castle Pines and the PGA Centenary Course at the
Gleneagles Hotel.

Nicklaus also continues to manage the Memorial
Tournament|Memorial Golf Tournament he created in
his home state of Ohio, which is played on a
course he designed and is one of the more
prestigious events on the PGA Tour|PGA TOUR. His
other interests are varied and many, and include a
golf equipment company and golf academies. There
is a Jack Nicklaus Museum on the campus of Ohio
State University in his home town of Columbus,
Ohio. http://www.nicklausmuseum.org/

==Final Tournament==

Nicklaus played without much preparation in April
2005 at The Masters, a month after the drowning
death of his 17-month-old grandson Jake (child of
his son, Steve) on March 1, 2005.  He and Steve
played golf as therapy for their grief following
the death. After days of playing, it was Steve who
suggested his dad return to The Masters. He made
that his last appearance in the tournament.


Nicklaus finished his career at Old Course at St
Andrews|St. Andrews on July 15, 2005. He played
with Luke Donald and Tom Watson (golfer)|Tom
Watson in his final round. On the 18th hole,
Nicklaus finished his career with a bang by
putting a birdie. He finished the round at even
par and missed the cut at score of +3. After
hitting the final tee-shot of his career, he
strolled to the Swilcan bridge on the 18th and
waved to the crowd before posing for commemorative
photographs with his son and caddy, Steve, as well
as Donald and Watson.

==PGA Tour wins==
*1962 U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open, Seattle World's
Fair Open Invitational, Portland Open Invitational
*1963 Palm Springs Golf Classic, The Masters
Tournament|The Masters, Mercedes
Championships|Tournament of Champions, PGA
Championship, Sahara Invitational
*1964 Phoenix Open|Phoenix Open Invitational,
Mercedes Championships|Tournament of Champions,
Whitemarsh Open Invitational, Portland Open
Invitational
*1965 The Masters Tournament|The Masters, FedEx
St. Jude Classic|Memphis Open Invitational,
Thunderbird Classic, Philadelphia Golf Classic,
Portland Open Invitational
*1966 The Masters Tournament|The Masters, The Open
Championship, Sahara Invitational  
*1967 AT&T Pro-Am|Bing Crosby National Pro-Am,
U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open, Western Open,
Westchester Classic, Sahara Invitational
*1968 Western Open, American Golf Classic
*1969 Buick Invitational|Andy Williams-San Diego
Open, Sahara Invitational, Kaiser International
Open Invitational
*1970 EDS Byron Nelson Championship|Byron Nelson
Golf Classic, The Open Championship, National
Four-Ball Championship
*1971 PGA Championship, Mercedes
Championships|Tournament of Champions, EDS Byron
Nelson Championship|Byron Nelson Golf Classic,
National Team Championship, Walt Disney World Open
Invitational
*1972 AT&T Pro-Am|Bing Crosby National Pro-Am,
Ford Championship at Doral|Doral-Eastern Open, The
Masters Tournament|The Masters, U.S. Open
(golf)|U.S. Open, Westchester Classic, U.S.
Professional Match Play Championship, Walt Disney
World Open Invitational
*1973 AT&T Pro-Am|Bing Crosby National Pro-Am,
Greater New Orleans Open, Mercedes
Championships|Tournament of Champions, Atlanta
Classic, PGA Championship, Ohio Kings Island Open,
Walt Disney World Golf Classic
*1974 Hawaiian Open, The PLAYERS
Championship|Tournament Players Championship
*1975 Ford Championship at Doral|Doral-Eastern
Open, Sea Pines Heritage Classic, The Masters
Tournament|The Masters, PGA Championship, World
Open Golf Championship
*1976 The PLAYERS Championship|Tournament Players
Championship, WGC-NEC Invitational|World Series of
Golf  
*1977 Honda Classic|Jackie Gleason-Inverrary
Classic, Mercedes Championships|MONY Tournament of
Champions, The Memorial Tournament
*1978 Honda Classic|Jackie Gleason-Inverrary
Classic, The PLAYERS Championship|Tournament
Players Championship, The Open Championship,
IVB-Philadelphia Golf Classic
*1980 U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open, PGA Championship
*1982 Colonial National Invitation
*1984 The Memorial Tournament
*1986 The Masters Tournament|The Masters
 
Majors are shown in bold.

==Senior PGA Tour wins==
*1990  The Tradition|The Tradition at Desert
Mountain, Senior Players Championship|Mazda SENIOR
TOURNAMENT PLAYERS Championship
*1991  The Tradition|The Tradition at Desert
Mountain, PGA Seniors' Championship, U.S. Senior
Open
*1993  U.S. Senior Open
*1994  Mercedes Championships
*1995  The Tradition
*1996  GTE Suncoast Classic, The Tradition
  
Senior majors are shown in bold.

==Other wins==
*1959 U.S. Amateur Championship
*1961 U.S. Amateur Championship, NCAA Division I
Men's Golf Championships|NCAA Championship
(individual)
*1962 WGC-NEC Invitational|World Series of Golf
(U.S. - not then a PGA Tour event)
*1963 WGC-NEC Invitational|World Series of Golf
(U.S. - not then a PGA Tour event), WGC-World
Cup|Canada Cup (team event with Arnold Palmer and
individual event)
*1964 Australian Open (golf)|Australian Open,
WGC-World Cup|Canada Cup (team event with Arnold
Palmer and individual event)
*1966 PGA Team Championship (with Arnold Palmer),
WGC-World Cup|Canada Cup (team only, with Arnold
Palmer)
*1967 WGC-NEC Invitational|World Series of Golf
(U.S. - not then a PGA Tour event), WGC-World
Cup|World Cup (with Arnold Palmer)
*1968 Australian Open (golf)|Australian Open
*1970 WGC-NEC Invitational|World Series of Golf
(U.S. - not then a PGA Tour event), HSBC World
Match Play Championship|Piccadilly World Match
Play Championship
*1971 Australian Open (golf)|Australian Open,
WGC-World Cup|World Cup (team event with Arnold
Palmer and individual event)
*1973 WGC-World Cup|World Cup (with Johnny Miller)
*1975 Australian Open (golf)|Australian Open
*1976 Australian Open (golf)|Australian Open
*1978 Australian Open (golf)|Australian Open
*1983 Chrysler Team Championship (with Johnny
Miller)
*1991 Senior Skins Game
*1999 Wendy's Three-Tour Challenge (with Tom
Watson and Hale Irwin), Office Depot Father-Son
Challenge (with Gary Nicklaus), Diners Club
Matches (with Tom Watson)
*2000 Hyundai Team Matches (with Tom Watson)


==Results in major championships==
{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1"
style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px;
border-collapse: collapse;"
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
! Tournament !! 1957 !! 1958 !! 1959
|-
|The Masters Tournament|The Masters
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|CUT

|-
|U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|T41
|align="center"|CUT

|-
|The Open Championship
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|DNP

|-
|PGA Championship
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|DNP
|}

{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1"
style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px;
border-collapse: collapse;"
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
! Tournament !!1960 !! 1961 !! 1962 !! 1963 !!
1964 !! 1965 !! 1966 !! 1967 !! 1968 !! 1969 
|-
|The Masters Tournament|The Masters
|align="center"|T13
|align="center"|T7
|align="center"|T15
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|T5
|align="center"|T24

|-
|U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|T4
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|T23
|align="center"|T31
|align="center"|3
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|T25

|-
|The Open Championship
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|T32
|align="center"|3
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|T12
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|T2
|align="center"|T6

|-
|PGA Championship
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|T3
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|T2
|align="center"|T2
|align="center"|T22
|align="center"|T3
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|T11
|}

{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1"
style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px;
border-collapse: collapse;"
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
! Tournament !!1970 !! 1971 !! 1972 !! 1973 !!
1974 !! 1975 !! 1976 !! 1977 !! 1978 !! 1979 
|-
|The Masters Tournament|The Masters
|align="center"|8
|align="center"|T2
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|T3
|align="center"|T4
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|T3
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|7
|align="center"|4

|-
|U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open
|align="center"|T49
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|T4
|align="center"|T10
|align="center"|T7
|align="center"|T11
|align="center"|T10
|align="center"|T6
|align="center"|T9

|-
|The Open Championship
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|T5
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|4
|align="center"|3
|align="center"|T3
|align="center"|T2
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|T2

|-
|PGA Championship
|align="center"|T6
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|T13
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|T4
|align="center"|3
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|T65
|}

{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1"
style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px;
border-collapse: collapse;"
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
! Tournament !!1980 !! 1981 !! 1982 !! 1983 !!
1984 !! 1985 !! 1986 !! 1987 !! 1988 !! 1989 
|-
|The Masters Tournament|The Masters
|align="center"|T33
|align="center"|T2
|align="center"|T15
|align="center"|WD
|align="center"|T18
|align="center"|T6
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|T7
|align="center"|T21
|align="center"|18

|-
|U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|T6
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|T43
|align="center"|T21
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|T8
|align="center"|T46
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|T43

|-
|The Open Championship
|align="center"|T4
|align="center"|T23
|align="center"|T10
|align="center"|T29
|align="center"|T31
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|T46
|align="center"|T72
|align="center"|T25
|align="center"|T30

|-
|PGA Championship
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|T4
|align="center"|T16
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|T25
|align="center"|T32
|align="center"|T16
|align="center"|T24
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|T27
|}

{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1"
style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px;
border-collapse: collapse;"
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
! Tournament !!1990 !! 1991 !! 1992 !! 1993 !!
1994 !! 1995 !! 1996 !! 1997 !! 1998 !! 1999 
|-
|The Masters Tournament|The Masters
|align="center"|5
|align="center"|T35
|align="center"|T42
|align="center"|T27
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|T35
|align="center"|T41
|align="center"|T39
|align="center"|T6
|align="center"|DNP

|-
|U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open
|align="center"|T33
|align="center"|T46
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|T72
|align="center"|T28
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|T27
|align="center"|T52
|align="center"|T43
|align="center"|CUT

|-
|The Open Championship
|align="center"|T63
|align="center"|T44
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|T79
|align="center"|T44
|align="center"|60
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|DNP

|-
|PGA Championship
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|T23
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|T67
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|DNP
|}

{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1"
style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px;
border-collapse: collapse;"
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
! Tournament !! 2000 !! 2001 !! 2002 !! 2003 !!
2004 !! 2005 
|-
|The Masters Tournament|The Masters
|align="center"|T54
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|CUT

|-
|U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|DNP

|-
|The Open Championship
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|CUT

|-
|PGA Championship
|align="center"|CUT
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|DNP
|}

DNP = did not play

WD = withdrew due to injury

CUT = missed the half way cut

"T" indicates a tie for a place.

==See also==
*Golfers with most PGA Tour wins
*Golfers with most major championship wins
*Golfers with most Champions Tour major
championship wins

==External links==
* http://www.nicklaus.com/ Nicklaus.com Official
site and portal to other official Nicklaus-related
websites 
**
http://www.nicklaus.com/nicklaus_facts/pgatour.php
PGA Tour career summary
** http://www.nicklaus.com/design/ Nicklaus Design
** http://www.nicklausmuseum.org/ Nicklaus Museum
* http://www.pgatour.com/players/bio/149729
Profile on PGA Tour official site
* http://www.golfstarsonline.com/N/Jack_Nicklaus/
Jack Nicklaus at Golf Stars Online Links to
relevant sites, interviews, feature articles and
similar.
* http://golf.about.com/od/jacknicklaus/ Jack
Nicklaus Profile, trivia, quotes and other
resources from About.com. 
*
http://www.rbs.com/content/media_centre/press_rele
ases/2005/july/downloads/note_detail.pdf Details
of the Jack Nicklaus RBS £5 note (PDF file).