Golf tips from one of the sport’s greatest players. 3TW w/ illustrations
The Golden Bear of golf lends his considerable expertise to readers games. Get into the swing with this six times Masters winner.
There is nothing like getting lessons in a sport or hobby from one of the great masters in the field. And that is just what Jack Nicklaus, considered by many to be the finest golfer of his generation, provides with his newspaper feature “Play Better Golf With Jack Nicklaus.” The illustrated guide to better golfing appears in three times a week and is distributed by King Features Syndicate. The United States is filled with golf enthusiasts eager to improve their game. There are an estimated 18 million Americans who play 445 million rounds of golf each year, and an estimated 30 million golfers worldwide. Nicklaus started the feature in 1976, one year after winning both The Masters and the PGA Championship. It was his fifth Masters title, and he would add another in 1986. He is the only golfer to win more than four. Nicklaus has won four U.S. Opens, three British Opens and five PGA championships. He also won two U.S. Amateur championships. With 20 major titles, he sits high above the rest of the golf world; Tiger Woods is second, with 14 major titles. In all, Nicklaus amassed 73 PGA Tour victories, second on the all-time list. He also holds the record for most major Senior PGA Tour titles. He was named PGA of America Player of the Year in 1967, ’72, ’73, ’75 and ’76. In 1988, the PGA named him Golfer of the Century. Tiger Woods had all of Nicklaus’ achievements committed to memory by the age of 13!
Nicklaus was born Jan. 21, 1940, in Columbus, Ohio. Throughout his teens and amateur years, he was supported in his golfing career by his late father, Charles, a renowned golfer. Young Nicklaus showed early promise. At age 10, he “carded” 51 in the first nine holes he ever played. At 13, he played in his first national tournament, the U.S. Golf Association Junior Championship, winning the first three matches before being eliminated. He went on to win the Ohio State Junior Championship and Columbus Junior Match-Play Championship.
Soon nothing was stopping Nicklaus. At 14, he captured the Columbus Junior Championship in both the stroke-play and match-play competitions, and won the Ohio State Junior Championship for a second straight time (he would win the next year as well). He continued winning amateur championships until he turned pro in 1961. On July 23, 1960, he married the former Barbara Bash. The couple have five children: Jack William II, Steven Charles, Nancy Jean, Gary Thomas and Michael Scott. Through it all, Nicklaus has kept his sporting interests open and varied. He is an avid swimmer, tennis player, quail hunter, trapshooter, sailor and tennis and basketball buff. Mr. and Mrs. Nicklaus live in Florida. Nicklaus’ major victories:
1959: U.S. Amateur
1961: U.S. Amateur, NCAA
1962: U.S. Open 1963: The Masters, PGA Championship, Tournament of Champions
1964: Tournament of Champions, Australian Open
1965: The Masters
1966: The Masters, British Open
1967: U.S. Open
1968: Australian Open
1970: British Open
1971: PGA Championship, Tournament of Champions, Australian Open
1972: The Masters, U.S. Open
1973: PGA Championship, Tournament of Champions
1974: Tournament Players Championship
1975: The Masters, PGA Championship, Australian Open
1976: Tournament Players Championship, Australian Open
1977: Tournament Players Championship
1978: Tournament Players Championship, British Open, Australian Open
1980: U.S. Open, PGA Championship
1986: The Masters
1990: Senior Tournament Players Championship, The Tradition
1991: PGA Seniors’ Championship, U.S. Senior Open, The Tradition
1993: U.S. Senior Open
1995: The Tradition
1996: The Tradition