Biography

Jack Nicklaus World Golf Hall of Fame: Year Inducted: 1974        

Jack Nicklaus is the oldest winner in Masters Tournament history (46). By the most objective measure of all-the record-Jack Nicklaus is the greatest player who ever lived. There was an immensity to Nicklaus' game. Nicklaus combined tremendous physical ability with boundless mental and psychological resources. At those times when his game was in full song, he would dominate his competition. But Nicklaus' ultimate genius was that when it wasn't, he often found a way to win because he would almost never beat himself. His style was a combination of explosive shotmaking and conservative management that calculated all factors-the course, his opponents and how he was playing. As a golfer, Nicklaus was both Secretariat and Einstein.      

Subjective assessments, however, are secondary because Nicklaus' record is a colossus that encapsulates the game. In sheer numbers, it is awesome.           

Between 1962 and 1986, Nicklaus won 70 official events on the PGA TOUR, second in total only to Sam Snead. But it is Nicklaus' performance in major championships alone that sets him above all others. He won 20-two U.S. Amateurs, a record six Masters, a record-tying four U.S. Opens, three British Opens and a record-tying five PGAs. He completed three full cycles of the modern Grand Slam, something no other player has ever done more than once. If performance in major championships is the ultimate criterion, then no golfer has ever set himself apart like Nicklaus.              

Nicklaus was born Jan. 21, 1940, in Columbus, Ohio. His father, Charlie, was a pharmacist who introduced his son to sports and remained his greatest friend and supporter. While growing up at the Scioto C.C. under the tutelage of Jack Grout, Nicklaus came to idolize Bobby Jones, whose 13 major championships became the reference point for his own career.             

As an amateur, Nicklaus was clearly a prodigy. He won the 1956 Ohio State Open at age 16. Three years later, he defeated Charlie Coe, 1 up, in an epic final round in the U.S. Amateur and won it again at Pebble Beach in 1961. In between, he tied for second at the 1960 U.S. Open and shot an astounding 269 at Merion in the World Amateur Team Championship.              

By the time Nicklaus came on the pro scene in 1962, he was a stout, crewcut dynamo of 215 pounds who was about to change the game. With a mighty upright swing that allowed him to hit the ball high and generally with a slight fade, Nicklaus became the longest controlled driver in the game's history, as well as the most devastating long-iron player. His technique and strength also allowed him to escape from high grass with more power and control than his rivals. Along with a reliable putting touch that was particularly consistent inside of six feet, Nicklaus' arsenal was designed to conquer the narrow fairways, deep rough and firm, fast greens that characterize major championships. By 1967, he had won seven of them. Between 1970 and 1975, leaner and more fashionably coiffed, he won seven more.            

On the PGA TOUR, Nicklaus led the money list eight times, twice while playing only 16 events. Between 1962 and 1979, he finished in the top 10 in 243 of the 357 official events he played in, a rate of 68 percent.                 

For all his physical gifts, it was Nicklaus' ability to concentrate and gather himself for decisive moments that most separated him. This was never more evident than in his most fulfilling triumph, the 1986 Masters, where, at the age of 46, Nicklaus put together a final-round 65 that included a 30 on the back nine to win by one.         

Through it all, Nicklaus completed the ultimate champion's profile by being a gracious loser. He finished second 19 times in majors, but always gave credit to the winner. Win or lose, Jack Nicklaus was the greatest             

Professional Majors:

Masters Tournament: 1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986
U.S. Open: 1962, 1967, 1972, 1980
Open Championship: 1966, 1970, 1978
PGA Championship: 1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1980          

Other Significant Victories: PGA TOUR: 55

1962: Seattle World's Fair, Portland Open Invitational
1963: Palm Springs Golf Classic, Tournament of Champions, Sahara Invitational
1964: Portland Open Invitational, Tournament of Champions, Phoenix Open Invitational, Whitemarsh Open Invitational
1965: Portland Open Invitational, Memphis Open Invitational, Thunderbird Classic, Philadelphia Golf Classic
1966: Sahara Invitational
1967: Sahara Invitational, Bing Crosby National Pro-Am, Western Open, Westchester Classic
1968: Western Open, American Golf Classic
1969: Sahara Invitational, Kaiser International Open Invitational, Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational
1970: Byron Nelson Golf Classic, National Four-ball Championship (with Arnold Palmer)
1971: Tournament of Champions, Byron Nelson Golf Classic, National Team Championship (with Arnold Palmer), Walt Disney World Open Invitational
1972: Bing Crosby National Pro-Am, Doral-Eastern Open, Westchester Classic, U.S. Professional Match Play Championship, Walt Disney World Open Invitational
1973: Bing Crosby National Pro-Am, New Orleans Open, Tournament of Champions, Atlanta Classic, Ohio Kings Island Open, Walt Disney World Golf Classic
1974: Hawaiian Open, Tournament Players Championship
1975: Doral-Eastern Open, Sea Pines Heritage Classic, World Open Golf Championship
1976: Tournament Players Championship, World Series of Golf
1977: Jackie Gleason-Inverrary Classic, Tournament of Champions, Memorial Tournament
1978: Jackie Gleason-Inverrary Classic, Tournament Players Championship, IVB-Philadelphia Golf Classic
1982: Colonial National Invitation1984: Memorial Tournament             

Champions Tour: 7

1990: Tradition At Desert Mountain, SENIOR TOURNAMENT PLAYERS
1991: Tradition At Desert Mountain
1994: Mercedes Senior Championship
1995: Tradition
1996: GTE Suncoast Classic, The Tradition             

Other Wins:

1964: Australian Open1968: Australian Open1971: Australian Open1975: Australian Open1976: Australian Open1978: Australian Open1991: PGA Seniors' Championship, U.S. Senior Open1993: U.S. Senior Open2005: Wendy's Champions Tour Skin's Game          

Other Accomplishments:

Player of the Year: 1967, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976
PGA TOUR Leading money winner: 1964, 1965, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976
Ryder Cup: 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1981. Captain in 1983, 1987
Presidents Cup Captain: 1998, 2003, 2005      

References
http://www.wgv.com/hof/member.php?member=1086
http://www.nicklaus.com/