The Jack Nicklaus Story - Part 1 A Golden Age - The Early Years (PBP) 6-1-86i
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when a strange th happened. Hoag had just
played his second shot to the par -41 th_h le and ��6 as
'10 -year-old son t,a � i,ig alongas awalkingt
walking down l�It :tR ° sloped fairway U� WSJ �t re�S,m�al> u¢Qy.
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luck w(, -Md have it. 4 st aboutthe time Jack Qv."outl
was that?"he said,
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e patien�t
' i�.. Nicklaus, who was standing back ,' �
of Got, a champion was �a e. Even
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some 270 yards away.
thee, G ),ut could sense Nicklaus straining f.or er-
e was J 3.
fey ion.. While the other kids would Ixy to see who
"That's the first I ever heard of h i m, IRo� a g
could pit the ball the farthest,, Nicklaus used quilet
Said-
determination to hoes his s !rig,
But certainly not Not. oroa_g, who
G'You could tell right- away M,at he was aerfec:1,
-
woul in time ecome one �� ��� ���� �'� �� �x � ; a�
t 011.1111 said Grout, the only teacher Nicklaus has
not for millions of other golf fans who have g,naar-
had. "Everything he'salways done, has been With a
veled at the wonders of that Nicklaus kid f past
purpose. even as a yotilngster, he seemed to program
three decades.
each a to Per the most out of it,'
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N' - s played. his first nine holes later in the
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Nicklaus as first introd.�� to the erne in
pretty easy," s bssC� wh���, � �.��� seen t�����a
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1950 y accident .��._ a roken 1� 11 � khat gas suffered
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and 71 the third ti�Ynie. 9 Nicklaus � �d ���golf's
bar Charlie ��ic�� laus, is � th.er, '� he break convinced��a�2�°��'���us
at,��`�` � ��$ell
the , aprospering¢ s1 r -
re -
By the end of the summer 1.�i .� managed �t�. re—
cist, to try nt-le gae. 111-e took up golf, with h4s
..turn to I C, K LADS 8jN:
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The Jack `Nicki�us 5tary
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VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM gACH
HISTORIAN
Nicklaus
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spectable 91 for 18 holes. The following year, the 11 -
year -old shot 81. The next summer he had three
consecutive 80s before finally cracking the 70s with
a 74. Next up,. the 60s.
With some coaxing from his parents, he accom-
plished that goal in 1953.
"Dad and I went out late one afternoon to play
nine holes, but .after I shot 34 on the front nine I
pleaded to continue. Dad said that Mom had dinner
waiting on us, so we went home and ate real quick."
They returned to Scioto to play the back nine, and
Nicklaus reached the magic number of 69 with an
eagle on the final hole, long after darkness had
fallen -
Even then, Nicklaus knew how to make a putt
when it counted.
Opportunity and temperament
The two most important men in Nicklaus' early
life were his father and Robert Tyre Jones Jr. It was
Jones who had won the 1926 U.S. Open at Scioto, and
it was Charlie Nicklaus who relayed most of Jones'
stories to his wide-eyed son. Charlie did much more
than that before his death in 1970. He gave his son
the opportunity to be successful in whatever sport he
desired, and the temperament to handle those rare
times when he was not successful.
Jack recalls an incident when he was 11 and
playing with his dad at Scioto. Nicklaus icklaus had an 8-
iron,, to the 15th green, but his appl-oach shot 'landed
in the bunker, The 8 -iron followed. Charlie looked at
his son and said, "Young man, that will be the last
club I'll ever see you throw or hear of you throwing,
or you're not going to be playing this game." Nick-
laus is still playing the game.
The elder Nicklaus played most sports and in-
stilled the same competitive spirit in his son --
sometimes through unusual methods.
"Dad was a great needler," Jack said. "I can
remember when we used to race each other to the
theater and, even with a bad ankle, he would beat
ine. He would say things like, 'You must be the
slowest kid in town. How do you expect to be an
athlete?"
It was simply Charlie's way of goading his son
Jnto improving. "It worked, because the next year I
joined the track team," Jack said. "He didn't have to
push me far because I wanted to do those things,
anyway.,
Jack den-.ionstrated at an early age his ability to
tackle any challenge. Sometimes that wasn't so
good. Just ask a maid that used to work for the
Nicklauses.*Jack's mother, Helen, picks up the story:
"Jack must have been about 5 or 6 at the time, and
for some reason he tackled our maid, Annie. I don't
know why, I guess he just felt like tackling her. I can
remember Annie telling me, 'Mrs. Nicklaus, I don't
think I can work for you. I just can't get along with
Jack.' But we had no problems with him after that
incident. Jack was always a perfect angel.,
Jack Nicklaus accepts' U.Si. Juliior trophy
. I . the 19517 tournament marked his first national title
Mallured early
Jack was rapidly becoming a demon in sports
ircles, however. At an early age, Nicklaus matured
P hvsically as well as mentally. By age 13, he
weighed 165 pounds and stood 5 -foot -10. — just a
fraction *on under today's measurements (5-11, 185).
Nicklaus took full advantage of his physical
tools, becoming an all-around star for his junior high
school 'in Upper Arlington. He was the, quarterback,
punter and place kicker on the football team, the.
center on the basketball team, the catcher on the
baseball team, and, yes, a sprinter on the track
team, capable of running the 100 -yard dash in 11
seconds.
Nick I lausalways excelled in the individual as-
pects of a sport. In basketball, for instance, he was
an excellent free-throw shooter but only mediocre in
a zone defense. The reason was Nicklaus' incessant
training practices. Anything he could perfect alone,
tie would.
Nicklaus' versatility led to aa problem. He would
have. to choose which sport to concentrate on. Char-
lie, who played some semi -pro football during his
day, wanted his son to follow his lead.. That's when
Woody Hayes, the former Ohio State football coach
and a close f riend of the f amily, had an indirect hand
in Nicklaus ultimately choosing golf.
'Forget about football'
"It was obvious that he was going to have a
great career in golf, so I just told Charlie to forget
about his son playing football," Hayes said recently. z#d
"He could have been a heckuva fullback if he stayed
with football, but he could have also hurt a shoulder
or a knee in the process. The talent he had playing
golf, he would have been crazy to take a chance
playing football."
Said Jack: "I'm sure quitting football broke'
Dad's heart, but he never said a word about it."'
Nicklaus remained with basketball at Upper Arlllkg-
ton High School and was all -league his senior year.
Amazingly, Upper Arlington's nickname was, and is,
the Golden Bears.
Golf; obviously, had become his dominant sport
by 1.956.That was,evident when he won the Ohio
State Open, using a third -round 64 to defeat a field
that included several top professionals. That victory
impressed two of his closest followers: his father and
Grout.
"When he won the '56 Ohio Open, that's when
realized how good he could become," Grout said,
"He hit some of the greatest shots in that tourna-
ment that I've ever seen him hit. And he was only
16." That victory also left a mark on Charlie Nick-
laus. "'I can still remember his dad calling me from
the tournament," Helen Nicklaus said. "He said, 'Sis,
I think our son has great potential,' "
Nicklaus continued to realize his potential by
winning the 19571T'S. Jaycees Junior Championship,
a victory 'Ehat was significant for two reasons. First,
it was his first national title; second, it rewarded
him with a $1,000 scholarship that made it possible
for him to attend Ohio State -- his father's school.
An inauspicious beginning
Later that summer, Nicklaus made an inauspi-
cious start in his first major, shooting 80-80-160 in
the U * S. Open to miss the cut by 10 strokes. Nicklaus
didn't stay down long. He continued hi ' s domination
of the amateur ranks, winning most of the tour na.-
nients he entered for the next two years, including
thp,1 1959 U.S. Amateur. He was named to the 1959
Walker Cup team. Then, for the first time., he consid-
ered a future in golf
figured"Hmmm, I must be one of the best 10
amateurs in the country,' " Nicklaus said. "That was
the first time I ever considered my abilities."
Despite his phenomenal success, close friends
said Nicklaus never got the big head.
"Jack was always very popular, but he. was
never a prima, donna or aloof," said Robin Obetz, a
childhood friend who would later be the best man in
Nicklaus'swedding. "He was always. just one of the:
boys in the (Ph.j. Garnina Delta) fraternity.. Ile loved
to play cards and he loved to have fun."
Most of his funinvolved a blonde he met in front
of the Mendenhall Lab during his first week wi the
I Ohio State campus. Her name. was Barbara Bash,,
She s.va-s the Pledge Princess as a fre-shman-, but by
the end of the sop-hoinore year she was clearly &
Nicklaus' court.
"When I first rnet him, I didn't even know golf
existed," Barbara said. "But. I learned Very fast."
She had to. By the time they were becoming a
hot item off the course., he was an even hotter itern
on the coilrsie,. In the 1960 Open, in fact, Nicklaus led
Arno)][d Palmer with six holes, to play before finish-
ing second. The following year hewon his second
U.S. Amateur.
A single gesture
Jack and Barbara. were married 'before their
senior year. The day before the ceremony, Nicklaus
-rnade one final golfing gesture as a single man.
Standing on the 1.,8th. tee at Scioto, Nicklaus vowed to
make his final drive as a bachelor one to rernernber,
Muscles bulging and eyes popping,he ti)ok a mighty
swing --- Nut the mighty Nicklaus affiriost strucko, t. .
He barely nicked the top of the ball ,and watched it'.11
trickle into a creek barely 20 yards ire front of the
tee, About the time the ball rolled. into the water., h1s
friends were rolling icon the group.d.
That was ogre of the last firries a Nicklaus -swing
evoKed such laughten. The following year he turned
professional- not many pro �-:;,olfers were sa-Arifling
then.
The best was yet to come.
Alonday,The Ghory Years.
4
Highlights of the early years
1950 age 10
Started golf and shot 51 for first nine holes ever played.
1952 age 12
Won the 15 -and -under division of Ohio Junior, his first victory.
1953 age 13
Ohio State Junior Champion (13 -155 --year-olds).
Columbus Junior Match -Play Champion.
Won three matches in first national championship, the USGA Ju-
niors.
Lost in quarterfinals of Columbus District Amateur.
1954 age 14
Scioto Junior. Club Champion ('i3-15-yedr-olids).
CG�Z,4,Tltvs junior Match -Play Champion,
Columbus Junior Stroke -Play Champion.
Medalist in Tri-State (Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky) High School Cham-
pionship.
Lost in second round of USGA Juniors.
Finalist in Columbus District Amateur.
Lost in first round of Ohio State Amateur (won by Arnold Palmer).
Played on Upper Arlington High School team.
1955 age 15
Columbus Junior Match -Play Champion.
Columbus Junior Stroke -Play Champion.
Ohio Jaycees winner.
Tied for medalist in National Jaycees.
Lost in quarterfinals of USGA Juniors.
Columbus District Amateur champion.
Medalist in Ohio State Amateur.
Qualified for U.S. Amateur for first time, losing in first round.
1956 age 16
Ohio State Junior Champion,
Medalist in Tri --State High School Championship.
Ohio Jaycees winner.
Lost playoff in National Jaycees.
Lost in semifinals of USGA Juniors.
Lost in qUarterfinals of Ohio State Amateur.
Ohio State Open Champion.
Fifth in Sunnehanna Amateur Invitafional,
Lost in third round of U.S. Amaivur.
1957 age 17
Cenfi-al Ohio kiigh School District Champion. 4�
Ohio High Schools State Champion,
Ohio Jaycees winner.
National Jaycees wirner.
Lost in third round of USGA Juniors.
Qualified for U.S. Open for first time, missing cut by 10 shois with
160,.
Lost in fourth round of U.S. Amateur.
1958 age I
Trans -Mississippi champion. -
Shot 67-66-76-68 for 12th place in first pro tour tournament, the Rub.-
ber City Open.
Finished in U.S. Open for first time, in 41st place.
Lost in second round of U.S Amateur to Harvie W%[d, one. -up.
1959 age 19
North-South Amateur champion.
Played in first Masters, missing cut by one shot with 150..
Played in first Walker Cup Match, winning foursomes and singles
matches.
Won Royal St. George's Challenge Vase (England).
Lost in a uarterf inals of British Arnateur.
Trans -Mississippi champion.
Qualified for U.S. Open. missing cut with 154.
U.S- Amateugr champion.
1960 age 20
International Four -Ball winner (with Deane Beman).
Tied for iow amateur and 13th place overall in Masters
Runner-up in Big 10 Championship.
Runner-up to Arnold Pair -Tier it U..":,. Open by two afer lead-
ing with six holes to play.
Lost in second round of NCAA Championship..
Won both singles and both foursomes, matches in first Americas
Cup appearance.
Lost in fourth roynd of U.S. Amateur,
Medalist in World Amateur Team Championship with 66-67-68-68-
269 at Merion, leading U.S. team victory.
1961 age 21
Western Amateur champion.
Low amateur and tied for seventh in Masters.
Tied for 38th in Colonial National Invitation (PGA event).
Tied for fourth in U.S. Open.
NCAA champion.
Tied for 23rd in Buick Open (PGA event).
Tied for 55th in American Golf Classic (PGA event).
Won Walker Cup foursomes and singles matches.
U.S. Amateur champion for second tire.
Won both foursomes and halved both singles in Americas Cup
matches.
Turned professiona', Nov. 8.
VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM BE -A-0 H
HISTORIAN
VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM WoMM
HI�TORI�W
n If •financial.
i ess o o .�was
fo . r. icklaus
Liecessit N
Y
By Craig Dolch
'staff Writer
What if Jack Nicklaus never became a
professional golfer? Don't laugh. For a
long time he expected to follow the lead of
his boyhood idol, Bobby Jones, and remain
an amateur,.
"I think that was always in Jack's
mind," said Nicklaus' wife, Barbara. "He
always liked the idea of following the
same path as Bobby Jones."
Reality"soon overcame philosophy, how-
ever, and Nicklaus announced on Nov.. 8,
1961 that he would. play for pay.
He really had no choice. NIcklaus'
schedule had started to overload by his
senior year. Consider that at the same
time., be was selling insurance, attempting
to finish tip school at Ohio State and, some-
how, trying to find time to concentrate on
golf.
Most importantly, wife Barbara had
given birth to Jackie three months earlier.
Family considerations had taken a prece-
dent over personal considerations.
"I had more things than I could do,"
Nicklaus said. "Even though I was making
a pretty good living selling insurance, try-
ing to play amateur golf was stretching it.
Besides, the golf wasn't m*uch fun any
more. Since I had already won most of the
amateur tournaments (including the 1959
and '61 U.S. Amateur.), I was expected to
win just ibout every tournament I played
in.
Still, Nicklaus wasn . t convinced he
could earn more money playing golf than
the $24,000 he was timking from insurance
sales and promotional work for a slacks
company. ""In '1961, that was a iot of mon-
ey," he said.
A careful check
So Nicklaus started to put out feelers
"I figured if 1. wanted to be the best., then
I would have to play ,against the best,k-"'
Nicklaus said. "That's why I turned pro."
. It's a decision he never regretted. But it
did cause at least one problem when Nickv
laus returned to Ohio State the fall after
his first year on the tour. Needing about
two more quarte rs to finish up his work for
a business degree (he originally was in ptre-
pharmacy, like his father) the dean of the
Commerce College, Jim McCoy,, told him
he had to dzrop out.
"He said he didn't want a m2gistered
;z
student at OS'L" being publiued as playingc. . V
all over the world,' Nicklau. said, "It was
a decision that, 1. dio;a greed with and fougb,1R-.
bitterly,.
Never received degree
So Nicklaus '.eft. school, and to this day
I A
z
about what. his financial prospects would
be if he turned pro. He had to be careful,
because in those days, saying he was going
to turn pro on such -and -such date would
automatically end his amateur career.
After much discussion with his father,
Charlie Nicklaus, and wife, Nicklaus set up
a meeting with sports agent Mark McCor-
mick, who was handling the careers of
Arnold Palmer and Gary Player. McCor-
mick told Nicklaus he could make at least
$100,000 through endorsements and other
promotional work in his first year as a pro,
not to mention his tc-larnings on the golf
course.
That took care of the financial part of
the decision, but. Nicklaus still wasn't con.-
vinced. pro was the way to go. About a
month later; realizing his love for amateur
play had to take a back seat to f inancia.1
obligations, he finally decided to turn pro.
has never received his college degree.
Yhat.'s soniethiiig he regrets.
"It"s Stue1 in my craw ever
. since," Nick-
laus said. "It's the only thing in niy life that
IJ ever started, and didn't finish. I always
igured in the back, of my mind that,
would g(--) back.'
Be never has. Ohio State gave him ari,
honorary degree, a Doctor of Athletic Arts,
int '1972. But it wasn't the real thing.
Admin.-istrators at Ohio State ap-
proached Nicklaus recently about finish-
ing up his deg` ee.without attending class-
es. Nicklaus, who tuns a million -dollar
business, s,,aild 'hes given it sorrie thought,
but doubts he ever will. complete the work
for his business degree,
.l doubt it very seriously;" Nicklaus
said. "'Arnold (Pabaier) acrdT 1. have done
pretty well as college dropouts."
VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM BEACH
HISTORIAN
Nicklaus' parents kept his mind, his golf game on target at home 'in Columbus, Ohio
VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM WA(;H
HISTORIAN