This picture of Jack Nicklaus was taken by George Herringshaw in July 1974. ©
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In a day and age when the word 'great' is bandied around all to
easily it can most certainly be applied to Jack William Nicklaus. His
record of 18 victories and 19 second place finishes in majors is a truly
remarkable achievement and,until the emergence of Tiger Woods,looked a
record unlikely to be challenged. The Jack Nicklaus story began to take
shape when he was crowned US Amateur Champion in 1959 and the following
year he all but won the US Open whilst still an amateur. Only a last
round 65 from the legendary Arnold Palmer deprived him of victory that
day,the great man finishing two strokes clear,but it was apparent that a
new golfing star was emerging. He won the US Amateur title for a second
time in 1961 and in his first full season as a professional Jack lifted
the 1962 US Open with an 18 hole play-off win over Palmer. That triumph
was just the springboard for more success and in a memorable 1963
Nicklaus won the Masters and PGA Championship and finished third in the
Open,just one stroke behind winner Bob Charles. The following year was a
case of what might have been as Jack finished tied for second in both
the Masters and PGA and finished runner-up to Tony Lema in the Open. He
won his second Green Jacket in 1965 and also defended the title
successfully in '66. That year of 1966 saw Nicklaus win his first Open
title with victory at Muirfield and in doing so he joined Gene
Sarazen,Ben Hogan and Gary Player as the only players to have won all
four majors. Those first few years on tour also produced a whole host of
other victories and Nicklaus topped the money lists in both 1964 &
'65. (David Scranage)
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Nicklaus lifted his second US Open title in 1967 with rounds of
71-67-72-65 and he also came close to defending his Open crown at
Hoylake,finishing in second place two strokes behind Roberto de Vicenzo.
Thereafter he suffered what,by his remarkable standards,could only be
described as a slump and failed to win another major until the Open of
1970. In between times he did manage a second place finish behind Lee
Trevino at the US Open of 1968 and a tie for second in the Open of the
same year. The following year was his worst yet although he did make his
Ryder Cup debut,contributing a somewhat disappointing one and a half
points from a possible four in a 16-16 draw. It was at St. Andrews that
Nicklaus returned to winning ways in major championships but the
tournament will be remembered more for Doug Sanders amazing missed putt
on the very last hole. Nicklaus had started the tournament in fine
fashion with rounds of 68 and 69 but his closing efforts of a pair of
73's seemed to have ruled him out of contention. It was not
so,however,as Sanders' miss from no more than 18 inches meant that the
two players came back the next day for an 18 hole play-off in which
Nicklaus was victorious by just one stroke. Many felt that Sanders never
recovered from that miss,and indeed he was never to challenge in a
major again,whilst the unexpected triumph seemed to revitalise Nicklaus
and his assault on golf's major championships continued.
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After the fillip of that 1970 Open win at St. Andrews Nicklaus
challenged in the majors of 1971 with renewed vigour. In the Masters,the
first major of the year,he tied for second with Johnny Miller just two
strokes behind winner Charles Coody's total of nine under par. In the US
Open he lost in an 18 hole play-off to Lee Trevino,shooting 71 to
Trevino's 68,after the pair had tied on ever par over the four rounds.
There was a fifth place finish in the Open and at the PGA Championship
he landed his ninth major with a two stroke victory from Billy Casper.
In the Ryder Cup of that year Jack performed admirably and weighed in
with five points out of six despite losing in the opening day morning
foursomes. In the last day afternoon singles he crushed Neil Coles
5&3 and his points helped the USA to a comfortable 18 1/2-13 1/2
success. The fine form continued into 1972 and Nicklaus became a double
major winner in the same year for the third time after previously
achieving the feat in 1963 and '66. His third Green Jacket was won in
testing conditions with Nicklaus the only man to beat par at two under
and three strokes clear of his nearest rivals. He lifted his third US
Open title with a three stroke win from Australian Bruce Crampton in an
event that saw nobody break par. Nicklaus carded rounds of 71,73,72
& 74 to finish at two over and in the Open of that year he was
agonisingly close to making it a hat-trick of majors. His magnificent
closing round 66 left him in second place at five under par and just one
stroke behind winner Lee Trevino.
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This picture of Jack Nicklaus was taken by George Herringshaw in July 1974. ©
| The ever consistent Nicklaus challenged in virtually every major during
1973 & '74 but was triumphant in just the PGA Championship of '73.
His rounds of 72,68,68 & 69 left him at seven under par and four
shots clear of his nearest rival,Bruce Crampton,who was making something
of a habit of finishing runner-up to the great man. After his barren
year of 1974,and with just one success in his last twelve outings in
major championships,Nicklaus set about putting the record straight in
1975. He did so in fine fashion with victories at both the Masters and
PGA to make it a double winning year for the fourth time. In a thrilling
Masters event Nicklaus opened 68,67 to hold a commanding lead before a
round of 73 took him back towards the field. In a memorable last round
Jack's 68 was sufficient to give him a one stroke victory from Johnny
Miller and Tom Weiskopf who both finished at eleven under par. Miller
had finished particularly strongly with closing rounds of 65 & 66
but his opening effort of 75 was to prove his undoing. That closing
round paired Nicklaus with an emerging young talent by the name of Tom
Watson,a man he was to share so many great battles with in the future.
The PGA of that year saw Nicklaus as champion for the fourth time with
his four under par total two shots clear of that perennial bridesmaid
Bruce Crampton. Nicklaus featured in both the 1973 & '75 Ryder
Cups,contributing four and a half points from a possible six in a 19-13
success of 1973 and a slightly disappointing two and a half points from
five in a 21-11 triumph of 1975. (David Scranage) |