Jack Nicklaus, simply two years faraway from dominating novice golf as a scholar at The Ohio State College, bested a star-studded area of the sport’s biggest professionals to seize his first Masters Match title on this present day in historical past, April 7, 1963.
The victory sparked a permanent love affair between the gallery at Augusta Nationwide in Georgia, America’s most celebrated golf course, and the game’s most celebrated participant.
The 23-year-old phenom was handed the inexperienced jacket for the primary time on the 1963 Masters by defending champion Arnold Palmer after Nicklaus’ two-under efficiency and one-stroke win over Tony Lema.
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The sphere that day additionally included all-time sport luminaries Sam Snead and Gary Participant.
The trade of the trophy blazer between golf legends was a part of a five-year streak through which solely Nicklaus or Palmer donned the inexperienced jacket (1962-1966) at Augusta.
Arnold Palmer, left, serving to victorious Jack Nicklaus with the inexperienced blazer at Augusta Nationwide Golf Course, Augusta, Georgia, April 7, 1963. (James Drake /Sports activities Illustrated by way of Getty Photographs)
“In his prime, the Golden Bear was the one everybody chased,” Golf Digest declared in 2020, in a celebration of Nicklaus’s eightieth birthday.
“Drop that golfer into at present’s recreation, and it will be the case nonetheless.”
“The Golden Bear was the one everybody chased. Drop that golfer into at present’s recreation, and it will be the case nonetheless.”
Nicklaus is broadly regarded at present as the best golfer of all time, routinely topping lists of the most effective gamers in historical past.
He dominated novice golf by profitable the U.S. Beginner Championship twice (1959, 1961) and the NCAA title as soon as (1961) earlier than turning professional in 1962.
Jack Nicklaus, left, of Columbus, Ohio, gained the U.S. Nationwide Beginner Championship at Pebble Seaside, California, in 1961; he is congratulated by rurnner-up H. Dudley Wysong, McKinney, Texas. Nicklaus defeated Wysong, 8 up and 6 to go. Nicklaus additionally gained the novice title in 1959. (Getty Photographs)
He instantly proved himself among the many sport’s elite, overcoming a two-shot deficit when coming into the ultimate spherical earlier than edging Palmer by one shot in a playoff to seize the 1962 U.S. Open.
It was the primary of his report 18 main titles. Nicklaus additionally holds data with 73 PGA Tour wins and an unimaginable 56 top-five finishes in majors, amongst many different best-ever achievements.
The Masters at Augusta Nationwide proved the event at which the Golden Bear’s fearsome brilliance shined brightest.
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Nicklaus grew to become the primary participant to win consecutive Masters titles in 1965 and 1966. He additionally gained at Augusta in 1972 and 1975, earlier than donning a remaining inexperienced jacket on the grand outdated age of 46.
“By no means within the historical past of the Masters did the bottom shake, cheers reverberate and feelings explode as they did for Jack Nicklaus in 1986.”
A number of sources cite that Nicklaus victory at Augusta in 1986, his report sixth Masters title, as the best second within the historical past of the storied event.
Nicklaus sunk a spectacular 18-foot putt on the seventeenth gap of the ultimate spherical, amid a delirious response from the gallery, then held on at 18 to win by one stroke.
Jack Nicklaus watches his putt in the course of the 1986 Masters Match at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership in April 1986 in Augusta, Georgia. (Augusta Nationwide/Getty Photographs)
The sight of Nicklaus leaning ahead intently, following his putt throughout the inexperienced with centered eyes, then elevating his membership triumphantly over his head because the ball dropped within the gap is without doubt one of the most well-known pictures within the annals of golf.
“By no means within the historical past of the Masters did the bottom shake, cheers reverberate and feelings explode as they did for Jack Nicklaus in 1986,” enthused U.Okay. golf outlet Hyperlinks Journal.
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Along with his dominance atop the chief board in golf’s largest occasions, the Golden Bear completed second in main tournaments an unimaginable 19 occasions.
“It has been and can proceed to be the utmost honor to have gained your nice event and to be without end referred to as a Masters champion.” — Jack Nicklaus
Nicklaus, now 83, remains to be revered at Augusta Nationwide.
He is been an honorary starter at The Masters every year since 2010, teeing off yesterday with fellow golf legends Gary Participant and Tom Watson.
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He returned the love with a so-called “love letter to the Masters” in 2019 — 60 years after he first competed at Augusta as an novice in 1959.
Honorary starter and six-time Masters champion Jack Nicklaus performs his opening tee shot from the primary tee in the course of the opening ceremony previous to the beginning of the primary spherical of the Masters at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership on April 7, 2022, in Augusta, Georgia. Nicklaus has been a ceremonial starter at The Masters every year since 2010. (Andrew Redington/Getty Photographs)
“Thanks for a lifetime of reminiscences. Thanks for offering the proper background for 60 years and 6 alternatives to really feel the overwhelming satisfaction of slipping on the inexperienced jacket,” Nicklaus wrote.
“The Masters at Augusta Nationwide proved the event at which the Golden Bear’s fearsome brilliance shined brightest.”
“It has been and can proceed to be the utmost honor to have gained your nice event and to be without end referred to as a Masters champion.”
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“Nicklaus’ presence at Augusta Nationwide is way more than ceremonial,” Golfweek wrote in 2019.
“He’s the sport’s rating residing legend — with these 18 majors — and continues to be an influential and revered golf presence.”
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