Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus, nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is a retired American professional golfer. He is widely regarded as the greatest golfer of all time, winning a total of 18 career major championships, while producing 19 second-place and 9 third-place finishes in them, over a span of 25 years. Nicklaus focused on the major championships, and played a selective schedule of regular PGA Tour events, yet still finished with 73 victories, third on the all-time list behind Sam Sneadand Tiger Woods...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionGolfer
Date of Birth21 January 1940
CityUpper Arlington, OH
CountryUnited States of America
I don't think about winning the Masters as part of the slam. You want to win the Masters because of what it means to the game.
None of my 22 grandchildren have [genetics played]. Three of my four boys were golf pros, but I think they all sort of said, "You know, I'm not going to push" with their children. I was the same with my kids. I said, "You know, if they want to play golf, that's fine, but I'm not going to push them."
And, of course, I'm constantly energized by designing courses around the world.
I've been fortunate over my career to make a little history on the 16th hole at Augusta National.
Oakmont, you've got to be playing slope.
My boys don't play as much as they used to, but when we do go out and play, it gets competitive, that's for sure - there's no question about it.
You have to trust your kids. They have to experience life, and you just hope you've provided them a foundation for what's right and what isn't.
Oakmont is probably the premier - Oakmont and Augusta National are probably the top two set of greens in the country.
I don't play much golf anymore. I can't - if I break 80, I'm doing pretty well.
We don't play golf often [with kids] because they don't play that much anymore - because their kids don't play. It's like anything else - fathers these days end up in the parks on the weekends and they have their kids into lacrosse or soccer or whatever it might be.
I never worried about money, except that I knew that all I had to worry about was golf. As long as I could play, I was going to make money.
Ben Hogan was not really a big hitter. He was long enough. But Ben Hogan today? Ben Hogan today could not compete at Augusta because he did not have the massive length to compete against the long hitters. Power was always an issue at Augusta, but never so dominant that you couldn't play it.
I might cook occasionally, but I'm not a good cook. That's not my passion.
I have a couple [of grandsons] that are in college playing lacrosse. It's great and it's fun. But they all also play golf a little bit.