Jack William Nicklaus

(1940 - 20xx)

Born: January 21, 1940, Upper Arlington, Ohio.

Jack Nicklaus, aka "The Golden Bear" is a retired professional golfer, golf course designer, business man, author, philanthropist, and the good-will ambassador. No name is more synonymous with greatness in the sport of golf than the name Jack Nicklaus, and no single person influenced the sport more than Jack Nicklaus.

Nicklaus won two U.S. Amateurs in 1959 (at age 19) and 1961 (at age 21), and challenging for the 1960 U.S. Open (at age 20), he finished in second place, two shots back of winner Arnold Palmer), Nicklaus turned professional in 1961 at age 21.

Jack's competitive career spanned five decades, and his legend has been built with 120 professional tournament victories worldwide and a record 18 professional major-championship titles (six Masters, five PGA Championships, four U.S. Opens, three British Opens). He is one of only five golfers - Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, and Tiger Woods the others - who have won all four of golf's modern majors, an achievement often referred to as the career "Grand Slam." Jack remains the only player to have completed the career Grand Slam on both the regular and senior tours. His eight majors on the senior circuit, now called the Champions Tour, remains a record.

Jack is a five-time winner of the PGA Player of the Year Award, was the PGA Tour's leading money-winner eight times and runner-up six times. He played on six Ryder Cup teams, captained two other Ryder Cup teams, and served as U.S. captain for the 1998, 2003, 2005, and 2007 Presidents Cup teams - going unbeaten in his final three captaincies.

The legacy Jack has left as a player can be rivaled only by the legacy he is leaving as a golf course designer, businessman and philanthropist.