Jack Nicklaus Reveals He Felt Like an ‘Idiot’ as His First Masters Win Led to ‘Silly’ Encounter With Late Major Champ

Jack Nicklaus, better known by his nickname “The Golden Bear,” is regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time. With an unmatched collection of 18 major titles—six of which were Masters titles—Nicklaus’s career is proof of his decades-long excellence and consistency. Yet, beyond the trophies and accolades, Nicklaus has always been humble and respectful, especially towards the legends who paved the way before him.

Nicklaus had a close relationship with Bobby Jones, who co-founded the Masters Tournament and Augusta National Golf Club. Nicklaus’s admiration for Jones was profound, viewing him not just as a pioneer of the game but as a personal hero. In an open interview with Graham Bensinger, Nicklaus described a particularly poignant and, as he put it, “silly” experience with Jones that deeply influenced him.

Jack Nicklaus’s ‘silly’ encounter with Bobby Jones

In an insightful interview with Graham Bensinger, Jack Nicklaus recounted a story from his early professional life that highlighted the modesty of his impressive accomplishments. When Nicklaus won his first Masters in 1963 at the age of 23, announcer Ralph Hutchinson made a special request of him. Nicklaus explained, as he recalled, “Ralph says, ‘Jack, save that ball and give it to Bobby Jones at the presentation.'” At the ceremony, the young champion dutifully gave the ball to Jones, who was not used to such traditions. However, the gesture didn’t go as expected.

“I felt like it was a little silly… I felt like an idiot giving it to him,” said Nicklaus, as he couldn’t fathom why he would care about his winning golf ball. Nicklaus acknowledged, looking back on the incident with a mixture of shame and laughter. In spite of his emotions, Jones showed the sportsmanship for which he was known by accepting the ball politely. This exchange demonstrates how much Nicklaus respected Jones, whom he frequently mentioned as having a big impact. Their mutually admiring connection influenced Nicklaus’s perspective on the game and its customs. Additionally, this moment was also significant in golfing history as it kind of symbolized Nicklaus carrying on the legacy of a great golfer after Bobby Jones.

While Nicklaus was a legend for his time, it was the respect for Bobby Jones he had that shone through. The Golden Bear always admired not only the skill of Jones but also his humility, which also shone through in this incident. However, this isn’t the first time that Nicklaus has seen Jones’s humility.

A teenage encounter with legend Bobby Jones

Young nervousness and admiration were the foundations of Nicklaus’s friendship with Bobby Jones years prior. At the age of 15, Nicklaus was eligible to compete in the 1955 U.S. Amateur, which was hosted at Virginia’s James River Course. A man in a golf cart approached him during a practice round and identified himself as Bobby Jones. Thinking back on that particular incident, Nicklaus said, “In 1955, I was 15 years old. And I qualify for the national amateur. It was at the James River course Country Club of Virginia, and Richmond, Virginia. And so I went down in the last practice round, I had a shot into the 18th green—a long par four—and there’s a gentleman over to a cart beside the green, and he is treating me like this, and he introduced himself as Bobby Jones.”

It was not the end of the meeting. After supper that night, Jones went over to Nicklaus and said he wanted to see him play the following day. “Anyway, after the dinner, he came down to me and said, ‘Jack, just a second.'” He says, “‘I want to come out and watch you tomorrow play a few holes, if you don’t mind.’ So I kept looking over my shoulder. ‘Where’s Bobby Jones? Where’s Bobby Jones?’ And all this down the 10th hole comes a cart. And here’s Bobby Jones coming to watch me play golf. I am a 15-year-old kid.”

Nicklaus was profoundly impacted by this early encounter, which influenced his philosophy of the game and his admiration for its legends and past. Nicklaus and Jones’ relationship went beyond these interactions. Jones became Nicklaus’s mentor after co-founding the Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament. Their bond, which was based on respect for one another and a love of golf, was a perfect example of the generational transfer of the torch. Nicklaus’s interactions with Jones serve as a reminder of the value of respect and humility in athletics. Despite winning a record 18 major titles, Nicklaus never lost sight of the lessons he had learnt from his encounters with Jones. These tales demonstrate the lasting benefits of mentoring and the timeless principles that define the game of golf.