‘Nothing Frightens Me More’: Jack Nicklaus Found Out That He Was Colorblind at the Most Disappointing Moment of His Life

Published 01/25/2023, 1:54 PM EST

Jack Nicklaus has tons of talents up his sleeve. The golf legend has made millions of fans with his commendable skills on the field. However, like everyone else, Nicklaus is not a perfect human being. In fact, it was a shock for Nicklaus himself when he found out one of the biggest setbacks he had to face for a lifetime.

When Jack Nicklaus found out he was colorblind

Nicklaus’ records on the field of golf are an inspiration to countless young golfers across the world. Even legend Tiger Woods considers him the GOAT of the sport. However, there is one thing that hindered Nicklaus when he wanted to start flying planes.

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Outside of golf, the golden bear has a knack for flying machines. His love for airplanes reached the extent that he actually went to try out his luck in a flying school. But little did he know that he was about to find out something disturbing about himself.

In an old interview with Business Jet Traveler, Jack Nicklaus admitted how unaware he was of an underlying physical condition. And he found that out after clearing one of the major steps in the flying school.

“I did my written, and then I had to do a physical and found out I was red-green colorblind—not a good thing when you’re trying to find the green beacon at an airport,” he said. The interviewer couldn’t believe what he heard and asked if Nicklaus didn’t know anything about his condition.

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“None,” Nicklaus added. “The guy tested me and said, “Jack, you are the most colorblind person I’ve ever tested.” So there was no way I could get an instrument certificate.”

Hall of Famer Jack Nicklaus Once Disclosed His Biggest Weakness: ‘I’ll Sneak Into the Refrigerator at Night…’

That’s when Nicklaus decided that he wanted to leave flying to the professionals only. But with all his knowledge, the golfer likes to stay prepared for cases of emergency. He mentioned how he asks for two sets of controls whenever flying in a helicopter. “I could get us on the ground,” he claimed. “Nothing frightens me more than being out of control”

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That being said, Nicklaus still remains the biggest golf star to have ever played professionally. His fans still crave to watch him play a few rounds on the course. Thankfully, Nicklaus has left a legacy behind before retiring, and so other aspirants and professionals can still look up to his past records!

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Written by:

Anjana Prabhakaran is a Golf content writer at EssentiallySports. She has completed her Master's degree in Public Administration and considers researching as one of her hobbies. As her family is interested in sports, Anjana grew up watching every sport on television.

Edited by:

Manaal Siddiqui

‘Nothing Frightens Me More’: Jack Nicklaus Found Out That He Was Colorblind at the Most Disappointing Moment of His Life

When Jack Nicklaus found out he was colorblind

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