Not a lot of relationships survive the test of time. But there are those rare, beautiful marriages that give others hope, and among them is that of Jack Nicklaus and Barbara Bash. The couple has now been married for over six decades and is as happy as ever. But had it not been for Nicklaus’ ex-girlfriend, the two may not have ever found each other.

Jack Nicklaus is one of the greatest golfers to ever play the sport. The legend has even won the most major championships in the history of the game. But long before he began his professional career, Nicklaus had already found the perfect partner to stand by him.

How did Jack Nicklaus meet Barbara Bash?

Back in 1957, the ex-pro golfer was a freshman in college and was dating a girl named Mary. The two had an open relationship. “Mary and I had agreed we could date around,” said Nicklaus, as per the Wall Street Journal in 2018.

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One day during their orientation week, Mary introduced the golfer to one of her friends, Barbara Bash. And after Mary had to leave, Nicklaus offered to walk Bash to her job on campus. It wasn’t long before Nicklaus called her up and asked her out.

But it wasn’t an immediate yes from Barbara. That night, I called Barbara for a date. She couldn’t work me in for about two weeks,” explained Nicklaus. But Barbara was not going to risk Nicklaus being swooped up by some other girl in the meantime. “She fixed me up with a couple of girls who she knew I wouldn’t like,” said the golf legend about his wife.

When did the couple get married?

Despite the two not having a traditional “meet cute” story, they were more than happy to have found each other. During Christmas in 1959, the couple got engaged after Nicklaus’ parents convinced him that she was the one. “My parents really liked Barbara,” said Jack, as per Golf Channel in 2017.

It was all uphill from there. Late in July of 1960, the two tied the knot, and a year later Nicklaus began his professional golf journey. With his wife by his side, the golf great conquered the sport and etched his legacy into the history books.

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Do you think things would have been different had Mary not introduced the two? Or would they have eventually found their way to each other? Let us know in the comments.