Jack Nicklaus won PGA tournament after PGA tournament in a top-class career that spanned more than two decades. After a successful PGA career, Nicklaus went on to play on the Senior golf circuit. In all, he played for 44 years as a professional golfer.
Nicklaus is widely considered the greatest golfer of all-time. His longevity in the game and his assorted haul of trophies have led to the accolade. It is doubtful any other golfer will ever eclipse Nicklaus’ feats on the golf course.
Known as ‘The Golden Bear’, Nicklaus began his professional career in 1961. Within a year of turning professional, Nicklaus had claimed his first major championship, the U.S. Open. By 1966, Nicklaus had already secured the golf grand slam by winning all four major tournaments. He was the fourth professional golfer to accomplish the feat and only one other player (Tiger Woods) has since added his name to the list of Grand Slam winners.
In all, Nicklaus won 18 Major Championships. His last came in 1986 as he won the Masters for a sixth time. Nicklaus’ 18 major wins is the most by a golfer, and currently, it looks like second place Woods will never break the record. It wasn’t just majors that Nicklaus won in large numbers. He tallied 73 PGA tournament wins during his career. Nicklaus is third on the all-time PGA Tours wins list behind Sam Snead and Tiger Woods both with 82.
After finishing his PGA Tour career in 1990, he joined what was called at the time the Senior PGA Tour. He marked the occasion by winning his first tournament start. Nicklaus was still able to play in the Masters, but no more major trophies went his way. During his 15-year Senior PGA career, Nicklaus won 10 tournaments.
In 2005, Nicklaus retired from golf at the age of 65. Nicklaus still plays on the courses around his home in North Palm Beach, Florida and visits various PGA events.
Jack Nicklaus’ Major Wins
| Years | Masters | US PGA | U.S. Open | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | ✕ | ✕ | ✅ | ✕ |
| 1963 | ✅ | ✅ | ✕ | ✕ |
| 1965 | ✅ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| 1966 | ✅ | ✕ | ✕ | ✅ |
| 1967 | ✕ | ✕ | ✅ | ✕ |
| 1970 | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✅ |
| 1971 | ✕ | ✅ | ✕ | ✕ |
| 1972 | ✅ | ✕ | ✅ | ✕ |
| 1973 | ✕ | ✅ | ✕ | ✕ |
| 1975 | ✅ | ✅ | ✕ | ✕ |
| 1978 | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✅ |
| 1980 | ✕ | ✅ | ✅ | ✕ |
| 1986 | ✅ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
Masters Wins: 6
When you’re the best player of all time, you’re going to have a few Majors to your name. In the case of Jack Nicklaus and the Masters, he won more green jackets than any of the other tournaments that fit into golf’s ‘Major’ bracket. He made history when he because the first person to defend his Masters title, winning it in 1965 and then again in 1966. The fact that he only did that once in spite of his brilliance and that it took more than 20 years for someone else to do it should tell you just how impressive an accomplishment it was. In fact, between Nicklaus doing it and 2024, only Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods have also managed it.
1963 – Single Shot Victory Ahead of Tony Lema
Jack Nicklaus won his first Major in 1962, but it was almost as though once he’d started he couldn’t stop. He won the Masters and the PGA Championship both for the first time in 1963, with his Masters win coming in the tournament’s 27th iteration. He wasn’t even in the top ten at the end of the first round, having shot 74, but was tied for second after a second round 66. Another 74 on the Saturday was enough to see him take the top spot, with Tony Lema shooting 70 on the final day to put him under pressure. Nicklaus sank a three-foot par putt on the 18th to finish with a final score of 286; one shot ahead of Lema.
1965 – Sets Tournament Record -17 Score
Having finished tied for second in the 1964 Masters, Nicklaus was back to winning ways in 1965. The 25-year-old Nicklaus set a new tournament record when he shot 271 over the course of the four days, which was 17 under par; three strokes better than the 274 that Ben Hogan had managed in 1953. What made his 1965 win all the more impressive was that the ‘big three’ of him, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player sat tied for the lead after 36 holes with 138, but Nicklaus then shot a 64 on the Saturday to move five clear of Player and eight away from Palmer. That tied the course record, whilst a final round 69 saw him win by nine shots.
1966 – First Back-to-Back Masters Champion
There was an expectation that Nicklaus would drop off in 1966, if for no other reason than no player had ever retained the Masters. The Golden Bear was a man who was all but made to break records, however, and led after the first round. He slipped down to be tied for second after Friday’s play and then back to tied-first on Saturday. When he, Gary Brewer and Tommy Jacobs finished level par with 288 on the Sunday, it meant an 18-hole playoff on the Monday. That was where Nicklaus’s experience proved to be vital, shooting 70 in comparison to the 72 of Jacobs and 78 of Brewer, making history with a second consecutive Masters win.
1972 – Wire-to-Wire Victory by 3 Shots
Six years had passed from Nicklaus’s previous win by the time the green jacket was put on his back in 1972. It was arguably the most impressive of them to date, not just because of the manner in which he made a comeback but also thanks to the fact that he led wire-to-wire. A 68 on the Thursday put him on -4, then 71 on Friday moved him to -5, one clear of Paul Harney. A Saturday 73 kept him one clear of the chasing pack, this time having seen Jim Jamieson move into second place. In the end, there were three players tied for second when Nicklaus’s 74 on a tough course put him on -2 overall, with the second place players finishing with +1.
1975 – Famous Final Day Battle with Weiskopf & Miller
The 1975 Masters Tournament is notable not just because it was Nicklaus’s fifth win, but also because Lee Elder became the first African-American to compete at Augusta National. It is thought of as one of the greatest iterations of a Major ever, thanks to three great players going head-to-head on the final day. Nicklaus was tied for second at the end of day one, having shot 68, then moved into the lead thanks to a 67 on day two. The third round saw him slip back to second with a 73 compared to Tom Weiskopf’s 66, only for Nicklaus to get a 68 of his own on the Sunday that allowed him to win with 276, one shot clear of Weiskopf and Johnny Miller.
1986 – Oldest Masters Winner at 46
There is an old saying in sport that form is temporary and class is permanent. Perhaps the 1986 Masters win by Jack Nicklaus is proof of that, winning his record sixth green jacket at the age of 46, making him the oldest Masters winner ever. It is even more impressive that he was able to win when you consider that he wasn’t even in the top ten at the end of the first two rounds and was tied for ninth at the end of Saturday’s play. He was four shots off the lead as the final day got underway, but he was six under par for the back nine to post a 65, putting him on -9 and 279 overall, which ended up being one better than Tom Kite and Greg Norman in second.
PGA Championship Wins: 5
If the world of golf needed any clue about just how talented Jack Nicklaus was as a golfer, perhaps his performance in the PGA Championship was it. Having already won the US Open in 1962 and the Masters in 1963, he completed something of a hat-track by winning the PGA Championship that year too. It was a tournament that he would go on to enjoy success in a remarkable five times, with each win coming on a different course. He might well have enjoyed more success in the Open Championship if the PGA Championship hadn’t been played the week after it in the 1960s, causing many golfers fatigue.
1963 – Two Shot Triumph Over Dave Ragan
Nicklaus’s first win at the PGA Championship came on the Dallas Athletic Club’s Blue Course in Dallas in 1963. There were 165 players lining up to take on the par 71 course, shooting a two under par 69 on the first day. That put him tied for second, but he slipped to tied for fifth after a 73 on the Friday. Saturday was a little better, moving into third and -2 thanks to a 69, starting the final day three off the leader. Nicklaus showed his class on that final day, shooting 68 and putting himself top of the pile thanks to a -5 score of 279 for the four days, coping with the 38 degrees centigrade heat better than anyone else.
1971 – Completes Second Career Grand Slam
It took another eight years before Nicklaus could get his hands on the PGA Championship trophy again, this time at the PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He led at the end of day one thanks to a three under par 69, then kept the lead when he shot another 69 on the Friday to move two clear of the chasing pack. He extended his lead to four shots thanks to a 70 that put him -8 on the Saturday, meaning that he had lead wire-to-wire by the time the Sunday got underway. Even a one over par 73 couldn’t stop him, though, ending his tournament with 281, putting him on -7 and two clear of second place.
1973 – Four Shot Victory at Canterbury Golf Club
There was a much smaller gap between Nicklaus’s second and third win in the PGA Championship than there was between his first and second. His win in 1973 came at Canterbury Golf Club in Beachwood, Ohio where the course par was 71. Nicklaus was one over at the end of day one, then three under on the Friday to move to tied-third. Another 68 on the Saturday put him into the lead, with Don Iverson and Mason Rudolph chasing but a shot clear of him. They both fell away on the final day whilst Nicklaus shot 69 to put him on -7 overall, meaning that his four-day score of 277 was enough to secure his third title.
1975 – A Record 14th Major
The 57th iteration of the PGA Championship was played on the South Course of Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. There had been another two-year gap between his previous win and this one, also being another victory in his home state. He ended day one tied for eight on level par, three off the lead. By the end of the Friday he was four off the lead but tied for third, then by the time that Saturday had reached its conclusion he’d taken the lead all for himself thanks to a three under par 67. Even though he was one over par on the Sunday, it was enough to hand him the win having shot 276 and -4 over the four days.
1980 – Seven Stroke Win
Jack Nicklaus was not a player to let age stop him from performing at the top of his game, as he showed when he won his fifth PGA Championship title as a 40-year-old. It came at Oak Hill Country Club’s East Course, being the penultimate Major that he won during his career. He was tied for tenth on Even par at the end of the first round, then shot a 69 to move into tied-second at -1 on the Friday. By Saturday’s conclusion he’d taken the lead all to himself, with an impressive 66 to put him three clear of Lon Hinkle. A 69 on the Sunday proved to be more than enough to give him the win, with his -6 putting him seven shots clear of second place.
US Open Wins: 4
In some ways, the US Open is the competition that started it all for Jack Nicklaus, given the fact that it was the first Major that he won. Although he won it less than the two other Majors played in the United States of America in the Masters Tournament and the PGA Championship, it could have been called his first love. In fact, he could’ve won the competition even earlier than he did, finishing second in 1960, just two shots shy of Arnold Palmer. That was a year before he turned pro, demonstrating just what a brilliant golfer he was. The US Open might not be the Major he won the most, but it was certainly a competition that meant a lot.
1962 – Playoff Victory Against Arnold Palmer
Played at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania, the 1962 US Open was not just the start of Jack Nicklaus’s incredible relationship with the Majors but also the beginning of a phenomenal rivalry between him and Arnold Palmer. It was the sixth time he’d appeared in the tournament, in spite of the fact that he was just 22-years-old at the time. He was one over par at the end of the first day, then moved to level par, three off the lead, by the time he finished on Friday. Saturday saw him go back to one over par, then a 69 on the Sunday saw him finish tied with Palmer on -1, triggering a play-off. In spite of the crowd supporting Palmer, Nicklaus won it by three strokes.
1967 – Sets U.S. Open Record Score of 275
Five years later and the US Open had moved to the Lower Course of Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey. An amateur led the field at the end of the first day of golf, with Nicklaus’s one over par 71 meaning he wasn’t even in the top ten. He shot three under on day two to move into second, one shot behind Arnold Palmer, then amateur Marty Fleckman retook the lead at the end of Saturday’s play. A remarkable 65 on the Sunday mean that Nicklaus was able to claim his second US Open win, ending up on 275, which was -5 for the course. That was four shots clear of his rival Arnold Palmer, who would only applaud his play.
1972 – Three Shot Win at Pebble Beach
In 1972 the US Open was played at Pebble Beach Golf Links in California, the first time that a Major was held there and the first time that the Open was held at a public golf course. Nicklaus shot one under par on the first day, being tied for first with five other golfers. A one over par 73 on the Friday kept him in the some position with the same number of players vying for the lead, then he managed to shoot par on the Saturday to take the lead outright. Difficult conditions on the final day’s play meant that no one managed to finish under par, with Nicklaus’s +2 being one of the highest winning scores of the post-war era in the US Open.
1980 – New Tournament Record 272 Score
It is far to say that 1980 proved to be an excellent year for 40-year-old Jack Nicklaus, given that he would go on to win the PGA Championship a few months later. His final US Open win came back at New Jersey’s Baltusrol Golf Club, this time setting a new tournament record in the process. He began the competition by shooting a course record-tying 63, which Tom Weiskopf also shot, getting a second round 71 to sit two shots clear of Isao Aoki at the end of Friday. Saturday saw Nicklaus shoot 70 compared to Aoki’s 68, putting the two players level heading into the final round. Nicklaus shot 68 to win by two shots on the Sunday.
Open Championship Wins: 3
When it comes to the world’s best golfers, they don’t really get to claim that title unless they can do it on the tough Links courses of the United Kingdom and Ireland. The fact that Nicklaus won the Open Championship three times, therefore, very much secures his right to being one of the best the game has ever seen. Interestingly, only the PGA Championship didn’t see him win a Major on the same course more than once, with the Masters always being played at Augusta National and two wins in the US Open coming at Baltusrol Golf Club. When it comes to the Open Championship, he won it twice at the home of golf.
1966 – First Grand Slam Secured at Muirfield
Jack Nicklaus’s first Open Championship win came at Muirfield Golf Links in Scotland. It was the sixth of the 18 Majors that Nicklaus would win during his career, as well as making the completion of the first of three career Grand Slams that he would go on to enjoy. Describing Muirfield as the ‘best golf course in Britain’, it is perhaps unsurprising that he led at the end of the first day; albeit tied for first with Jimmy Hitchcock. He took the lead in his own right on day two, following his opening round 70 with a 67. A 75 on day three saw him slip into second, then a final round 70 allowed him to claim his first Claret Jug.
1970 – Playoff Victory at St Andrews
Three years after his first win in the Open Championship came his second, this time on the Old Course at St Andrews. It wasn’t quite as plain sailing this time around, with Nicklaus tied-eighth thanks to an opening round 68. A 69 on day two saw him tied-second, then 73 on the Friday left him there. The final round brought another 73, leaving him tied for the lead with Doug Sanders, both players on -5. That meant a play-off on the Sunday, which was the first at the Open since 1963. It was played over 18-holes for the first time, with previous play-offs being over 36. Nicklaus won it by finishing level par, whilst Sanders ended on +1.
1978 – Third Grand Slam Completed
It is somewhat fitting that Jack Nicklaus won three Open Championships, given that he had won six Masters Tournaments, five PGA Championships and four US Opens. His final victory in the UK came back at the Old Course at St Andrews, meaning that all three of his Open Championship wins came in Scotland. The win was even more impressive when you realise that he wasn’t even in the top ten at the end of the first round nor the second. He was tied for third at the end of day three’s play thanks to a 69, scoring the same thing in the final round to put himself on -7, two shots clear of the four players tied for second place.