The warning Arnold Palmer gave everyone about Jack Nicklaus after the US Open at Oakmont in 1962

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Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus are two of the most famous names to ever be associated with the great game of golf.

Palmer won seven majors and 62 PGA Tour titles, whilst Nicklaus racked up a record 18 major wins and 73 regular tour events.

The two golfing greats were fierce rivals on the course but great friends off it.

Palmer and Nicklaus are both well known for passing down their wisdom to today’s tour players.

Nicklaus is now 86, while Palmer sadly passed away in September 2016, aged 87.

The legacies that both men created will never be diminished. They were trailblazers for the game of golf more than 60 years ago.

And Palmer knew that he had a serious challenge on his hands when Nicklaus burst onto the scene in the early 60s.

Arnold Palmer warned everyone about Jack Nicklaus after the 1962 US Open

Nicklaus won his first major championship at the US Open at Oakmont in 1962, when he got the better of Palmer in an 18-hole play-off.

The two legends finished tied at the top of the leaderboard after four rounds on a score of one-under-par.

However, Nicklaus romped to a three-shot victory over Palmer on Monday during the 18-hole play-off.

And after the round finished, Palmer warned everyone involved with golf what to expect of the then 22-year-old Nicklaus, as quoted by Links Magazine.

“Now that the big guy is out of the cage,” Palmer warned afterward, “everybody better run for cover.“

And boy, was Palmer right.

Nicklaus went on to win 17 more majors after his US Open success at Oakmont in 1962.

Jack Nicklaus’s unrivalled major record

There is not one single player in the game today who can match Nicklaus’s record in majors.

Perhaps the most impressive stat the Golden Bear possesses is his 19 runner-up finishes in the four biggest golfing events.

In his heyday, Nicklaus was a fierce competitor who never knew when he was beaten.

However, what separated him from many others was his behaviour on the course. The 18-time major champion was a true gentleman and always played the game in the spirit that it was intended.

In the 1969 Ryder Cup, Nicklaus famously gave Tony Jacklin a putt that was just over 2 feet in length. The greatest golfer of all time later explained how he didn’t want to give Jacklin the opportunity to miss, considering how it may have affected him in later life.

That act of sportsmanship from the Golden Bear has since become known as ‘The Concession’, and has left an indelible mark on the game.

That exceptional spirit and sportsmanship is something that both Nicklaus and Palmer had, and professional golf is in a much better state now than it would have been without them due to the pioneering roles they played in the growth of the game.