Jack Nicklaus is the greatest golfer of all time, by most people’s parameters anyway.
His record says it all, with 18 majors and 73 PGA Tour titles to his name.
Nicklaus also achieved a record 19 runner-up finishes in major championships.
The 85-year-old is revered the world over, and rightly so.
He was a trailblazer for the game of golf when he burst onto the scene in the early 60s, with his powerful hitting off the tee and incredible short game.
Nicklaus suggested that he would have been able to hit the ball 50 yards longer if he was in his prime now, with modern technology.
The 18-time major champion is hosting The Memorial Tournament this week. Nicklaus even changed the 16th hole at Muirfield Village after taking on board advice from the players.
That is a sign of what a great man he really is. His respect for his fellow professionals knows no bounds.
But who would he pick to play alongside him in his dream foursome?
Jack Nicklaus names his ideal foursome
Nicklaus features in many pros’ dream foursomes when they’re asked the question.
So it’s very interesting to know who the greatest player of all time would like to accompany him if he had one final round to play.
Nicklaus was asked to name his dream foursome during an appearance on the Good Good YouTube channel.
“If you take away my family. I would go back, I never played with Bobby Jones. I never saw him hit a shot. I would have loved to have played with Jones.
“I loved playing golf with Hogan. Hogan was unbelievable to watch play because he was so good. He struck the ball so beautifully.
“And I think Tiger. Tiger is just, I remember the last time I played with Tiger in a tournament was at Valhalla and he won down there that year, the last time I played with him. It was 2000. I said after I finished that round it was time to pass the torch! I like Tiger. Tiger is really good.“
Tiger Woods is the man who has come closest to matching Nicklaus’s major record, whilst Ben Hogan had nine to his name.
However, perhaps Bobby Jones could have been the man to hold all of the records in golf.
He retired at the age of just 28, after winning seven major championships, all while not having even turned professional.
Jack Nicklaus names dream course to play one round with Woods, Hogan and Jones
Nicklaus has played pretty much every top golf course in the world.
He was asked which golf course he would pick to play with the three players he mentioned above.
Nicklaus said, “If I had one round to play I would probably go to Pebble Beach. What Pebble Beach is, I chose to end my career at St Andrews because of what I think St Andrews has been to the game of golf. My second choice for that was Augusta, so my last two tournaments were Augusta and St Andrews and my last US Open was at Pebble Beach.
“I three putted my last green. I had tears in my eyes, I knocked it on the green in two at Pebble and I was 60 years old at the time, and I had a putt from about 25 or 30 feet and I had tears in my eyes. I hit it halfway, I stubbed it. It was alright, it was a nice place to finish up.“
What a round that would be to witness.
Nicklaus alongside Woods, Hogan and Jones at Pebble Beach. That really is the stuff that dreams are made of.
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