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Jack Nicklaus says what would have happened to his career had he not won the US Open at Oakmont in 1962

Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images
Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images
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Oakmont has a storied past with the US Open, with J.J. Spaun now joining the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Dustin Johnson as event winners at the venue.

Johnson won the US Open at Oakmont Country Club in 2016, the last time it took place at the Pennsylvania course before this week.

Oakmont has now played host to the major championship on 10 occasions, most notably when Nicklaus clinched his first such win in 1962.

He defeated Arnold Palmer in a playoff that year, before going on to secure 17 more major championship wins before retiring.

Nicklaus had a fantastic relationship with Palmer, who had won the US Open two years before his friend at Cherry Hills.

Dustin Johnson celebrates US Open win with Jack Nicklaus
Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

Jack Nicklaus says how his career changed after 1962 US Open win at Oakmont

During the latest edition of the tournament, the former shared insight into his maiden victory in Pennsylvania.

He told the official US Open X account: “You know, had I not won here in ’62, I would have probably still been a struggling professional for a while.

READ MORE: Jack Nicklaus reacts to the prize fund for this year’s US Open being set at $21.5m

“Who knows? Well, I was now US Open champion, okay, that exempt me for life on tour. I don’t think they still allowed me to be today… they didn’t… they changed the exemption rules.

“It allowed me to pick and choose and allowed me to concentrate on majors. It gave me the confidence that I could win.

Arnold Palmer stands with Jack Nicklaus at the 1994 US Open at Oakmont
14 JUN 1994: JACK NICKLAUS AND ARNOLD PALMER WAIT ON THE FIRST TEE PRIOR TO THEIR PRACTICE ROUND FOR THE U.S. OPEN AT OAKMONT COUNTRY CLUB IN OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA Mandatory Credit: Gary Newkirk/ALLSPORT

“At that point in time I’d won, you know… at that time it was three majors. I’d won two Amateurs and the Open.

“It set me up in the game of golf. I won later on that year, I won two more tournaments in the fall and then the World Series.

“But that’s what I won my first year on tour. And then of course I started out in ’63, I won The Masters and won the PGA Championship. Should have won the British Open. Didn’t play well at the US Open.

“At Oakmont, you used to draw out of a hat, caddies. And whether I was… whether I got it out of a hat or not, I don’t know, but I had Topsy Bugna, one of the top caddies here at Oakmont.

“And Topsy knew this place like the back of his hand. And you know, it’s good to have a caddie that knows that.”

Jack Nicklaus US Open win record after Oakmont triumph

No player in the history of the game boasts more major titles than Nicklaus, who sits top of the pile with 18, three ahead of Tiger Woods.

Four of those arrived at the US Open, along with six at The Masters, five at the PGA Championship and three at The Open Championship.

READ MORE: The complaint Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player all once had about Oakmont

Year54 holesScoreMarginRunner-up
19622 shot deficit−1 (72-70-72-69=283)PlayoffArnold Palmer
19671 shot deficit−5 (71-67-72-65=275)4 strokesArnold Palmer
19721 shot lead+2 (71-73-72-74=290)3 strokesBruce Crampton
1980Tied for lead−8 (63-71-70-68=272)2 strokesIsao Aoki
Jack Nicklaus US Open wins

He edged out close friend Palmer on plenty of occasions over the years, with Bruce Crampton and Doug Sanders also among his unfortunate list of victims.

And latest champion Spaun has now followed in the footsteps of the legendary figure, with Nicklaus certain to have been left impressed by his compatriot’s efforts at a very tough Oakmont this week.