Jack Nicklaus broke down on the Memorial broadcast Sunday.
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Each yr, Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament chooses an individual, dwelling or useless, to honor at that yr’s occasion for his or her contributions to the sport and 2025’s honoree is maybe probably the most significant one but to the match host.
Even extra significant than Nicklaus himself.
During his annual go to to the CBS broadcast sales space through the ultimate spherical of the 2024 Memorial Tournament, Nicklaus was given the stage by Jim Nantz to announce subsequent yr’s Memorial Tournament, the fiftieth version of the occasion, honoree.
Nicklaus instantly began choking up.
“I can’t get it out, Jim,” he stated earlier than discovering some power to get out the title.
“It’s Barbara Nicklaus.”
Immediately, the manufacturing crew behind the sales space cameras began applauding and cheering, a rarity in the tv enterprise, however warranted given the announcement of Nicklaus’ spouse because the honoree.
Both Nantz and Trevor Immeleman provided their reward.
“Barbara has meant so much to this tournament,” Jack stated. “Everybody has honored Jack Nicklaus, however Barbara Nicklaus has been proper there by means of every part that’s occurred. And the captains felt like that for the fiftieth operating of the Memorial, that it was becoming that Barbara be the honoree.
“I broke down and cried the other night and I’m crying again now.”
Since Nicklaus based the match in 1976, a “Captains Club” selects at the least one particular person to honor for every year’s match. According to the Memorial’s website, this was Nicklaus’ thought to honor “perpetuating achievements of the game’s greatest individuals.”
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Members of the Captains Club embody former PGA Tour professionals like fellow Masters honorary starters Tom Watson and Gary Player, main gamers in the golf world like Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley and former PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, and even Barbara herself.
This yr’s honorees have been Juli Inkster and Tom Weiskopf.
Barbara will develop into one of many few honorees who didn’t play skilled or elite novice golf.
Nantz identified the serendipity that Jack was the honoree on the twenty fifth Memorial in 2000 and Barbara will get to be the honoree on the fiftieth.
“There is no tournament without Barbara. There is no Jack Nickluas—” Nantz started to say earlier than Jack minimize him off.
“She’s been honored by so many people. By the USGA. By the PGA of America. Ambassador to golf. So many things, but not here at Muirfield,” Jack stated. “And she’s been behind the scenes for everything that happens. It was a very emotional choice for me.”
Nantz additionally famous that the Nicklauses will have fun their sixty fourth marriage ceremony anniversary subsequent month. That makes Barbara’s choice for subsequent yr much more becoming as they are going to have fun 65 years of marriage in July 2025.
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