I watched the man play golf for 40 years...always a complete professional, and a gentleman. Always had respect for the game, and his fellow players. Loved his wife and kids....just don't see that in professional sports much anymore. Greatest golfer ever.

Caddied for Nicklaus in August '71. He was in Columbus playing a late Sunday afternoon round at Scioto with a member. Jackie, who was probably 9 at the time, also played as well as the member's son.. We get to the 8th hole, a par 5, which is not far from an outside patio where members were having drinks and eating. Obviously word had spread that Jack was on the course. As we get to the 9th hole , a 150 yard par 3, a group of 20-25 members had gathered around the green. Again it was just a casual round of golf. Jack hits it about 15 ft. left of the pin. Suddenly his mindset goes into tournament mode as if he were reading the putt to win the U.S. Open. Of course he drains the putt. Back then the standard caddy rate for 9 holes was $2 a bag. Jack gave me $20. A cool memory I'll remember the rest of my life.

I still loved the senior tour at the opening of his course when he schooled Johnny Miller on how to make a 100+ foot putt without lining up or a practice swing. 😂

A 1 or 2 iron in 1972 when he nailed the flag. And when he went for it at the British Open and drove over the green after taking off his sweater. Total stud.

Who didn't get goose bumps watching the '86 Masters and specifically the put on 16. You knew Jack had won another jacket right there!

I am always amazed at how guys like Nicklaus, Palmer, Player, etc. can remember minute details of events from 50 years earlier. And they always seem to focus on championships that got away, rather than the ones they won.

The best gentleman superstar ever. He signed my hat at Medinah 75 us open . Still have the hat and Arnold Palmer signed it firsr. Long story I was 13. Memories USA.

Jack was constantly making great shots. Some shots just mean more than others.

My favorite sequences was 1986 last 10 holes of the Masters. Trouble off the drive on the eigth hole. Miracle second shot to help save par. Then 7 under the last 10 holes. Missed a hole in one on 16, putt on 14 and 18 by a total of 10 inches. The best closing I've ever seen on anyone in a major. And most of the golfers that he beat in the top 10 won a major. That's a sequence in my eyes.

Jack's best lesson for me was when he said you need to play within your limitations. That improved my game quite a bit. I stopped taking on impossible shots, played shots I knew I could hit and my scoring really improved (and I spent less time hacking out of the rough so my mood improved also). As Dirty Harry said "A man's got to know his limitations" :)

The amazing thing is, he can remember so many of thousands and thousands. He can remember the situation, the club, the weather, what he was trying to do with the ball. He said the thing that goes with age was the ability to concentrate for 4 days, not the ability to swing the club. It seems that the concentration and thought tactics enabled him to fix so much into his memory.

Even though as accomplished as he is, he is a very humble person. We can learn alot about his humility and follow his example.

That is the winning mentality right there. Visualising what he needed to score on the last three holes to win.

He was my hero as a teen, and I still admire him. Come to think of it, I've never seen, heard, or read anything that disappointed me. He comes from a time when there was a code of conduct--the gentleman--that seems to have vanished.

People will argue forever whether Jack or Tiger is the greatest golfer ever. But for class, sportsmanship, and a true family man, it's no contest.

Jack Nicklaus was the best driver of the golf ball I’ve ever seen. He could hit it Cameron Champ distance with a leather gripped 42.75” steel shafted persimmon headed driver and an out of round balata covered Tourney golf ball filled with rubber windings.

Greatest player then and the greatest player now. End of story.

it's a beautiful response that, without arrogance, highlights both Jack's greatness and the fact that nobody is greater than the game itself. Jack's win at Muirfield in 1966 completed his career grand slam, cementing him (at age 26) as one of the all-time greats. What he doesn't mention here is that in 1972 he was aiming for the third leg of the single-year grand slam. That he couldn't quite pull it off reminds us of how difficult the game is (and, to be fair, how remarkable the Tiger Slam was). For me, the 1972 Open Championship may have been the greatest tournament ever: Trevino affirms his greatness, the very good Jacklin was destroyed, Nicklaus was denied a chance at absolute immortality, and the quirks of golf (and life) were on full display to remind us it's only a game.

There are many shots, and what he says is why he is a winner, every shot is important. But who can forget 1986 Masters at the 16th hole, because it was the cream on top of an accumulation of that round.

My first set of used clubs I was given as a kid had a 1-iron in it, and I thought you were actually supposed to use it. Years of misery ensued.

Par 3 16th US Masters 1986. I stayed home from school (Monday morning here in Australia) and watched Jack make his run. That long, downhill curling ??? footer he made for birdie is etched in my memory forever, as is the roar of the crowd. I heard later - through his caddy and son - that he wasn't able to see the ball land past 5 iron. Pure electrifying magic.

the iron he hit on August #15 in the 1975 Masters ranks up there. At the time he said it was the best shot under pressure for him.

The 102Ft. Put with Jonny Miller was Your Best Jack.

I've followed the careers of all the modern era golf Greats - and read all the biographies of the old time greats in history - and Nicklaus is, no question, the greatest golfer of all time. Great head on his shoulders, great athlete - Plus the guy has total integrity in his life / family life.

I’m suprised at Jacks answer none of those anecdotes compare to the incredible unforgettable eagle at 15 on his way to win the US MASTERS IN 1986 at age 46 pure magic Sevy came to the same hole minutes later and under pressure from Jack hit it into the water to lose by two One of the greatest achievements in Golf history arguably the greatest

The shot of his that impressed me the most was the 1 iron he hit at 15 in the 75 Masters

I always thought how crazy it was that Jack remembers all these shots he hit 20-30-40 years ago....then I read somewhere that he has a photographic memory.......no wonder he was so mentally tough to play against. All that knowledge to fall back on.

The greatest sportsman in all of sports.

Tee shot at 16 at the 1986 Masters final round. Maybe the greatest shot in golf history.

Not only great talent, but incredible self-belief, determination and "will to win"......only Tiger comes close

Only a legend would not even answer the question and still spit some game

The greats all seem to come up with great putts when they need them. Jack has hundreds of those.

His runner up finishes in majors are astonishing. 19 I think. Let that number roll around in your head for a minute.

I studied Golf My Way and read every article in any golf magazine at the college library...then would go to the course. I think I went to about 3 classes that year...

Great man, great answer..."They were all important" :)

It’s telling that the sting of not winning is something he brings up. Truly a man driven to win intrinsically.

Spoken like a true champion. It’s not about one shot.

Jack was the best pressure putter I've ever seen. It seems he never missed putts for par.

Gotta love THE Jack!

i can't believe he didn't mention the 1 iron he hit, at the 72 us open at pebble beach, in the wind, that hit the flag and landed a few inches from the hole

The 1 iron to the 17 th par 3 at pebble beach where you hit the pin and stopped to an inch springs to mind 😂😂😂😂🙄🙄🙄⛳️⛳️👍👍👍unbelievable shot

The greatest human being to ever play golf. And a pretty good golfer too.

Great answer for a true legend and gentleman.

Weiskopf: "You knew Jack was going to beat you. Jack knew he was going to beat you. And Jack knew that YOU knew he was going to beat you."

Jack is the GOAT!!!

Great to hear the voice of Henry Longhurst .the voice of golf back in the day,and mentor of the late Peter Alliss

I'm 3 years younger than Jack. And, I, of course, watched him (via TV) during his long dominance on the Tour. During one tournament - in the early 70s I think, where he came to a tee on a par 4 with trees lining both sides of the tee box and on down the straight fairway. There was a single power line, oh, about 70-80 yards out from the tee, quite high up, and crossing the hole - Just ONE power line. He teed off and hit that power line. He was allowed to tee it up again. And, he hit it again!!!!!!! THAT was the most amazing shot I have ever seen. I'm sure he thought it couldn't happen again. But, he's Jack Nicklaus, isn't he?

...and he has a commemorative plaques at Baltusrol for "the shot" in 1967. He is, for me, the best and most succesfull player ever existed, a real champion and a true gentleman inside and outside the course. He is the Golden Bear.

I used to live in North Palm Beach and would occasionally motorboat past his house. Later when I was in the Air Force and stationed out in El Segundo California, I would play golf at the Navy golf course at Los Alamitos. tiger's Dad of course was retired Military so Tiger had playing rights there. I believe Tiger had one one or two US Amateurs by then. Saw Tiger Woods on the putting green and driving range there a few times, 1993,4 ish. Didn't talk much. Even played 3 holes with my buddy and him one late Sunday. Played the first and second and then could come back on the 18 if my memory serves. And me being born in 57 even remember as a kid watching him on TV on the Merv Douglas or Mike Griffen talk show when he was like 3 or whatever. Back then not many channels to watch so those afternoon shows were what our family watched

I would have to say to Jack I think his "best" shot was his second on 15 the final round of the 86 Masters. The significance of that day and what it meant and that shot started it all setting up the eagle for the home stretch.

I m o not just the greatest golfer of all time but the greatest sportsman of all time, why? The 3 foot putt he gave to Tony jacklin in 1969 to halve the Ryder cup, he got berated by his team mates for giving it to jacklin , but what he said to jacklin was, ‘ I don’t think you would have missed that putt but I wasn’t going to give you the opportunity to miss it’ pure class

The takeaway is his strategic approach to the game. He wasn't a one-shot thinking player: he played in a contained way, always with a plan.

That one iron at Pebble Beach in that wind has to be the top shot especially considering the pressure involved.

Final round 1986 Masters. 16th hole tee shot.

Interesting answer, I would have though his final round 1 iron on the 17th hole at Pebble Beach in 1972 where he stayed aggressive and hit the flag leaving him within inches of the hole for a birdie and the win.

There’s just something about Jack, Arnie, and Mr. Player. Great at golf, but, even better as men.

His One Iron at Pebble Beach on 17 was is best one-shot.

a great man, father and golfer

The second shot on 15 at Augusta in 1986.

The 1986 Masters. You in your yellow shirt, honoring your friend, showed the whole world what you are made of. Never ever count The Golden Bear out. Yes Sir. Mike Pardue 🚩🏌️‍♂️

As a teenager in the 60's into the 70's, I was not a fan of Jack Nicklaus. I had not begun to take the game seriously and pretty much bought in to the media coverage about this young newcomer. Nicklaus was portrayed as a robotic machine. No emotion or personality. He was the opposite of the flamboyant Arnold Palmer. It wasn't until I had my third knee surgery and my doctor told me to take up golf, they I began to understand the man. I decided to learn the game if I was going to play. I purchased these two illustrated books by Jack Nicklaus. Lesson Tee and Playing Lessons. These two books were easy to follow and understand. Everything I've ever learned about the game are in one of these two books and I use these lessons every time I step up to a golf ball. There will never be another player like Jack Nicklaus. It was not only in his success, but in how he carried himself. Jack was always' the pro and acted like he had been there before. No fist pumping or screaming. Just raise the putter in celebration. Classy. If there was ever a chance to meet on famous person in history. I would chose to meet Jack Nicklaus. The only advice I would chose to give him in return, would be to remain true to his faith and not get caught up in the politics in todays society.

In the 70s and 80s. when Muhammad Ali and Norman Mailer were my heroes, Jack Nicholson was the big Hollywood star. Little did I realize that a similarly named Jack Nicklaus was the coolest guy on the planet. His clothes had me fooled. Is he not entirely composed of class, smarts, and grace? What an answer -- brilliant, simple, true.

Love u jack

Tiger fell short of catching Jack’s most majors & Phil’s oldest to win a major. Most PGA wins is a little lesser - with so many golfers now playing on other International tours. These golfers are all awesome!

How can he top the slash out of the rough at Turnberry on the last hole after Watson hit it to two feet? Then he made the putt.

Power of self-suggestion.

Class

I grew up watching his era. Anyway in this video he says he can't recall any really important shot he missed. Well, I point out Turnberry the Open in 77. He missed a putt for Par on the 17th hole that put him 1 behind Watson. Jack made an unbelievable birdie putt on the 18th, but Watson had put his own approach shot like two feet from the hole and also birdied to win the Open

One of the very best !

Jack is the best !

Def has my vote as the G.O.A.T

so humble

Why would people argue? Jack wins every time. Most Major titles, a true gentleman and a great ambassador for the game of golf. Tiger is a very poor second (at best).

He wasn't asked how many were important, he was asked what was his best shot. He should answer the question asked.

great .......

Best shot I ever saw from Jack, or anybody, was the 1 iron into a gale on 17 at Pebble Beach in the final round of the U.S. Open. Everybody else was hitting woods and missing the green badly. Jack hit a laser with a one iron that hit just short of the hole, one hopped against the pin and stopped just off the lip for a tap in birdie. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pquKasShmJ2ZgIU.html

nicklaus hit a one iron at the 1975 us pga at firestone in the words of his playing partner roger maltbie(golf digest interview-my shot) "i never saw a shot like it-it was a skyscraper"

hard to pick. 72 one iron at pebble on the par 3 17th was incredible hitting the flag stick and dropping down inches from the cup. But including emotion it had to be at the 86 masters. the tee shot on par 3 16 where jack is picking up the tee not looking at where the ball is landing, just missing a hole in one and jack saying he can no longer see that far. also the putt on 17 with I think jack whitaker (not sure) shouting "yes sir" as it drops in giving jack the lead in the 86 masters.

The man birdied 18 more than any player ever

The best

Trust your swing & forget about your past mistakes...each new game is a new game!

Ask a strategist 'what one thing' and they'll not be able to give you an answer.

Not even God can hit a 1-iron. Lee Trevino!

Nice to hear Henry Longhurst's commentary

Still the GOAT as of 20 April 2019

What does jack mean when he said “we were playing small ball at that time”? Were the golf balls literally smaller back then??? I’m confused lol

G.O.A.T.

His worst shot was the most recent Muirfield tournament. As a retired Nationwider, I recommended they pay Jon Rahm following his positive test for COVID. I'm glad things went his way with the U.S. Open, a tournament that usually has its own problems.

I’m a huge fan but Jack is a funny guy. He says he doesn’t remember a lot of things, but I swear he remembers every important shot since he was 10. Much like Magnus Carlsen in that not just the shot/move, but the context. He’s probably hard on himself about The Open because he really could have won 4-5 in a row.

The best there has EVER been. Period.

Golfers are usually polite gentlemen like this one.

There is no question is my mind. Jack Nicklaus is the greatest golfer ever. Tiger is a great golfer but not a good person, and he will always be remembered for his infidelity. Jack was a great golfer and course designer. A great teacher with his lesson books. Taught me everything I know about the game. He is also a great father and husband. And Jack is as humble a champion as you will ever meet. In addition to being a gentleman and great sport in losing.

“Here’s a show where we ask golfers to talk about their one greatest shot.” Also “It’s hard to just pick on shot so, we let them talk about multiple shots”

G.O.A.T

Où sont ses bons coups???

Those 1 irons from two US Opens and the Masters under pressure, sorry but nothing compares to those phenomenal golf shots

Only a truly great golfer would include his misses as well as his successes in a "best ever" segment!

It's got to be the 1 iron to a foot at 17th to win the 1972 US Open at Pebble Beach

Jack, your best "shot" was taking a shot at asking Barbara to marry you.

“The dual in the sun” in the British Open, Turnberry, Scotland 1977. Absolute epic golf. Albeit Tom Watson pipped Mr Nicklaus.