Jack Nicklaus broke down on the Memorial broadcast Sunday.
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Every year, Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Event chooses an individual, residing or lifeless, 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 event host.
Much more significant than Nicklaus himself.
Throughout his annual go to to the CBS broadcast sales space in the course of the last spherical of the 2024 Memorial Event, Nicklaus was given the stage by Jim Nantz to announce subsequent yr’s Memorial Event, the fiftieth version of the occasion, honoree.
Nicklaus instantly began choking up.
“I can’t get it out, Jim,” he mentioned earlier than discovering some power to get out the identify.
“It’s Barbara Nicklaus.”
Instantly, the manufacturing crew behind the sales space cameras began applauding and cheering, a rarity within the tv enterprise, however warranted given the announcement of Nicklaus’ spouse because the honoree.
Each Nantz and Trevor Immeleman provided their reward.
“Barbara has meant a lot to this event,” Jack mentioned. “Everyone has honored Jack Nicklaus, however Barbara Nicklaus has been proper there by way of every thing that’s occurred. And the captains felt like that for the fiftieth working of the Memorial, that it was becoming that Barbara be the honoree.
“I broke down and cried the opposite night time and I’m crying once more now.”
Since Nicklaus based the event in 1976, a “Captains Membership” selects not less than one particular person to honor for annually’s event. In accordance with the Memorial’s web site, this was Nicklaus’ concept to honor “perpetuating achievements of the sport’s best people.”
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Members of the Captains Membership embrace former PGA Tour execs like fellow Masters honorary starters Tom Watson and Gary Participant, main gamers within the golf world like Augusta Nationwide Chairman Fred Ridley and former PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, and even Barbara herself.
This yr’s honorees had 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 such thing as a event with out Barbara. There is no such thing as a Jack Nickluas—” Nantz started to say earlier than Jack lower him off.
“She’s been honored by so many individuals. By the USGA. By the PGA of America. Ambassador to golf. So many issues, however not right here at Muirfield,” Jack mentioned. “And she or he’s been behind the scenes for every thing that occurs. It was a really emotional selection for me.”
Nantz additionally famous that the Nicklauses will have a good time their sixty fourth wedding ceremony anniversary subsequent month. That makes Barbara’s choice for subsequent yr much more becoming as they are going to have a good time 65 years of marriage in July 2025.
