Courtesy of Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal staff writer
COLUMBUS - Jack Nicklaus never liked to reflect on anything.
He always focused straight ahead, always trying to keep "climbing the mountain," as he put it. He feared that if he took time to be satisfied with his accomplishments, his accomplishments would satisfy him and keep him from doing more.
That, in part, might have been why it took nearly a decade of work for the Jack Nicklaus Museum to be realized. The world's most accomplished and decorated golfer flat out might not have believed he was worthy of such an honor.
But the Golden Bear finally broke down last night, figuratively and realistically, at the dedication and ribbon-cutting of the museum at Ohio State.
"I'm truly humbled by all of this," Nicklaus said in front of several hundred outside the museum and thousands more live on The Golf Channel. "To have everything you ever accomplished all in front of you like this, well it's pretty neat."
And the Jack Nicklaus Museum does have everything he accomplished, from the first golf trophy he ever won at age 10 to a green jacket he claimed in winning the Masters six times.
"I'm sure glad my mother and my wife were pack rats," Nicklaus said. "Of course, now I don't have anything in my house anymore."
The museum, which officially opens today, has been constructed during the past year and a half and has been in the works since the early 1990s. Though the site was disputed for several years, another choice was at the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, it ended up being constructed in the heart of Ohio State's athletic facilities.
It is located on Olentangy River Road, adjacent to the Schottenstein Center, Bill Davis Stadium and the Woody Hayes Center.
Inside are literally thousands of photos and memorabilia from Nicklaus' storied career. Included are baby photos and never-before-seen pictures of his childhood years.
There is an entire wing dedicated to his accomplishments, decade-by-decade. Last night's program featured a glimpse of it, showing great moments of his career through the 1960s, '70s, '80s and '90s. Included are old sets of clubs, gloves, balls, bags, scorecards and scoreboards.
Another wing focuses on his 20 major championship victories, with different rooms detailing his Masters, U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur, British Open and PGA championships complete with the rare trophies and that green jacket, which was never supposed to be removed from the grounds at Augusta National.
There's a large theater where highlights of Nicklaus' career will be shown, an art gallery, exhibits on Ohio State University's golf teams including Nicklaus' NCAA championship there, an area dedicated to his career as a golf course architect and an area honoring the Memorial Tournament.
At the ceremony last night, several of Nicklaus' longtime friends such as Gary Player and PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem spoke, as did his wife, Barbara.
Nicklaus, whose Memorial Tournament starts Thursday at Muirfield, spoke for nearly 25 minutes, several times coming to tears when remembering his father; Woody Hayes, one of his mentors; and his wife.
"I'm very proud of this museum, it tells a lot of stories," he said. "I don't know how to express what I'm feeling, it's beyond me."
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