DALTON, GA--Every field of achievement has its undisputed king. The world of golf has the legendary Jack Nicklaus. The floor covering industry has Shaw. Now the two are coming together, as Shaw Rugs announces the Jack Nicklaus Collection an exciting addition to the company's wide range of products created through licensing agreements.

This collection is made from 100-percent wool and is available in six sizes, from 2' x 3' - 9'6 x 13'2. Suggested retail price for the 5'5 x 7'9 rug is $799.99.

With abrashed textures and paneled looks, these designs resonate with the ambience of golf, in a quiet and sophisticated way. Reflecting the style and confidence of the athlete whose name they bear, they are perfect for the living room, den or clubhouse.

The collection includes eopalace, an organic Persian medallion design. Its bold pattern is accentuated by harmonious shades of golden brown that endow it with an air of subtle strength. Bear's Club is a relaxed yet stately pattern incorporating crossed golf clubs that hints at a European coat-of-arms, but with a warm, spacious tone that brings to mind the great gold courses of the old world.

Barbara and Jack Nicklaus first visited the Shaw headquarters and mills last year to begin the strategy for the new Jack Nicklaus Collection. Over the past year, Barbara Nicklaus has been working with the Shaw designers and craftsmen on the designs, patterns, color schemes and decorative ideas for the collection, which will debut later this month at the Atlanta Market. Barbara Nicklaus also helped design the Jack Nicklaus Collection of furniture for Drexel Heritage, and over the past three decades, she has worked with a variety of Nicklaus clubs and courses on the interior design of their clubhouses.

Jack Nicklaus, professional golfer and golf course designer, has won 20 major championship titles, another eight major championships on the Senior PGA Tour, and has won 100 professional events worldwide. He has been named PGA Player of the Year five times, and was labeled by almost every national and international media outlet as the "Golfer of the Century" or "Golfer of the Millennium". Nicklaus has also garnered numerous awards related to his golf course design work, including the 1993 Golf Course Architect of the Year by Golf World magazine.

Jack Nicklaus and his firm, Nicklaus Design, have over 250 golf courses open for play in 27 countries and 35 states. Nicklaus Design is a division of the privately owned Nicklaus Companies, which also specializes in the licensing and marketing of the Nicklaus, Jack Nicklaus and Golden Bear brands. The global Jack Nicklaus licensing business spans 30 countries and generates over $300 million in sales of apparel, equipment, home furnishings, and cosmetics. For more information on Nicklaus, visit www.nicklaus.com.

Shaw Rugs is a division of Shaw, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., one of the largest soft floor-covering manufacturers in the world. Shaw Rugs is a U.S. producer of machine-woven rugs in wool, polypropylene and nylon. In addition to the printed and machine-woven categories, Shaw Rugs also produces wool custom tufted and nylon fabricated rugs. See Shaw Rugs at the Atlanta Rug Market Merchandise Mart, Space 6B5. For more information, call 1-800-282-7429, write to Shaw Rugs at P.O. Drawer 2128, Dalton, GA 30722-2128, or visit www.shawrugs.com.