Lincoln Medal Presented to the Golden Bear!
The award was presented to the Golden Bear with all five of his children and his wife, Barbara, there to support him Sunday night. Jack Nicklaus became the fourth person in history to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal and the Lincoln Medal; he joins Elie Wiesel, Lady Bird Johnson, and Nancy Reagan as the only people to achieve this accomplishment.
The night prior to the ceremony, Jack and Barbara attended a dinner at the U.S. Capitol that was hosted by selected members of the House and Senate. Before Sunday’s gala, the Nicklauses headed to the White House for a reception hosted by First Lady Melania Trump to celebrate the occasion with the other Lincoln Medal recipient, Sheila Johnson. The First Lady was Honorary Chair of the gala, and entertainer and philanthropist Marie Osmond surprised Jack by flying in to present him the Lincoln Medal. Congratulations to both Jack Nicklaus and Sheila Johnson on this lifetime achievement.
A Memorable Memorial:
After four near-perfect days across a challenging Muirfield Village, Bryson DeChambeau prevailed in a two-hole playoff to win against the Memorial Tournament’s toughest field since the world rankings first started in 1986. Inspired, DeChambeau prepares for a different task as he heads to Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York with his eyes on his first major championship victory at the U.S. Open. Jack Nicklaus once called the U.S. Open the most complete test of golf.
Shinnecock is sure to meet that criteria this week. The Golden Bear is there this week for a firsthand look and will also present the Bob Jones Award to Dennis Walters.
AHEAD of the Crowd!
AHEAD announced this week the unveiling of the newest caps in the Jack Nicklaus Majors Collection in time for the U.S. Open Championship tomorrow at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in New York. The new collection, formed by AHEAD in partnership with the Nicklaus Companies, was launched earlier this spring with a series of four caps as a tribute to the game’s most decorated champion and the winner of a record 18 major championship titles.
Benefiting the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, the newly released caps will debut in two styles—red and blue—emblazoned with the United States flag on one side and the numeral “4” on the other, symbolic of the record-tying number of U.S. Open titles won by Nicklaus. The Golden Bear’s U.S. Open victories came in 1962 at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club, 1967 at Baltusrol (N.J.) Golf Club, 1972 at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links, and 1980, again at Baltusrol. In 2012, the U.S. Golf Association (USGA) renamed the U.S. Open championship medal after Jack Nicklaus. The Jack Nicklaus Medal, presented each year to the champion, incorporates a silhouette of the four-time U.S. Open winner. In 2015, the USGA Museum added a Jack Nicklaus Room—only the fifth person in golf history to be honored with a named room at the museum.
AHEAD’s complete line of Nicklaus headwear, including the Majors Collection, are available for purchase at the company’s online shop — https://aheadusashop.com/collections/jack-nicklaus.
Renovating North Palm Beach CC:
Open for play in 2006, after Jack Nicklaus personally renovated the course two miles from his home, North Palm Beach Country Club has been one of the premier public golf courses on Florida’s East Coast for the past decade. Nicklaus Design is returning to the course this summer to update and restore some of the original design elements.
Nicklaus Design associate, Chad Goetz is onsite working on the renovation:
“At North Palm Beach, we are trying to restore some of the original natural character of the course while also making adjustments to improve playability, maintenance efficiency, and better control cart traffic. The course is being completely regressed with Latitude 36 bermuda fairways, tees, and TifEagle greens. The green contours are being slightly softened and pin areas are being expanded. Additionally, we are adding a new set of forward tees to provide more opportunities for all players to tee it forward. It is personally rewarding for us to play a part in such an important project for so many people in our community who enjoy the course.
“Construction commenced three weeks ago and the demolition has been nearly completed. The first groups of bunkers are now taking shape. Focus will shift to the greens next week, and the first sod will be arriving on site. Large scale grassing should start by the end of the month.”
The “Other” Nicklaus Tournament in Columbus:
Known as the Tournament of Champions, the international finals of the Jack Nicklaus International Invitational brings together the winners of national events held over the past 12 months in select countries. This year, teams from five nations advanced to play for their country in the 36-hole international final sponsored by the Nicklaus Companies.
The Philippines duo of Hubert Lim and Tootsie de Jesus defended the country’s 2017 championship with a net 6-under score. They held off a valiant effort by the all-female Korean team of Jeung Sik Kim and Jin Hee Park, who played the second day at 5-under. The Korean’s were hoping to be the first female team to win the Tournament of Champions. The Filipino win makes it four wins for the country.
“I’m mentally drained,” de Jesus remarked after the win. His partner Hubert Lim mentioned, “the Koreans were like a machine, and we couldn’t put them away. The emotions that you feel at this event and the friendships you make around the world make this an awesome experience.”
The JNII is a two-person team competition for recreational players of all skill levels who get to experience competitive golf in a relaxed, social atmosphere that promotes camaraderie and interest in the game. Players who enter national JNII events get to play top courses in tournament-like conditions to qualify for the international finals taking place the same week as Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament.
True Spec Golf Opening in NYC!:
True Spec Golf, the top golf club-fitting company, has just opened its first location in New York City. Positioned only blocks from Grand Central Station and Times Square, the new store is ideally located in the center of the most populated area of New York City.
True Spec’s Manhattan facility features three indoor, state-of-the-art fitting bays, a putter studio and a premium retail shop to get you ready for the season. Using its proprietary fitting matrix and the industry’s first quadroscopic launch monitor, Foresight GCQuad, a Master Club Fitter will identify the exact set of clubs you need to perform your best on the golf course.
Visit True Spec Golf’s website, https://www.truespecgolf.com, to book an appointment in Midtown Manhattan or any of their other 14 locations around the country.
