Most golf fans are well aware of the place Jack Nicklaus holds in the game. But it’s not until you examine his stats more closely that you can gain a full appreciation for how dominant Nicklaus was for so long.
For his 82nd birthday, we looked once more at some of our favorite, still-remarkable numbers from the Golden Bear’s illustrious career. As expected, they are heavily focused on the majors, events in which Nicklaus’ record is unmatched. And yes, we just happened to pick 18 in total.
1. From 1970 to 1979, Nicklaus’ worst finish at the Masters was eighth.
2. In 1998, at age 58, Nicklaus shot the lowest final round (68) for a senior in Masters history. He finished T-6, also setting the record for lowest total score for a senior.
3. In 44 majors from 1970-1980, Nicklaus missed ONE cut. In that span he finished inside the top 10 38 times, and 30 of those were in the top five. He won 10 of those times.
4. At the 1965 Masters, Nicklaus played the front nine in 12 under for the week, which is tied for the all-time record. He won his second green jacket that year by nine shots over Arnold Palmer.
5. Nicklaus holds the record for most top-10 finishes at Augusta with 22, as well as cuts made, with 37. He also holds the record for wins with six, and runner-up finishes with four.
6. As an amateur, Nicklaus finished inside the top 10 three times in major championships, including a solo second at the 1960 U.S. Open and a T-4 at the 1961 U.S. Open. The following year he won the event for his first major title, beating Arnold Palmer in a playoff at Oakmont.
7. Nicklaus has 19 runner-up finishes in majors, and five of those came in a playoff or by one stroke. Three of those times he was edged out by Lee Trevino, who beat him in the 1971 U.S. Open in a playoff, then beat him by one stroke at the 1972 Open Championship and 1974 PGA Championship.
8. For his career, Nicklaus has 68 finishes of seventh or better at majors.
9. From the 1970 Open Championship to the 1978 Open Championship, Nicklaus finished outside the top 10 just twice in majors.
10. Nicklaus made the cut in 39 straight majors from the 1969 Masters to the 1978 Open Championship. Tiger Woods matched that streak with his run from the 1996 U.S. Open to the 2006 Masters.
11. From the 1973 Masters to the 1976 Masters, Nicklaus had 13 straight top-10 finishes in majors.
12. In his 50s, Nicklaus made nine starts in the Masters and missed the cut only once. Twice he finished sixth, and he finished no worse than T-42 in his other six trips to Augusta as a senior.
13. Nicklaus’ worst finish in the Open Championship between 1966 and 1980? A T-6 in 1969.
14. In his first 22 starts in the PGA Championship, Nicklaus finished T-6 or better 15 times. Five of those he won, and 14 times he finishes inside the top four.
15. Between 1971 and 1982, Nicklaus finished outside the top 10 just once in the U.S. Open.
16. Nicklaus is the only player to win the Players three times, all three coming within the first five years of the tournament’s inception, though none of these wins came at TPC Sawgrass.
17. Nicklaus won five of the first eight senior major championships he played in. He finished in the top 10 in 20 of his first 22, and had top-four finishes 15 times.
18. Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are the only two players to achieve three career grand slams.