American professional golfer, a dominating figure in world golf from the 1960s to the ’80s. Nicklaus was named the PGA Player of the Year five times (1967, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976), and he was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. He joined the Senior PGA Tour (now the Champions Tour) in 1990 and retired from tournament golf in 2005. His career totals include 73 PGA victories--a number exceeded only by Sam Snead and Tiger Woods--and a record 18 victories in the four major professional championships.

Jack Nicklaus is the author of several books, including Golf My Way: The Instructional Classic, Revised and Updated; Jack Nicklaus' Lesson Tee; My Golden Lessons: 100-Plus Ways to Improve Your Shots, Lower Your Scores and Enjoy Golf Much, Much More; Putting My Way: A Lifetime's Worth of Tips from Golf's All-Time Greatest Golf at St. Andrews; Jack Nicklaus: My Story; Nicklaus by Design: Golf Course Strategy and Architecture; Jack Nicklaus: Memories and Mementos from Golf's Golden Bear; My 55 Ways to Lower Your Golf Score and others.

Photograph: Jim Mandeville/The Nicklaus Companies.