Palmer v Nicklaus - How Did Their Careers Compare?

Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer were superstars of golf and sport in general from the 1950s to the end of the 20th century and beyond. Together with Gary Player, they formed the “Big Three” in the 1960s and their exploits transformed the game of golf – they were big business! They were the first idols of the TV age and countless young golfers were inspired to pick up a club by their scintillating play and consummate professionalism. Both Nicklaus and Palmer enjoyed tremendous success both on and off the golf course. How did their careers compare?

Majors

In men’s professional golf Jack Nicklaus leads the way in Major performances. He won 18 Majors and completed the career Grand Slam three times over. Nicklaus won his first Major in 1962 at the age of just 22. Fittingly for this article, he defeated Arnold Palmer in an 18-hole playoff at Oakmont Country Club to claim the first of his four US Open titles. Jack won The Open Championship on three occasions and the PGA Championship five times. He is a six-time Masters champion, most recently in 1986. His Major-winning career spanned an incredible 24 years.

Arnold Palmer won seven Major titles over a much shorter span of time – between 1958 and 1964. Palmer never completed the career Grand Slam. He was tied second three times in the PGA Championship but never managed to win it. He won the US Open once, The Open Championship twice and The Masters on four occasions.

Nicklaus also outperformed Palmer in terms of top-10 Major finishes. Palmer recorded 38 top-10s in Majors, including his seven wins. Nicklaus managed an astonishing 73 top-10s in the Majors. Through the 1970s, Nicklaus played every Major and only finished outside of the top-10 on five occasions.

Amateur Golf

Jack Nicklaus was a two-time US Amateur champion and was twice a member of the US Walker Cup team. Arnold Palmer won the US Amateur once and never played in the Walker Cup. Both Nicklaus and Palmer won multiple tournaments on the amateur circuit.

Tournament Golf

Jack Nicklaus won 73 times on the PGA Tour and topped the season-ending money list on eight occasions. Nicklaus also won three times on the Australian Tour and 24 times in other tournaments around the world. As a senior, he won 10 times on the Senior PGA Tour, including eight Senior Majors.

Arnold Palmer won 62 times on the PGA Tour and 18 times in other tournaments around the world. As a senior, like Nicklaus, he won 10 times on the Senior PGA Tour, but he only took five Senior Majors. Palmer won the World Cup six times, playing with Sam Snead in 1960 and 1962, then with Nicklaus in 1963, 1964, 1966 and 1967.

Ryder Cup

Jack Nicklaus didn’t play in the Ryder Cup until 1969 but then played again in 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977 and 1981. The USA won all those matches save ’69 which was a tie. Nicklaus’ Ryder Cup record was 17-8-3. He won 66% of the games he played in. Nicklaus was twice Ryder Cup captain, a winning one in 1983 and a losing one in 1987.

Arnold Palmer was always on the winning team in the six Ryder Cups he played in and the one in which he was non-playing captain (1975). He first played in 1961, was playing captain in 1963 and last played in 1973. His playing record was 22-8-2. He won 69% of the games he played in.

Awards

Jack Nicklaus has received more awards than there is space to mention them in this article. But some of the most significant include being named Florida Athlete of the Century, receiving an honorary degree from St Andrews University, receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. He was an inaugural member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and was made an honorary citizen of St Andrews.

Arnold Palmer was also the recipient of countless awards. Among them – The Bob Jones Award, The Old Tom Morris Award, The Payne Stewart Award, The Presidential Medal of Freedom and The Congressional Gold Medal.

Course Design

Jack Nicklaus has been involved in course design since the mid 1960s when Pete Dye asked for his opinions on various possible changes to his designs. Nicklaus Design (a company Nicklaus runs in partnership with his sons and son in law) has been responsible for the design of more than 300 courses worldwide. In 1993 Nicklaus was named Golf Course Architect of the Year and in 2009 was named Golf Course Architect of the year in Asia Pacific.

Arnold Palmer was responsible for the design of more than 300 golf courses in 37 States, 25 countries and five continents. He was a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects.

Business Interests

Jack Nicklaus owns Nicklaus Golf Equipment, founded in 1992. He has written books and instructional columns for magazines. He has given his name to computer games and even lent his name to a line of flavoured lemonades.

Arnold Palmer also had a golf equipment business and lent his name to a line of ice tea drinks. He has a drink named after him – An Arnold Palmer – He also had interests in the automotive business, owning a number of car dealerships.

Charitable Giving

The Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation was set up by Jack and his wife Barbara. Established in 2004, its aim is to help children and families around the world gain access to cutting-edge paediatric life care.

The Arnold and Winnie Palmer Foundation has a mission statement that says they’re aim is - “encouraging strong character and supporting children facing health challenges — and honor their commitment to nature and its ability to enrich and heal us.”

Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus both enjoyed remarkable careers on and off the golf course. They have been ambassadors for golf as players, as captains and as elder statesmen. They have enjoyed success in business and in golf course design and have both been hugely altruistic, both in terms of giving up their time and their wealth for good causes.