Jack Nicklaus moved to tears by touching tribute | Golf News

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus could not maintain back tears as he rewatched footage of his spouse, Barbara, delivering a heartfelt speech at the Memorial Tournament Honoree ceremony.

The 2025 occasion held particular significance for the Nicklaus household as it was the yr Barbara acquired the distinguished honor, acknowledging her affect on the world of golf.

Through his storied profession and as the drive behind the famend PGA Tour occasion, Nicklaus has weighed in on varied features of the game, from in-depth participant interviews to Bryson DeChambeau’s highly effective drives, and even Rory McIlroy’s absence from this weekend’s event.

During a section with CBS Sports’ Jim Nantz, Nicklaus watched Barbara conclude her speech by borrowing phrases from her husband.

“I will leave you with a quote I stole from my husband,” Barbara cited. “‘A legacy is not what you do on the field or inside the ropes. A legacy is what you leave behind for others that determines how you are remembered.'”

Her message ended with heartfelt gratitude: “So thank you from the bottom of my heart, and God bless you all.”

Nicklaus, viewing these moments again, was visibly moved. Wiping away tears, he remarked, “That was wonderful,” clearly touched by the tribute. “It was a great day and Barbara was terrific. Barbara should’ve been honored a long time ago, but she’s honored now and we are just delighted that she’s here.”

The day before, Nicklaus shared with CBS that he was taken by shock when his spouse Barbara used one of his quotes in her speech, a quote he did not even recall making. “Barbara was wonderful,” he expressed.

“She’s been nervous for a year, and she says, ‘I don’t know if I can do this.’ I said, ‘Barbara, you’ll do it.’ Barbara always has a great speech, and she said outside that she quoted four different people. “Actually, she quoted me on a quote I did not know about,” Nicklaus continued with a chuckle. “But anyway, she’s fantastic and it was actually, actually great that she was honored.

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“She has meant so much to this tournament and so much obviously to me, but so much to the tournament and everybody that comes here. All the players and the wives, she’s just been our first lady of golf and the best mother, grandmother and great grandmother you could ever want.”

In her heartfelt acceptance speech, Barbara expressed her gratitude in the direction of Nicklaus for the myriad alternatives he supplied her. “The love and guidance of my husband, Jack, have given me the opportunity to be my own person and to help others,” she mentioned.

“I’m standing here because of you, Jack. Commitment, loyalty and trust are qualities that I’ve always admired in Jack. And I’ve always been so proud of him, and I wanted him in turn to be proud of me. So thank you, Jack. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”