Jack Nicklaus nickname, explained: How ‘The Golden Bear’ became go-to name for golf legend

Jack Nicklaus nickname, explained: How ‘The Golden Bear’ became go-to name for golf legend originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Jack Nicklaus remains one of the greatest golfers of all time.

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He still holds the record for most golf major wins with 18, leading Tiger Woods in second place with 15. Nicklaus is 86 years old and has retired from professional golf, but still occasionally plays. While he is known for his playing career, he has created a lore about himself, taking on the identity of “The Golden Bear.”

Nicklaus was given the nickname at the start of his career, but turned it into an entire industry with a logo, clubs and an apparel line. It helps that the veteran golfer keeps making highlight-reel putts, like the one at the 2016 Senior PGA Championship, which fans will remember from his famous lead-in, “want me to show you how to putt it?”

Here is more on how Nicklaus got his nickname as “The Golden Bear.”

MORE: Rory McIlroy majors timeline

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Jack Nicklaus nickname

Nicklaus has long been nicknamed “The Golden Bear.” Some may think that maybe he got the nickname because he attended the University of California, whose mascot is the Golden Bears. That is not the case, because while Nicklaus never finished college, he did attend Ohio State University. The nickname’s origins date back to the start of his professional career.

Why is Jack Nicklaus called ‘The Golden Bear’?

He said in an interview that the nickname came from an article from Australia. A journalist named Don Lawrence wrote an article there about what is up-and-coming in golf. In Lawrence’s article, he wrote about Nicklaus’s debut on the pro circuit and called him “The Golden Bear.”

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When discussing a clothing deal at the start of his career, he knew he needed a logo. Nicklaus thought back to the article and said that it was pretty fitting because in high school, he was a member of the Upper Arlington Golden Bears. He said he thought the nickname was given to him because of that connection and his blonde hair at the time.