Jack Nicklaus once lost a playoff to Tom Weiskopf at the Canadian Open just days after helping him with his putting during a practice round.
Nicklaus’s record in the Canadian Open is remarkable. It is arguably the most prestigious event that the Golden Bear never won in his career.
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He did, however, finish as a runner-up on seven occasions, including in 1975 at Royal Montreal.
On that occasion, it was Tom Weiskopf who got the better of arguably the greatest golfer to have ever lived.
How Tom Weiskopf beat Jack Nicklaus to win the Canadian Open in 1975
Nicklaus actually led as he stood on the 18th tee during the final round. However, he managed to hook his drive into the water and ended up making a bogey.
That left Weiskopf needing to make a par on the last to end up in a playoff. His chances were dealt a blow when he missed the green with his approach shot.
Photo by Reg Innell/Toronto Star via Getty Images
However, a sublime chip ensured that he was able to make the par to send the tournament into overtime.
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Weiskopf had not actually been involved in a playoff in more than four years. Nicklaus, on the other hand, had contested six over the same period on the PGA Tour.
Both men managed to knock their approach shots inside 10 feet. However, Weiskopf was much closer. So when Nicklaus’s birdie putt missed, it was a fairly simple job for the 1973 Open Championship winner.
The putting tip that helped Tom Weiskopf beat Jack Nicklaus at Royal Montreal
As reported by the New York Times, the victory was aided by Nicklaus.
Nicklaus had corrected an issue with how Weiskopf was holding his putter during a practice round in the days leading up to the tournament, and Weiskopf apparently putted superbly around Royal Montreal.
While Nicklaus would never win the Canadian Open, he did go on to clinch the PGA Championship in 1975. It was actually his second major victory of the year following The Masters.
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