Looking back: Jack Nicklaus' greatest memories from the Memorial

The story of Muirfield Village and the Memorial Tournament was born out of tragedy. Two of Jack Nicklaus’ friends were headed to watch the Golden Bear at the 1966 Masters, but never made it to Augusta National. They died in a plane crash. It forced Nicklaus, then just 26 years old, to confront what he wanted his legacy to be. What did he hope to be remembered for, beyond major victories and signature celebrations? It led him back home to Columbus, Ohio, and the idea of building a championship-level golf course and tournament that the community could be proud of, which would outlast Nicklaus long after his playing career and life.

This year, Muirfield Village celebrates its 50th anniversary. The Nicklaus-designed course opened in 1974 and the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday was established two years later. In the intervening five decades, the tournament and course, known as Jack’s Place, have played host to some of the most historic moments on the PGA TOUR. Nicklaus had a front-row seat for them all and sat down with the PGA TOUR earlier this season to reminisce.

Here are the Golden Bear’s golden memories at the Memorial.

Roger Maltbie won the inaugural Memorial Tournament in 1976, but it wasn’t long before Nicklaus claimed the title. He won in 1977, besting Hubert Green by two strokes. Nicklaus would call it “my biggest thrill in golf” and “the most difficult tournament that I've ever won.”

In the event's lead-up, Nicklaus spent more time playing host than preparing. During the pre-tournament pro-am, he gave President Gerald Ford a lesson, fielded competitors' questions and complaints about the course, and was a one-man maintenance crew.

Two years later, Nicklaus learned a valuable lesson about hosting a tournament and managing Muirfield’s course conditions. A cold front blew through Dublin, Ohio, during the second round of the 1979 Memorial, bringing gusts of up to 30 mph and dropping the wind chill to 13 degrees. By Nicklaus’ admission, the course became “impossible.” The greens stimped at 17.5, the cut settled at 13-over, and Tom Watson won at 3-under, the second-highest winning score in tournament history.

“It got out of control,” said Nicklaus, who shot 7-over 79 on Sunday and finished 29th. “I think I remember – I think I shot 79 the last round and picked up spots.”

Nicklaus’ second and final Memorial title came improbably in 1984. Nicklaus fought off Andy Bean, who missed a 4-foot putt to win in regulation and a 3-footer to stay alive on the third playoff hole, to become the first repeat winner of the Memorial. “I felt sorry for Andy there,” Nicklaus said.

Indeed, it was a test of will down the stretch. Nicklaus bogeyed the 17th hole in regulation and hit a gutsy fairway bunker shot on the 18th to stay within one of Bean and force him to win it with a nervy putt. Nicklaus kept his golf glove on as Bean attempted to close it out, knowing it wasn’t over. “I knew Andy's putt was not an easy one," he said at the time. "I knew if he hit it very firm, he'd hit it right through the break and that's exactly what he did."

The win was even more memorable with Nicklaus’ son, Jack Jr., on the bag.

“Anything you do with your family is special,” Nicklaus said, “and Muirfield has been a family affair.”

The 18th has produced plenty of other drama, and was the site of a wild 72nd hole reversal in 1993. Payne Stewart led Paul Azinger by a shot as they played the final hole. Both players found a greenside bunker, but while Azinger holed out for birdie, Stewart splashed out and missed an 8-footer for par to force a playoff.

Nicklaus played his last Memorial in 2005 but remained a large presence on the golf course during pre-tournament festivities. In 2009, Nicklaus played a Wednesday skins game with Tiger Woods, Kenny Perry and Stewart Cink. Woods chipped in on the last hole to take the final hole and win four skins. Nobody else could match.

It would portend good things for Woods, who won his fourth Memorial title later that week. It wasn’t the chipping that impressed Nicklaus during the skins game, it was Woods’ driving.

“Tiger through most of his career was not a particularly accurate driver,” Nicklaus said. “But I remember we had a sort of a Skins game shootout for the tournament and Tiger was really swinging well. And I think he had 52 of 54 fairways that week.

“That's pretty good, to hit 52 of 54 fairways at Muirfield Village you got to drive your golf ball. Tiger did and Tiger won the tournament.”

Woods’ most memorable moment at Muirfield was his hole-out from just off the 16th green in the final round of the 2012 Memorial. Nicklaus remembers it vividly.

Trailing by two strokes, Woods hit his tee shot over the 16th green and had a scruffy lie in thick rough. Facing a 50-foot flop shot with water beyond the hole, Woods took a huge swipe at the ball, watched it land softly, track toward the cup, and fall in.

"Look at the position he was in," Nicklaus said. "If he’s short, the tournament is over. If he’s long, the tournament is over. He puts it in the hole. What a shot.”

Woods overcame a four-shot deficit on the final day, closing with a 5-under 67 to win by two.

In recent years, Nicklaus has become a sounding board for top players looking to unlock the secrets of Muirfield Village. Patrick Cantlay sought advice from Nicklaus ahead of the 2019 Memorial. He parlayed Nicklaus’ insights into a victory, his second on the PGA TOUR.

“I think it was on Monday or Tuesday of the tournament,” Nicklaus said, “and I told him how I would play it and what I'd watch out for and what I do. Then he went out and won the golf tournament, which is pretty special. Then he won it again.

“I'm very flattered by that. It’s pretty special to give a guy some advice and he uses it and wins a golf tournament and makes you feel pretty good.”

Woven throughout Nicklaus’ memories is immense pride in the field the Memorial attracts each year and the winners that have emerged. Nicklaus crafted an idea and a course to bring the feel of a major championship venue and atmosphere to an annual PGA TOUR stop. That has borne out with the tournament’s champions: Of the 37 winners of the Memorial, 21 are major champions. The Memorial has proven to be a pivotal moment in the beginning, middle and end of some of the most prolific golfers’ careers.

Hideki Matsuyama won his first TOUR event here in 2014. Tiger Woods’ 2012 victory was his tournament-record fifth win at the Memorial and 73rd on the PGA TOUR, tying Nicklaus’ career total. Recent champions include Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm.

“We've got a pretty good resume of winners, don't we?” Nicklaus said.

It’s fitting for a course and tournament created by one of the most prolific winners the PGA TOUR and the world of golf has ever seen.