‘I Didn’t Want to Play’: Despite His Ardor to Win, an Unfortunate Incident Forced Jack Nicklaus to Nearly Opt Out From the 1966 Masters

Turning pro in 1961, Jack Nicklaus paved his way for success to become one of the greatest players of all time. Giving a glimpse of his inch-perfect golfing skills, the now 82-year-old went on to win a record 18 majors in his career. Even though all the majors carried equal significance, it was the 1966 Masters that had a slight upper hand for the ‘Golden Bear’. Walking down memory lane, Nicklaus won the 1965 Masters with a then-record 17-under 271 total. A year later, he again headed back to Augusta in the hope of re-writing history.

Even though he succeeded in defending the title, it wasn’t his game that shaped his victory this time. Instead, it was the unfortunate death of his close friends and their wives who were heading to Augusta to watch him play.

Death of friends became the driving force for Jack Nicklaus

Brushed up for his much-awaited title defense, Nicklaus had reached the iconic venue of the Masters a couple of days before the start of the event. After making the final touches to his game a day before the start of the tournament, he was heading to his bed when the telephone rang. It was a call to inform Nicklaus about the death of his friends.

Recalling the incident, Nicklaus said, “My close friend Bob Barton and his wife, Linda, and Jim and Jeretta Long were coming down from Ohio and they died in an airplane crash in Tennessee.

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Arguably, the ‘greatest player of all time’ was set to defend his title. However, the crash left a daunting effect on him. The effect repeatedly suggested him to pull back from the tournament. “I didn’t want to play, didn’t want to be part of it. I would have rather spent my time with Bob’s sister, Margie, and their family, he admitted.

The loss had emotionally convinced Nicklaus to take a step back from the tournament and head to Bob’s place. However, having Masters on the line, it was his family and friends that pushed him to defend his title. If not for them, for Bob.

“I was convinced by everybody, Bob came down here to watch you play. You need to play,” the 1966 Masters Tournament winner said.

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As mentioned earlier, it wasn’t the skill-set that shaped Nicklaus’ win this time. Instead, it was the emotional damage that helped him become the first player to win back-to-back Masters titles. As Nicklaus’ wife Barbara said, “Playing through that sadness, that’s what he did.”

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