Barbara Nicklaus Gets Her Due

One month after the announcement that her husband would receive the Congressional Gold Medal, Barbara Nicklaus learned she would receive the 2015 Bob Jones Award from the United States Golf Association.

The Bob Jones Award is the USGA’s highest honor. Presented annually since 1955, it recognizes an individual who demonstrates the spirit, personal character and respect for the game exhibited by Jones, winner of nine USGA championships. 

Often referred to as the “First Lady of Golf,” Mrs. Nicklaus has skillfully used her influence as the wife of 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus for nearly 55 years to generate attention for youth-related charitable causes and volunteerism.

“Barbara’s generosity of spirit and deep respect for the game have touched the lives of countless families throughout the world,” said USGA President Thomas J. O’Toole Jr. “She has been the rock for arguably one of the game’s greatest champions, while raising a family and devoting her heart and soul into what she believes in.”

Their desire to encourage youth participation in golf led to the formation of the Barbara and Jack Nicklaus Junior Golf Endowment Fund, which supports junior golf programs at the local, state and national level for children who otherwise might not be introduced to the game.

Mrs. Nicklaus currently serves as the chairman of the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, whose mission is to provide charitable support for activities that advance and enhance the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of childhood diseases and disorders.

The foundation, which also supports not-for-profit programs and projects aimed at pediatric health care and health-related services, has raised more than $32 million since its inception in 2004. 

In 2010, the foundation became the lead charity of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, a PGA Tour event founded by the Nicklauses in 1976. To date the event has generated more than $23.5 million in donations to Central Ohio charities, including more than $13 million to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus.

Mrs. Nicklaus’ involvement as co-chairperson for the charity that organizes The Honda Classic on the PGA Tour has also benefited the foundation. Funds generated through the event in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., have been instrumental in opening the Nicklaus Outpatient Center in partnership with Miami Children’s Hospital, which is designed to meet the healthcare needs of children and adolescents from birth through age 21. 

“The USGA has been a part of our lives since Jack and I were teenagers,” Nicklaus said, “and we have always respected and appreciated its contributions and impact on the great game of golf. To receive this honor…, one that bears the name of a man who had such a deep impact on our family, is one of the most meaningful recognitions I have been blessed to receive.

“Golf has not only given us an incredible life, it has provided us a vehicle and a means to make a difference in the lives of young boys and girls, and the families who love them.”

Mrs. Nicklaus joins a list of winners (see below) that includes her husband, Jack (in 1975) and others who have championed the game both on and off the course. Two women with strong Colorado ties—Babe Didrikson Zaharias (1957) and Barbara McIntire (2000)—have received the Bobby Jones Award.

Barbara Nicklaus will receive her award at a ceremony during the week of the 115th U.S. Open Championship June 15-21, 2015 at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash.

Bob Jones Award Winners

1955 — Francis Ouimet
1956 — William C. Campbell
1957 — Mildred D. Zaharias
1958 — Margaret Curtis
1959 — Findlay S. Douglas
1960 — Charles Evans Jr.
1961 — Joseph B. Carr
1962 — Horton Smith
1963 — Patty Berg
1964 — Charles Coe
1965 — Glenna Collett Vare
1966 — Gary Player
1967 — Richard S. Tufts
1968 — Robert B. Dickson
1969 — Gerald H. Micklem
1970 — Roberto de Vicenzo
1971 — Arnold Palmer
1972 — Michael Bonallack
1973 — Gene Littler
1974 — Byron Nelson
1975 — Jack Nicklaus
1976 — Ben Hogan
1977 — Joseph C. Dey Jr.
1978 — Bing Crosby & Bob Hope
1979 — Tom Kite
1980 — Charles Yates
1981 — JoAnne Carner
1982 — William J. Patton
1983 — Maureen Ruttle Garrett
1984 — R. Jay Sigel
1985 — Fuzzy Zoeller
1986 — Jess Sweetser
1987 — Tom Watson
1988 — Isaac B. Grainger
1989 — Chi Chi Rodriguez
1990 — Peggy Kirk Bell
1991 — Ben Crenshaw
1992 — Gene Sarazen
1993 — P. J. Boatwright Jr.
1994 — Lewis Oehmig
1995 — Herbert Warren Wind
1996 — Betsy Rawls
1997 — Fred Brand Jr.
1998 — Nancy Lopez
1999 — Edgar Updegraff
2000 — Barbara McIntire
2001 — Thomas Cousins
2002 — Judy Rankin
2003 — Carol Semple Thompson
2004 — Jackie Burke Jr.
2005 — Nick Price
2006 — Jay Haas
2007 — Louise Suggs
2008 — George H.W. Bush
2009 — O. Gordon Brewer Jr.
2010 — Mickey Wright
2011 — Lorena Ochoa
2012 — Annika Sorenstam
2013 — Davis Love III
2014 — Payne Stewart

Related Links:

Exclusive Interview with Jack Nicklaus

Cover Story: A Visit from Jack Nicklaus

Do You Know the Colorado Courses Jack Built?

Nicklaus to Appear at Colorado Century of Golf Gala

Colorado AvidGolfer is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it. It publishes eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via www.coloradoavidgolfer.com.

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