Arnold Palmer essay on Jack Nicklaus the golf ambassador

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In honor of Jack Nicklaus' 70th birthday, PGATOUR.COM recently asked some of the people close to the Golden Bear for their thoughts on various aspects of Nicklaus' extraordinary life. In this essay, Arnold Palmer -- who preceded Nicklaus as the game's top player and continues to be one of golf's most beloved figures -- discusses Nicklaus the golf ambassador.
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Arnold Palmer

Jack Nicklaus and I have been very good friends for 50 years, from the time he arrived on the national tournament scene in the early 1960s and began to build the most impressive record in the history of golf. If anything has distinguished our association over that half century, it has been our competitiveness.

It was not just our desire to be the winner every time we faced each other in a golf tournament in our golden years. We often were rivals in business endeavors, golf and otherwise. This was particularly true in the golf course architecture businesses we built from scratch into top-level firms in the field. Certainly, we had differing philosophies about the designs of our golf course projects.

One thing, though, through it all, Jack and I have been of one mind and pursuit with regard to expanding and protecting the integrity, the dignity and the traditions of our great game. Because of the success we enjoyed in those earlier years, we were generally recognized and looked upon as the faces of the game, the role models for our fellow players and, more importantly, for the millions of golfers world-wide.

We didn't have to cultivate this love and respect for the game. It came just as naturally to Jack as it did for me and I know that he and I both nurture the hope and belief that there are those coming behind us who share our convictions and will take up the task of leading the game to greater glory and carry on its noble traditions in the years to come.

Happy 70th birthday, old friend.