PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. -- The tears he spilled were an elixir of sadness and gratitude. Wednesday, on the eve of The Presidents Cup, Jack Nicklaus, who always kept his emotions in check on a golf course but let them flow away from it, couldn’t have been more touched when his U.S. Presidents Cup team unveiled a special gift to him.

There, bordered with an elaborate gold frame, was a painted portrait of his late grandson, Jake Walter Nicklaus. The toddler, the son of Steve and Krista Nicklaus, was 17 months old when he drowned March 1 in a hot tub outside the family’s North Palm Beach home. Steve is the second-oldest of Jack and Barbara Nicklaus’ five children.

The painting, rendered by Maryland artist Kirk Madgio, was completed with the consent of the parents. Phil Mickelson, representing the U.S. team, made an eloquent speech about the Nicklaus family and the admiration he and his teammates hold for the Golden Bear before he unveiled the portrait. A plaque accompanied the gift. It read:

“Just as Jake touched your family’s life in a short period of time, it is our hope and prayer that the loving memory of Jake Walter Nicklaus will touch and inspire families and the lives of their children for many years to come.

“With much love and respect, the 2005 United States Presidents Cup Team.”

The oil painting portrait of Jake Nicklaus. (AP Photo)

“It’s the sweetest thing that’s ever been done for me,” Nicklaus, in his third stint as the U.S. captain, said, his eyes welling with tears as he recalled the moment two days later. “I was crying like a baby. I’m crying thinking about it right now. Half the team was in tears. It was just wonderful.”

“It was a touching night all the way around,” Barbara said. “Phil gave this unbelievable speech. I wish someone would have taped it. He just said all the right things.”

Barbara acknowledged that it has been an emotional year for her husband and the entire Nicklaus family. Jack, winner of a record 18 major championships and 100 worldwide titles, played in his final Masters Tournament in April. He ended his competitive career in the majors in July at the British Open at the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland.

Saturday’s long Presidents Cup outing, with two sessions of matches, possessed its own emotional undercurrent because the day marked what would have been Jake’s second birthday. Steve and Krista, who four weeks ago had a baby daughter, flew from Florida to watch the afternoon Four-Ball matches at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

Barbara said the family was considering places where they should have the portrait displayed, and that it was their desire to have it in a place of prominence to honor Jake. One possibility was the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Fla.

On Friday night, long after his American team had left the grounds and after he had finished with his media commitments, Nicklaus returned to an almost deserted team cottage on the club grounds. As he entered, he glanced at his grandson’s portrait resting on an easel in the corner of the front room.

“It’s really something, isn’t it?” he said to a guest, his words thick with pride and emotion. “It captures his smile perfectly.”