DUBLIN, Ohio — The hour-long dedication to Barbara Nicklaus Wednesday afternoon at the Memorial Tournament was as emotional as one might expect, but amid all the accolades for and anecdotes about the wife of Jack Nicklaus came perhaps one of the most touching moments in the annals of the Honoree Ceremony.
It was the debut of Jack Nicklaus, recording artist.
Just before Jack Nicklaus II invited his mother to the podium for her acceptance speech, the Nicklauses’ oldest son and emcee had a video cued up for the audience of about 1,000 at Muirfield Village Golf Club that included the entirety of the Nicklaus family. There on a large screen was Jack Nicklaus perched in front of a microphone and wearing headphones.
And then he began to sing.
The tune was “I married an angel,” written by Richard Rodgers and recorded in 1960 by Johnny Mathis for an album titled, “Ballads of Broadway.” It just so happens that Jack and Barbara married July 23, 1960, so the choice of song was quite appropriate for content as well as nostalgia.
“You didn’t know I was a singer, did you?” Nicklaus said when it was his turn to speak from the dais set up on the Muirfield Village practice range. “You know, when I was at Ohio State, they wouldn’t even let me in the fraternity choir I was so bad. I guess I’m a late bloomer.”
MORE: How Barbara Nicklaus forged a legacy of her own in golf
The musical number was the idea of Jack II. Asked if he was able to do it in one take, the elder Nicklaus replied, “Of course,” before breaking into a broad smile. He said it took about seven takes at a recording studio in South Florida and the best parts of his several tries were spliced together.
The entire Nicklaus family, including five children, 23 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, were on hand for the ceremony honoring Barbara Nicklaus at the Memorial.
Ben Jared
It’s not well known but Nicklaus played a lot of competitive golf with a song in his head or humming a tune when the pressure amped up or he hit a rough patch. He once admitted that he played some of his best golf with the Harry Belafonte tune “Jamaica Farewell” running through his mind. And “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head,” by B.J. Thomas was another standard that helped him relax.
This time, he sang out loud. He was a hit.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
