With 18 majors to his name, Jack Nicklaus once explained the mindset behind that success. 9 years ago, he shared why golfers have to put themselves first with Graham Bensinger.

“I think you had to be," Nicklaus told the Emmy Award-winning journalist in the Jul 27, 2016, YouTube video.

"Golfers are selfish; they have to be. I think in an individual sport, you've got to be considerate about what you're doing, to be important," said the 86-year-old.

That mindset helped him win across all four majors and finish runner-up 19 times, more than any other player. He also posted 56 top-5 and 73 top-10 finishes in majors, ahead of Tiger Woods and Sam Snead in those counts. 

Over time, he was named Golfer of the Century by multiple outlets and listed among the top athletes by Sports Illustrated and ESPN.

Jack Nicklaus also credited his wife for letting him be so selfish about his career. "That's why Barbara was so important; she understood that. She understood that I couldn't yield to that situation," he added.

However, there was one activity where Barbara Nicklaus would often beat her husband.

Jack Nicklaus was happy to lose to Barbara

During the conversation, Nicklaus revealed that his competitive spirit remains intact, no matter the activity.

“I don't like to get beat, no matter what I do," he told Bensinger. However, Jack Nicklaus doesn't mind when he loses to the woman who supported him during his prolific golfing career.

"Barbara does quite well. She fly fishes very well, and she always has a knack for catching fish. So we always have a little bit of a competition, who ends up getting the biggest fish at the end of the week,” said the legendary golfer.

Nicklaus picked up finishing during his college years. His Ohio State college coach, Bob Kepler, introduced him to fishing, and he stayed with it over time, often treating it with the same focus he brought to the course.

However, he made it clear that this only applies to his wife, not to others. "If I've got a couple of guys that are competitive with me, yeah, I want to catch more, and I want to catch the biggest ones," said Nicklaus.

So what did you think of Jack Nicklaus' take? Do you agree? Drop your opinion in the comments.

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Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi