Even legends make mistakes! And Jack Nicklaus has never been shy about owning them.

He once shared the story of why he brought back a caddie after making a costly error that led to a tournament loss. 

Nicklaus recounted the incident while reflecting on how he suffered his first professional setback at the 1962 Houston Classic. 

“I think it was the [par-3] seventh hole, last round, and I had about a 20-foot putt,” he said. “And my caddie was Robert Ford. Good guy. He held the pin for me, and as he held the pin, I hit the putt. He lifted the pin, couldn’t get it out of the hole, and lifted the cup right out with it.”

As a result, Nicklaus’ ball hit the protrusion instead of entering the hole. And that brought him a two-shot penalty. The winner was Bobby Nichols. But despite the costly outcome, Nicklaus refused to assign blame. 

“I had him again the next year caddie for me,” he revealed. “That was not his fault. That was as much my fault as anybody else’s.”

For Nicklaus, the loss became a lesson rather than a grievance. And in rehiring his caddie, he demonstrated a principle that would follow him throughout his historic career with 18 major wins. But he also knew the price of choosing the wrong caddie. 

Jack Nicklaus Weighs In on the Importance of a Good Caddie

Back in 2019, Nicklaus told GOLF Magazine all about the caddies at Pebble Beach. During his first game at the course in 1959, a Portuguese caddie, Didi Gonzales, taught him everything about the course’s “small, tricky greens.” Unfortunately, Gonzales wasn’t available when Pebble Beach hosted the U.S. Open in 1972. 

He had to hire a local high school teacher as his caddie. But he won the tournament. 

“In ’62, at Oakmont, I had a guy named Topsy Bugna. Won that tournament, too,” Nicklaus affirmed.  

“The next year, at Brookline, I drew a high school kid who didn’t play golf and didn’t know anything about caddying. That’s what you had to avoid. He was a nice kid, but he was in my way every time I turned around. I missed the cut. Caddies can play a large part in your game, especially on a course as challenging as Pebble Beach.”

Nicklaus’ stories reveal a timeless truth: success in golf isn’t solitary. And the right caddie can quietly shape championships or costly mistakes.

Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu