Memorial Celebrates 50th Anniversary—Jack and Barbara Nicklaus Remain the Centerpiece

Jack Nicklaus of the United States and wife Barbara Nicklaus pose for a photo on the driving range during the Folds of Honor Greats of Golf exhibition on day two of the Insperity Invitational 2025 at The Woodlands Golf Club in The Woodlands, Texas, on May 3, 2025. Raj Mehta/Getty Images

DUBLIN, Ohio—The Memorial started in 1976 and celebrates its 50th anniversary this week. The pro golf event is marked annually on the calendar by both players and viewers, and the reason for that ascension is two specific and connected words—Jack Nicklaus.

When the 85-year-old was in the early stages of his pro golf career, he marveled at how Bob Joes, his boyhood idol, had put into motion the creation of Augusta National Golf Club and from that, came into being The Masters.