Findings

Congress finds that— (1)Jack Nicklaus is a world famous golf professional, a highly successful business executive, a prominent advertising spokesman, a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, and a man with a common touch that has made him one of those most popular and accessible public figures in history. (2)Jack Nicklaus amassed 118 victories in professional competition of national or international stature by the end of 2005, 73 of which came on the Professional Golf Association Tour, and 18 professional major-championship titles. He is the only player in golf history to have won each major championship at least three times and is the only player to complete a career Grand Slam on the regular and senior tours. (3)Jack Nicklaus’ magnetic personality and unfailing sense of kindness and thoughtfulness have endeared him to millions throughout the world. (4)Jack Nicklaus has been the recipient of countless athletic honors, including the Muhammad Ali Sports Legend Award and the first-ever ESPY Lifetime Achievement Award. He became the first golfer and only the third athlete to receive the Vince Lombardi Award of Excellence and is also a five-time winner of the PGA Player of the Year Award. He was also selected as Golfer of the Century by GOLF Magazine, Best Individual Male Athlete of the 20th Century and Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated, and he was also inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. (5)Jack Nicklaus has received numerous honors outside the world of sports, including several architectural awards for his work in golf course designs, such as The Old Tom Morris Award which is the highest honor given by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, and both the Donald Ross Award given by the American Society of Golf Course Architects and the Don A. Rossi Award given by the Golf Course Builders Association of America. (6)Jack Nicklaus has been involved in the design of 275 golf courses worldwide and his business, Nicklaus Design, has 346 courses open for play globally. (7)Jack Nicklaus served as the Global Ambassador for a campaign to include golf in the Olympic Games, which was achieved and will begin in the 2016 Olympic Program. (8)Jack Nicklaus was honored by President George W. Bush in 2005 by receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given to any U.S. civilian. (9)Jack Nicklaus has a long standing commitment to numerous charitable events such as supporting the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, which provides pediatric health care services in a five county area including Palm Beach County, Florida, has assisted in raising over $12 million in just five years for the cause, and continues to support several scholarship foundations, other children’s hospitals, and junior golf initiatives. (10)Jack Nicklaus continues to manage The Memorial Tournament in his home state of Ohio, in which contributions generated through the support of over 2,600 volunteers are given to Nationwide Children’s Hospital fund. This has garnered more than $5.7 million for programs and services at this hospital since 1976, so that Central Ohio will continue to have one of the best children’s hospitals in the United States. (11)Jack Nicklaus and his wife serve as honorary chairman and active chairwoman of the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation in North Palm Beach, Florida, which provides free of charge health assistance and services to more than 4,000 children and their families through Child Life programs (support therapeutic interventions for children with chronic and acute conditions during hospitalization), Miami Children’s Hospital Nicklaus Care Centers (to offer a new option to Palm Beach County area families with children who require pediatric specialty care), and Safe Kids program (aimed at keeping children injury free and offer safety education in an effort to decrease accidental injuries in children). (12)Jack Nicklaus established an annual pro-am golf tournament called The Jake to honor his 17-month-old grandson who passed in 2005, and it serves as a primary fundraiser for the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, which has raised over $3 million over the last several years. (13)Jack Nicklaus and General John Shalikashvili (ret.) serve as honorary chairs of the American Lake Veterans Golf Course in Tacoma, Washington, which is designed for the rehabilitation of wounded and disabled veterans. Nicklaus has donated his design services for the improvement of the course, and raised contributions for the addition of nine new holes, the construction of the Rehabilitation and Learning Center, and for the upgrade of the maintenance facilities through a two-day event in Palm Desert, CA, called the Nicklaus Nine. (14)Jack Nicklaus serves as a spokesperson and Trustee for The First Tee program which brings the game of golf to children who would not otherwise be exposed to it. (15)Jack Nicklaus remains active in tournament golf, although he retired from competition in the major championships in 2005, when he played his final British Open, his final Masters Tournament, and led the United States to a thrilling victory in the Presidents Cup.