I know in this era of hey look at me I just jacked a home run in the 3rd inning of this 1-1 game check out muh bat flip “ these are fewer and further between but what are some great sportsmanship moments you’ve seen ? I’m admittedly suffering from recency bias as I’m watching a program on Jack Nicklaus but he has two. The Duel in the Sun with Watson . After Watson makes his putt on 18 to win by one over him, Jack comes up to him and tells him “
I gave you best my shot but it wasn’t good enough, I’m glad you won “ then not just hugs him and walks away , he walks arm and arm with him all the way off the green to the clubhouse .
The other one is a little bit lesser known . The Concession at the Ryder Cup in 69. Tony Jacklin had won the British Open that year and it was down to the 18th green at the Ryder Cup all tied up in points and the match itself was all square .
Nicklaus was one up as the duo played the par five 17th and while they both got on the green in two, Jacklin holed a monster putt for an eagle to take the contest to the last all square.
After both men hit the green at the par four in regulation, Jacklin left his putt two feet short, with Nicklaus sending his four and a half feet by.
Nicklaus holed his second putt to guarantee a half and later said:
“I don't know why but I very quickly thought about Tony Jacklin and what he had meant to British golf. Here he was, the Open champion, the new hero, and all of a sudden it felt like if he missed this putt he would be criticised forever. This all went through my mind in a very, very quick period of time and I just made up my mind, I said, 'I'm not going to give Tony Jacklin the opportunity to miss it. I think we walk off of here, shake hands and have a better relationship between the two golfing organisations is the right way to do it'.”
As he took his ball from the hole, Nicklaus also picked up Jacklin's marker and the pair walked off the 18th with their arms around each other.
The match finished 16-16 and while Nicklaus and his team-mates took the Cup back across the Atlantic, he left a memory and a spirit that will be present in Ryder Cups to come.
