Jack Nicklaus achieves a new victory. The “Golden Bear”, 18-time Major champion, has won a defamation lawsuit against his former company, Nicklaus Companies, which must compensate him with 50 million dollars. A jury in Palm Beach County, Florida found that the firm damaged the player’s reputation by spreading falsehoods about his relationship with LIV Golf and about his health status.
The case erupted following claims that Nicklaus had considered a 750 million dollar offer to become the public face of the Saudi circuit and that he was no longer “mentally capable” of managing his businesses. According to the court, these statements exposed the golfer to “ridicule, hatred, and contempt,” and the jury had no doubt that Jack Nicklaus’s honour had been unjustly tarnished.
The origin of the conflict dates back to 2007, when Nicklaus sold the rights to his name, image, and course design company for 145 million dollars to the group funded by banker Howard Milstein. Years later, after stepping down from his executive role and completing a non-compete period, the relationship between the two broke down. In 2022, the company sued Nicklaus in New York for allegedly diverting projects and secretly negotiating with LIV Golf.
Jack responded with a countersuit accusing the company of leaking false stories to portray him as a “traitor” to the PGA Tour. He also claimed they had insinuated he was suffering from dementia to remove him from control of his own legacy.
During the trial, his defence explained that the only real contact with LIV occurred in 2021, when representatives from Golf Saudi offered him a role in the new league. “Jack listened to them and said no. As simple as that,” stated his lawyer, Eugene Stearns.
Executives Milstein and Andrew O’Brien were exonerated personally, but the company will assume responsibility and pay the compensation. The ruling also coincides with another recent decision by a New York court confirming that Nicklaus can freely use his name and image in future golf projects, despite Nicklaus Companies retaining commercial rights over the logo and merchandising.
