Jack Nicklaus

Jack Nicklaus, “The Golden Bear,” won a record 18 major championships over a career that spans more than five decades, a record that still stands as the benchmark in professional golf. Beyond competing, he became one of the sport's most prolific and respected golf course architects.

In 2004, Jack and his wife, Barbara, founded the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation after a childhood health scare involving their own daughter. In less than two decades, the foundation raised more than $125 million and granted over $80 million toward pediatric healthcare, diagnosis, and prevention programs — including a $60 million pledge in 2015 that led Miami Children's Hospital to rename itself Nicklaus Children's Hospital. The foundation's annual golf and fundraising events at Nicklaus's home club continue to draw major support from the PGA Tour community.

Westcoast Sports Associates presented Jack Nicklaus with the Roy Firestone Award in 2007, recognizing the greatest championship record in golf history alongside a philanthropic commitment to children's healthcare that has outpaced even his earnings on tour.