Jack Nicklaus pays tribute to Sir Michael Bonallack OBE
The R&A
28 Sep 23
3 mins
Jack Nicklaus, one of the greatest golfers of all time, has penned a moving tribute to his friend and Britain’s most decorated amateur golfer Sir Michael Bonallack, who sadly passed away two days ago at the age of 88.
Nicklaus recognises Bonallack for his golfing talent and passionate leadership of the sport but highlights their 64-year friendship, which started at the 1959 Walker Cup, as his enduring memory of Sir Michael. You can read his tribute, in full, to Sir Michael Bonallack below.
Jack Nicklaus on the passing of Sir Michael Bonallack; 31 December 1934 – 26 September 2023.
“My nearly 65-year friendship with Michael Bonallack began at a seminal moment in my life, when I realised the game of golf would be my chosen sport and career path. It was the 1959 Walker Cup, when at age 19, I made my first trip to Scotland and, as one of the top nine amateurs in the US, brought with me my first real convictions about a career dedicated to the game. It was that week at Muirfield, when I met a young man from the Great Britain & Ireland team by the name of Michael Bonallack.I immediately respected Michael as a player and a person. He was a gifted golfer, but an even more gifted individual and gentleman. My respect and admiration for Michael continued to grow with each decade of our friendship—one that my wife Barbara and I shared with both Michael and his wife of 64 years, Angela, who we lost in July 2022.A kinship was at the foundation of our friendship—a shared respect and love for the game of golf. Michael’s passion for the game, along with tremendous leadership skills, was always an ever-present asset in his work with The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, and even his role as a member of the Memorial Tournament’s Captains Club.While he always embraced our game’s traditions, Michael was an important voice through golf’s growth, evolution and global expansion. He was an influential ambassador and someone always dedicated to properly shaping the future of the next generations of golfers.With the passing of Sir Michael Bonallack, our sport mourns the loss of a passionate, invested and devoted advocate. And personally, Barbara and I are deeply saddened, because our lives were made richer by being able to call Michael a friend, and we will greatly miss him.”
