"I was just nervous as heck": Greg Norman reveals his feelings the first time he played with Jack Nicklaus at the Masters

Greg Norman recently shared an unforgettable memory from his earlier years that he shared with Jack Nicklaus. In a Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio special titled Jack: In Their Own Words, released on Nicklaus' 85th birthday on January 21, the former LIV Golf CEO detailed his first time playing with the golf legend.

During an edition of the Masters Tournament, Norman found himself paired with Nicklaus in the penultimate round. Although he had met and played a few casual practice rounds with the 18-time major championship winner, he had never played a competitive round with him.

Here's a look at what Greg Norman had to say about Nicklaus on his birthday (via Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio):

"I remember teeing up with him on Saturday, and I was just nervous as heck playing with Jack. I had met him before in Australia a few times and had played practice rounds with him. But you know, on the first tee at the Masters on a Saturday, we were both nervous. And I remember, we teed off, and both hit good drives. And as we got down to the bottom of the gulley right off the tee, Jack put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘I hope you’re as nervous as I am right now.’ "

Jack Nicklaus's words were intended to lighten up the mood. However, they had a profound impact on Norman. This round made the ex-CEO of LIV Golf realise the Golden Bear's character and sportsmanship. Norman noted (via Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio):

"And that kind of just made me relax so quickly. And that really told me the character and the nature and what a gentleman Nicklaus has always been on the golf course whether you’re beating him or not. He wanted you to be as comfortable as you possibly could because he knew that the 18 holes ahead of us and the next 4 and a half hours is going to be a big grind."

Years after the interaction at Augusta National, Norman cherishes the memory. In the special episode, he reflected on Jack Nicklaus' signature character, who influenced him and several other golfers all over the world to pursue greatness.

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How many majors have Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus won?

Greg Norman bears two major championship titles to his name. He won the 1986 Open Championship by five strokes from Gordon J. Bland after having a one-stroke lead after 54 holes.

The 69-year-old went on to win the 1993 edition of the Open Championship. Norman defeated golfing legend Sir Nick Faldo by two strokes to earn his last major title before retiring from professional golf.

Jack Nicklaus holds the PGA Tour's record for the most number of major titles. He won the first of his 18 titles at the 1962 US Open in a playoff against fellow golfing legend, the late Arnold Palmer. He won his last major title at the age of 46 at the 1986 Masters by one stroke from Norman and Tom Kite.