Jury rules Nicklaus defamed by former company
False claims tied him to $750m LIV Golf offer
85-year-old legend awarded $50m in damages
Jack Nicklaus, the 18-time major champion, has won a $50m verdict in a defamation case against his former company, bringing an end to one of golf’s most bitter business feuds.
A jury in Palm Beach County, Florida, found that Nicklaus Companies – the firm he founded and later sold – defamed him by spreading false claims that he had considered a $750m offer to become a public face of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League and that he was no longer mentally fit to manage his business affairs. The six-person jury ruled that the company’s actions damaged the 85-year-old’s reputation and exposed him to “ridicule, hatred, mistrust, distrust or contempt”.
The verdict came after four and a half hours of deliberation. Nicklaus embraced family and friends in the courtroom after the decision. “We tremendously appreciate the time that the jury put into this case,” said his attorney, Eugene Stearns. “They were extraordinarily conscientious and dedicated, and we’re happy that Jack’s been vindicated.”
The dispute dates back nearly two decades. In 2007, Nicklaus sold the rights to his name, image and golf course design business to Nicklaus Companies for $145m in a deal financed by billionaire banker Howard Milstein. After stepping down from an executive role in 2017, Nicklaus was bound by a five-year noncompete clause that prevented him from taking on new...
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