Barbara Nicklaus has been named the recipient of the 2015 Bob Jones Award, the USGA’s highest honor.
Given annually to an individual who demonstrates Jones’ spirit, personal character and respect for the game, Nicklaus will receive the award during the U.S. Open in June.
As the wife of Jack Nicklaus for nearly 55 years, Barbara Nicklaus has devoted her life to volunteer work and numerous youth-related charities. The Barbara and Jack Nicklaus Junior Golf Endowment Fund supports junior golf programs at the local, state and national level for children who otherwise wouldn’t have access to the game. She also serves as the chairman of the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, which has raised more than $32 million since its inception in 2004.
Past winners of this award include Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, President George H.W. Bush and Annika Sorenstam. Last year’s recipient was the late Payne Stewart.
“What a truly humbling honor,” Nicklaus said in a release. “The USGA has been a part of our lives since Jack and I were teenagers, and we have always respected and appreciated their contributions and impact on the great game of golf. To receive this honor from them, one that bears the name of a man who had such a deep impact on our family, is one of the most meaningful recognitions I have been blessed to receive.”
