Jack ended the 1972 season in a fitting way… with a win

On this day, In 1972 Jack Nicklaus won the Walt Disney Classic for his 7th victory of the year. They might as well of called the seasons end Walt Disney Classic after Nicklaus. He won the event in its inaugural year in 1971 and then completed the “three-peat” for winning in 1973 as well. After the “Golden Bear’s” dominance the format was changed in 1974 to a Team Format which allowed for multiple winners of the event. In 1982, the format returned back to the normal style when Hal Sutton got his first win at Disney World. The event was named the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic and was played until 2012.

Splitting hairs: Was 1972 Jack’s Best Year?

Without a doubt, 1972 was one of the greatest years of Nicklaus’ career. Its the closest he came to winning the modern Grand Slam. He won the Masters and the US Open by three shots each, wire-to-wire, before finishing runner-up by a single shot behind Lee Trevino in the Open Championship at Muirfield. Trevino’s win included the infamous chip-in for par on the 17th in the final round. It’s considered one of the biggest turn arounds in British Open history. In Addition, Nicklaus record for 1972 shows he competed in 20 official events around the world, winning seven, coming second in four, and making 15 top-10 finishes. He was the 72′ money leader and PGA Tour Players of the Year.