Jack Nicklaus, the 18-time major champion, has been awarded $50m in a defamation case against his former company, Nicklaus Companies, over false claims that he considered a $750m offer to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League and that he suffered from dementia.
A jury in Palm Beach County, Florida, ruled that the company had damaged the 85-year-old’s reputation, exposing him to “ridicule, hatred, mistrust, distrust or contempt”. The verdict came after four and a half hours of deliberation.
“We tremendously appreciate the time that the jury put into this case,” said Nicklaus’s attorney Eugene Stearns. “They were extraordinarily conscientious and dedicated, and we’re happy that Jack’s been vindicated.”
The dispute originated from a 2007 deal in which Nicklaus sold the rights to his name, image and golf course design business to the company for $145m, financed by billionaire Howard Milstein. After a five-year noncompete clause expired in 2022, the company sued Nicklaus, alleging he diverted business opportunities and entertained talks with LIV Golf. Nicklaus countersued for defamation, accusing Milstein and other executives of planting false stories that he had “sold out” the PGA Tour for Saudi money.
Court documents revealed that Nicklaus met with Golf Saudi representatives in 2021 to discuss design work but declined a leadership role with LIV. The lawsuit also accused the company of circulating rumours that Nicklaus was suffering from dementia, with Stearns telling ESPN: “What they said was, ‘You need to have the keys taken away.’”
Lawyers for Nicklaus Companies argued the case was a business dispute and that Nicklaus’s reputation remained “stellar”. The jury cleared Milstein and executive Andrew O’Brien of personal liability. The verdict follows a separate ruling that affirmed Nicklaus’s right to use his own name and likeness in future golf ventures.
