Jack Nicklaus was awarded $50 million by a Florida jury on Monday in a defamation lawsuit filed against Nicklaus Companies.
Nicklaus and his attorneys successfully argued that Nicklaus Companies had falsely claimed back in 2021 he had met with LIV Golf to discuss a $750 million deal to become the face of the Saudi startup competitor to the PGA Tour and leaked that story to media outlets.
“It’s always hard in a defamation case to prove damages to reputation, because in particular for a guy like Jack, it’s always such a good one,” Nicklaus’ attorney, Eugene Stearns, told ESPN on Monday. “But I think what was important was the dispute that arose 3½ years ago when the company told the world that Jack was selling out the PGA Tour for the Saudi golf, when it was not true. So, we’re happy that Jack’s been vindicated.”
Nicklaus claimed he met with Saudi Golf about designing a new golf course, but when they approached him at that meeting about LIV involvement he declined. The jury, according to the Palm Beach Post, ruled in favor of Nicklaus that Nicklaus Companies had damaged his reputation by helping to falsely publish facts about his involvement and subject Nicklaus to “ridicule, hatred, mistrust, distrust or contempt.”
This is not the first lawsuit between Nicklaus and Nicklaus Companies. The golfing legend left the company in 2017 after selling the rights to his golf courses, club brand and Golden Bear clothing line and fully stepped down from the board in 2022. Nicklaus had a five-year non-compete clause after leaving the company, and Nicklaus Companies filed a complaint over what they believed to be Nicklaus diverting business away from them for personal gain.
A Florida arbiter ruled in 2024 Nicklaus was not bound to the non-compete anymore and could design golf courses, with a judge ruling this April that Nicklaus could use his name, image and likeness.