Amanda Balionis reacts to Jack Nicklaus’ 'emotional’ moment announcing the Memorial Tournament honoree

Amanda Balionis reacted to Jack Nicklaus having a significant emotional moment while making an announcement on CBS. Legendary golfer revealed who is going to be the honoree of the next Memorial Tournament. The honoree is someone who has made an important contribution to the golf world and next year, Barbara Bash, Jack Nicklaus' wife, will be getting this honour.

Golf on CBS recently posted an Instagram video of the golfer making this emotional announcement. Amanda Balionis, a CBS reporter, reposted it on her Instagram story and commented on how moved she was by Nicklaus' love and affection for his wife.

The caption of her post read:

"This❤️"

Here's a look at Amanda Balionis' story:

Amanda Balionis on Jack Nicklaus' emotional announcement (Image via: IG @balionis)

The 18-time major winner cried a bit while explaining how Barbara Nicklaus had a huge impact on the golf industry. She was there for Jack when he needed it the most, and the golfer even declared that without her, there would be no Jack Nicklaus. In the reel, he stated:

"Barbara has been so much to this tournament. From everything I've been, everybody's, you know, honored Jack Nicholas, but Barbara Nicholas has been right there with everything that's happened. And the captains felt like, you know, with the 50th running of the Memorial, that it was fitting that Barbara be the honoree. I broke down and cried the other night. I'm crying again now. We understand. It's absolutely the perfect choice."

Coincidentally, Jack Nicklaus was the honoree for the Memorial Tournament's 25th anniversary, and Barbara will be of the 50th.

Talking a bit about Barbara, she is regarded as the 'First Lady of Golf'. She met Jack while attending Ohio State University as a pre-nursing student. After dating for a while, the pair married in 1960 and have five children together. She also serves as the chairman and co-founder of the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation.

How many PGA Tour major victories does Jack Nicklaus have?

PGA Tour Songdo IBD Championship - Source: Getty

Jack Nicklaus is one of the few golfers to have completed the career Grand Slam, winning all four majors. With 73 victories, he ranks third on the list of most PGA Tour wins only behind Tiger Woods (82) and Sam Snead (82). Aside from that, he retains the record for the most major titles won in the game's history.

Throughout his illustrious career, he has won the Masters six times, the PGA Championship five times, the U.S. Open four times, and the Open Championship three times.

Here's a list of his major titles:

Masters Tournament: 1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986
PGA Championship: 1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1980
U.S. Open: 1962, 1967, 1972, 1980
The Open Championship: 1966, 1970, 1978

About the author

Anurag Bhardwaj is a Golf Journalist at Sportskeeda. With over three years of experience writing about various sports, Anurag has drawn inspiration from numerous icons, ranging from WWE’s Roman Reigns to NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes. His passion for storytelling spans across different sports, all while pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Dental Surgery, and he hopes to continue blending both his professions.

A single spark ignited his love for golf, and now he follows the sport with unwavering enthusiasm. Whether it’s the Masters or the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Anurag is always ready for a deep dive into the action. Through his writing, he brings the latest happenings from the golf world straight to the fans' screens. And while he dreams of stepping onto a golf course someday, he remains in awe of Scottie Scheffler’s precision, all while striving to become a great doctor.

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Edited by Sumeet Kavthale