
We mentioned that Jack Nicklaus owned the record for most runner-up finishes at The Open Championship in a post titled “10 British Open Records You Should Know,” and we even included the iconic photo of Jack waving goodbye at St. Andrews in 2005.
What we missed in that post was Jack’s eye-popping 15-start stretch, from 1966-1980 (age 26-40), where – in addition to six (6) second-place finishes, Nicklaus posted three (3) wins, two (2) thirds, two (2) fourths, one (1) fifth, and one (1) sixth.
Amazingly, the 18-time major winner’s only finish outside the top 5 during that 15-year run was a T6 in 1969. Un-freaking-real!
Jack Nicklaus’ Amazing 15-Start Open Championship Stretch

- Wins: 3 (1966, 1970, 1978)
- 2nd: 6 (1967-68, 1972, 1976-77, 1979)
- 3rd: 2 (1974-75)
- 4th: 2 (1973, 1980)
- 5th: 1 (1971)
- 6th: 1 (1969)
Jack Nicklaus’ Mind-Blowing 15-Start Open Championship Stretch (in order)

- 1966: 1st
- 1967: 2nd
- 1968: 2nd
- 1969: 6th
- 1970: 1st
- 1971: 5th
- 1972: 2nd
- 1973: 4th
- 1974: 3rd
- 1975: 3rd
- 1976: 2nd
- 1977: 2nd
- 1978: 1st
- 1979: 2nd
- 1980: 4th
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