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A six-person jury in Palm Beach County found Monday that the Nicklaus Companies had damaged the 18-time major champion’s reputation and exposed him to ridicule, hatred, mistrust, distrust or contempt

According to the lawsuit, Nicklaus, 85, claimed Milstein, O’Brien and others at the company spread false stories that Nicklaus considered a $750 million deal to join the ����ֱ��-backed LIV Golf League and that he was suffering from dementia

AP MIAMI: Professional golf legend Jack Nicklaus has won a $50 million verdict in a defamation lawsuit filed in Florida against his former business partners.

A six-person jury in Palm Beach County found Monday that the Nicklaus Companies had damaged the 18-time major champion’s reputation and exposed him to ridicule, hatred, mistrust, distrust or contempt. Nicklaus Companies owner and executive chairman Howard Milstein and executive Andrew O’Brien were also named individually as defendants, but jurors did not find them personally liable.

Eugene Stearns, an attorney for Nicklaus, said Nicklaus has spent his life helping others and earning a reputation as not just a great athlete but a great human being.

“He deserved better than what he got, and we’re pleased that the jury addressed the particular circumstances that were so annoying,” Stearns said.

According to the lawsuit, Nicklaus, 85, claimed Milstein, O’Brien and others at the company spread false stories that Nicklaus considered a $750 million deal to join the ����ֱ��-backed LIV Golf League and that he was suffering from dementia and no longer mentally fit to manage his affairs.

Defense attorneys said at trial that Nicklaus Companies executives never tried to defame Nicklaus and argued the case was basically a business dispute. They said no harm was done to Nicklaus’ reputation, and there was no reason for a company that shared the golfer’s name to attack him.

Attorneys for Nicklaus Companies didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment Tuesday evening.

Earlier this year, a New York judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Nicklaus Companies against Nicklaus that attempted to prevent the golfer from using his name, image and likeness to promote his golf course design business.

Nicklaus joined Nicklaus Companies in 2007 as part of a $145 million deal, but Nicklaus eventually quit and planned to continue designing golf courses on his own. While Nicklaus is once again free to design golf courses under his own name, Nicklaus Companies retains the rights to sell clothing and equipment with “Jack Nicklaus” logos.

YOKOHAMA: Xander Schauffele closed in on his first win of the year after grabbing a share of the lead Saturday heading into the final day of the US PGA Tour’s Baycurrent Classic in Japan.
The American carded a third-round four-under-par 67 at a rain-soaked Yokohama Country Club to move level with Max Greyserman on 12-under, three shots clear of their nearest challengers.
Schauffele won the British Open and the PGA Championship in 2024 but has yet to lift a trophy this year and has only finished in the top 10 three times.
The 31-year-old, part of the losing US Ryder Cup team two weeks ago, said confidence was “a tricky thing.”
“It takes a while to grow and then it goes away quickly,” he said.
“I’m just trying to put one walk after the other and slowly grow that confidence. So far we’ve been doing that.”
Schauffele hit six birdies and two bogeys to close the gap on fellow American Greyserman, who led by four shots at the start of the day.
Constant rain presented the players with a different challenge after strong wind on the opening day was followed by mild conditions for the second round.
“The weather has been tricky, so I’m proud of the fight to stay in it today,” said Schauffele.
“Round one felt like survival, round two felt like the course was pretty gettable and today felt like a bit of survival with pockets of a little bit less rain.”
Greyserman saw his lead slip away with a double bogey on the seventh hole and he finished with an even-par 71.
The 30-year-old went into the final day of last year’s tournament in Japan in contention for the title before finishing runner-up to Colombia’s Nico Echavarria.
Greyserman said he would take the positives from last year’s experience as he looks to win his first career title.
“I played a good round last year on Sunday and I got beat, I don’t think I gave up the tournament by any means,” he said.
“I thought I handled everything well and competed well and executed well, so that’s the plan for tomorrow.”
Defending champion Echavarria was in a group three shots behind the leading pair, along with South Koreans An Byeong-hun and Kim Si-woo, South African Garrick Higgo and American Michael Thorbjornsen.
Schauffele’s Ryder Cup team-mate Collin Morikawa was 10 shots off the pace on two-under while Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama was four-under after a late double bogey.