logo
Named after Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller's grandson competes in the Drive, Chip & Putt

Named after Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller's grandson competes in the Drive, Chip & Putt

USA Today05-04-2025

Named after Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller's grandson competes in the Drive, Chip & Putt
Of all the competitors at the National Finals of the Drive, Chip and Putt at Augusta National Golf Club, only one of them will be named for 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus and share the last name of a two-time major winner – Johnny Miller – to boot.
Nicklaus Miller of Provo, Utah, son of Todd, director of golf at BYU, and grandson of Hall of Famer and former NBC lead analyst Johnny, qualified for Sunday's competition in September by winning the Boys 12-13 Division in the Pacific Northwest at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington.
'I'm really excited, especially to be able to go with my entire family and have my grandpa there,' Nicklaus Miller said. 'It should be really, really fun.'
He'll have a chance to do something his grandfather never could quite do: win at Augusta National. Fifty years ago, Nicklaus's fishing and hunting buddy, Grandpa Johnny, and his namesake dueled at the famed club – along with Tom Weiskopf – in one of the most memorable Masters in tournament history with Jack coming out on top for his fifth of what would be six Green Jackets.
Johnny came close – three times he finished second at Augusta National (1971, '75 and 1981) – but he never got both arms in the Green Jacket. Still, he won the 1973 U.S. Open and 1976 British Open among 24 Tour titles and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1998. He and Jack developed a close friendship.
'I love Jack,' Johnny said.
'He lost his father and he looked at me as sort of a father figure in many ways, even though I wasn't that much older,' Jack Nicklaus recalled on Friday. 'But he looked at me for a lot of things.'
And when it was time for Johnny's daughter-in-law and son, Todd, to pick a name for their first son, the name Nick emerged as a favorite.
'I was like, 'I don't really love the name Nick, but if we were to name him after Nicklaus, Jack Nicklaus, and spell it like Jack Nicklaus, I'd be fine with it,' Todd recalled. 'And we talked to my dad about it and he liked it and so he called Jack and said, 'Hey, just so you know, we're naming one of our grandkids Nicklaus.' '
'It was sort of my way of honoring him,' Johnny said.
And what was Big Jack's response to Johnny?
'It's very flattering,' Jack noted, while on site at the Valero Texas Open. 'I said, 'What's wrong with Johnny? He said, 'He likes you better!' '
When Nicklaus Miller was born, the Nicklauses sent towels and some other baby gear embroidered with the Golden Bear logo and the newborn's name. Three years later, Jack and Barbara flew to Utah to introduce Johnny when he was inducted into the Utah Golf Hall of Fame. A picture was snapped of Jack, Johnny and Nicklaus.
What's it like to have a name with a combined 20 majors to its credit?
'I think it's really cool because I mean it's one of the best golfers of all time,' Nicklaus Miller said. 'And then you've got my grandpa's name, which is, just to have that name is so cool.'
Nicklaus has prepared for the Drive, Chip and Putt as if he were playing in any other tournament. But he did get a few tips from his dad and grandpa.
'He's at that age where he wants to tell me you're an old guy, quit trying to change me, you know,' Johnny said. 'I think he knows that I sort of know what I'm doing.'
Perhaps his best advice? 'Starting from a young age, he kind of told me like, 'Hey, if you put enough work in, you can do it, too,' Nicklaus Miller said.
For the DCP, his grandpa advised him to hit his low cutter, what he dubbed 'his money shot,' for his first drive and make sure he finds the grid, and then he can tee it a little bit higher and bomb away. For the chip, Nicklaus said he's still determining whether to bump it short of the green and run it up the hill or fly it over the false front.
'We've been working on a couple of different chips,' Todd said. 'I'm hoping he goes later in the rotation for the kids he's with, so he gets to watch a few of them beforehand. And then the putt we've watched the videos of past years to try to get a feel for it.'
Grandpa Johnny told him that he'd already made it through the toughest part — qualifying — and to go and enjoy the whole experience. This may be the final time that Johnny, 77, visits Augusta National.
'Unless Nick qualified to play in the Masters, I don't think he's going out there again,' Todd said. 'He's reached the time in his career that he's a 'No man.' He used to always be 'Yes,' all my life. Anything I ever asked him was, yes, I'll do it if it helps you or helps the (BYU) program or whatever helps the kids, I'll do it. But now he's like, 'Hey, I'm retired. I'm going to hang out with my kids and my family and I'm not going to travel much.'
He wouldn't miss the chance to show Nicklaus around Augusta National and watch him try to live up to not one but two famous names.
'He's at a great time where he can do magical things with golf,' Johnny said.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Panthers rout Oilers 6-1 in Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup Final
Panthers rout Oilers 6-1 in Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup Final

NBC Sports

time5 hours ago

  • NBC Sports

Panthers rout Oilers 6-1 in Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup Final

SUNRISE, Fla. — Taking advantage of the Edmonton Oilers' worst performance in several weeks, the defending Florida Panthers pounced on mistakes to win Game 3 in a 6-1 rout Monday night and take a 2-1 series lead. Brad Marchand became the oldest player to score in each of the first three games of a final, while Sam Bennett added his NHL playoff-leading 14th goal after making a big hit on Edmonton's Vasily Podkolzin that contributed to the turnover to spring him on a breakaway. Marchand and Bennett have combined to score eight goals for Florida, which was dominant in just about every way. 'We ended up playing what Florida kind of wanted,' said Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner, who got pulled after allowing five goals on 23 shots. 'They were great tonight.' And it was not just Bennett and Marchand. Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart each got his first goal of the series, Aaron Ekblad scored to chase Skinner and Evan Rodrigues added the exclamation point in the waning minutes. 'We're a very deep team,' Marchand said. 'That's one of our strengths is the depth of the group from the front end to the back end to the goaltending.' At the other end of the ice, Sergei Bobrovsky earned the 'Bobby! Bobby!' chants from a fired up South Florida crowd. The two-time Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender known as 'Bob' was on his game for the very few quality chances the discombobulated Oilers mustered, making 32 saves. 'Nothing's going to be perfect in the way we play,' Reinhart said. 'This time of year, you need some world-class goaltending and that's what we get consistently.' Perry - at 40 the oldest player in the series - beat Bobrovsky with some silky hands for a power-play goal, keeping up this final being a showcase of cagey veterans along with Marchand. Connor McDavid could not get his team on track, and Edmonton took 15 minors - led by Evander Kane's three plus a misconduct to add up to 85 penalty minutes - including a brawl that ensued with less than 10 minutes left. Trent Frederic and Darnell Nurse, who fought Jonah Gadjovich, got misconducts that knocked them out of a game with an outcome determined long before. 'Emotions in all these games are extremely high,' Marchand said. 'This is the time of year you want to be playing, and you're enjoying every minute.' After the final looked as evenly matched as can be with Games 1 and 2 each needing extra time, overtime and then double OT, Game 3 was a lopsided mismatch. The Oilers came unglued to the point Jake Walman resorted to squirting water on Panthers players on their bench from his spot on the visiting side. The teams have some extra time off before Game 4 on Thursday night, when the Panthers have the chance to take a 3-1 lead and move to the verge of going back to back. 'Game 4 is a really big game,' McDavid said. 'It's a big swing game.'

Jason Kelce Reveals the Truth on Major Personal Decision
Jason Kelce Reveals the Truth on Major Personal Decision

Yahoo

time5 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Jason Kelce Reveals the Truth on Major Personal Decision

Jason Kelce Reveals the Truth on Major Personal Decision originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Jason Kelce has been doing a lot since he retired from the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024. Since then, the Super Bowl-winning center has gotten himself a deal with ESPN as a football analyst, which also gave birth to his own talk show on the esteemed sports network, "They Call It Late Night With Jason Kelce." Advertisement On top of that, the 37-year-old also runs a very successful podcast with his brother, Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, entitled "New Heights." Kelce has also ventured into multiple businesses. Apart from being a part-owner of Cincinnati, Ohio-based alcoholic beverage company Garage Beer, the NFL icon also decided to invest in his passion for golf. In May, Kelce was officially announced as a part-owner of the Sullivan County Golf Club in Liberty, New York. The seven-time Pro Bowl center joined actor Bill Murray and entrepreneur Mike Madden, the son of NFL legend Mike Madden, among others, as part of the golf club's high-profile ownership group. In a recent interview, Kelce opened up about his major personal decision to invest in Sullivan County. According to the former Eagles star, it was renowned golf writer and editor Tom Coyne who paved the way for him. Advertisement "So Tom and I played golf and did a podcast that he has," Kelce said, via kelcebrothers on Instagram. "And we just kind of got to know each other through that. "And, you know, I've been getting more involved with golf. I'm doing some stuff with my nonprofit, Underdog ... But (I've) been working with Tom and doing some things on that front. Jason Kelce on the ESPN postseason countdown set.© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images "And then he all of a sudden tells me, 'Hey, do you want to go play a hoopie with Bill Murray?' I'm like, '(Expletive) Yeah, I want to go play a hoopie with Bill Murray.' And that's when we kind of got to talking. "It sounded like this nine-hole course up in the Catskills in Sullivan County was going to be pretty killer. ... From there, we kind of came together, and now we've got a golf course." Advertisement While it was not disclosed how much Kelce invested in this new business venture, there's no denying that purchasing a stake in a golf course had to burn a hole in his pockets. However, as Kelce said during the announcement, his relationship with the sport of golf has grown over the past few years, and he came to the conclusion that it was due time to make "a long-term commitment" by putting his money where his mouth is. Related: Jason Kelce's Family's Behavior Around Taylor Swift Revealed Related: Travis Kelce, Jason Kelce Make Big Announcement on Tuesday Related: Travis Kelce Strongly Denies Jason Kelce's Accusation About His Wife This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.

UFC Coach Reveals He Nearly Pulled Out 'Half-Dead' Merab Dvalishvili from Title Defense Due to Severe Medical Issues
UFC Coach Reveals He Nearly Pulled Out 'Half-Dead' Merab Dvalishvili from Title Defense Due to Severe Medical Issues

Yahoo

time6 hours ago

  • Yahoo

UFC Coach Reveals He Nearly Pulled Out 'Half-Dead' Merab Dvalishvili from Title Defense Due to Severe Medical Issues

Merab Dvalishvili has built an impressive name for himself as the bantamweight champion since winning the belt when he defeated then-champion Sean O'Malley at UFC 306. Nicknamed 'The Machine' due to his gritty, cardio-reliant, never-say-die attitude in the Octagon, he has built a reputation on his toughness during fights. Even if he fails to secure a takedown, what makes him dangerous is his mentality to shoot for another, results be damned. He may not be the most technical or 'pretty' fighter to watch, but no one can deny he has an unshakeable will to win at whatever cost. Recently, it was revealed that the UFC bantamweight champion's first title defense at UFC 311 against Umar Nurmagomedov was nearly scrapped after his coach, John Wood, considered withdrawing him due to a severe staph infection and open wound. UFC president Dana WhitePhoto By David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images Wood revealed that Dvalishvili was heading into the fight battling antibiotics, pain, and a gruesome staph infection that risked his clearance. Despite the dire circumstances, Dvalishvili insisted on competing, showcasing his trademark toughness in a gritty five-round decision win.. Advertisement "Merab was half-dead for that fight,' Wood said during an interview with MMA Fighting. 'He had an open wound, he had a staph infection, he was on all kinds of antibiotics." Wood even admitted, 'If it was up to me, honestly, I probably would've pulled him out of the fight... That dude could barely walk, but then he'd go spar ten rounds and look phenomenal.' Ahead of his rematch with Sean O'Malley at UFC 316, a fight which some believe is UFC President Dana White's way of angling for a more marketable bantamweight champion, Wood believes that 'The Machine' will continue to leave fans in awe of his toughness and prove his doubters wrong. 'The way that Merab fights, what he brings to the table is just different. People do not understand it,' Wood remarked. 'Sean kind of knows that now. Tim [Welch] knows that... I think it's going to be even more defeating and deflating than it was the first time.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store