Sir Michael Bonallack died Tuesday at age 88. As many within the recreation paid tribute to the decorated and esteemed Englishman, Jack Nicklaus wished to specific his ideas on his longtime pal.

These are Nicklaus’ phrases as shared with Golf Channel:

My practically 65-year friendship with Michael Bonallack started at a seminal second in my life, once I realized the sport of golf could be my chosen sport and profession path. It was the 1959 Walker Cup, when at age 19, I made my first journey to Scotland and, as one of many prime 9 amateurs within the U.S., introduced with me my first actual convictions a couple of profession devoted to the sport. It was that week at Muirfield, once I met a younger man from the Great Britain & Ireland staff by the title of Michael Bonallack.

I instantly revered Michael as a participant and an individual. He was a gifted golfer, however an much more gifted particular person and gentleman. My respect and admiration for Michael continued to develop with every decade of our friendship – one which my spouse, Barbara, and I shared with each Michael and his spouse of 64 years, Angela, who we misplaced in July 2022.

A kinship was on the basis of our friendship – a shared respect and love for the sport of golf. Michael’s ardour for the sport, together with great management expertise, was all the time an ever-present asset in his work with The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, and even his function as a member of the Memorial Tournament’s Captains Club.

While he all the time embraced our recreation’s traditions, Michael was an necessary voice by golf’s progress, evolution and world enlargement. He was an influential ambassador, and somebody all the time devoted to correctly shaping the way forward for the following generations of golfers.

With the passing of Sir Michael Bonallack, our sport mourns the lack of a passionate, invested and devoted advocate. And personally, Barbara and I are deeply saddened, as a result of our lives had been made richer by having the ability to name Michael a pal, and we are going to enormously miss him.