Golf in the 1960s was defined by the rivalry between two of the game’s titans. On the one side was the wildly popular Arnold Palmer, who came up in the 1950s and was golf’s first superstar of the television age. Then there was Jack Nicklaus, who was ten years younger than Palmer, supremely skilled and aiming to topple The King from his throne.
At first Arnie’s Army, as Palmer’s fans were called, treated Nicklaus as the enemy. Golf is a notably polite sport, but Palmer’s fans cheered every Nicklaus misstep when the two golfers went head-to-head at the 1962 U.S. Open. The 22-year-old Nicklaus still defeated Palmer in an 18-hole playoff for his first victory as a professional.
But despite their on-course rivalry, Nicklaus and Palmer built a personal friendship that would last a lifetime. “Did Arnie and I agree on everything? No, we had some differences,” Nicklaus said in an interview long after their playing days were long over. “But I will promise that if I ever had a problem, Arnold Palmer has always been there for me and vice versa.”
The warmth between the two men comes through in a photo taken by LIFE’s Francis Miller back in 1963, in which Nicklaus and Palmer shared a laugh. That image of camaraderie is one of the most popular photos in LIFE’s online print store.
That photo was among the many MIller took at the 1963 edition of the World Series of Golf, a tournament that had been founded the year before and pitted the winners of golf’s four major championships against each other for 36 holes. Because Nicklaus had won two of the four majors that year—the others were taken by Julius Boros and Bob Charles—that left a slot open in the tournament’s foursome, which Palmer earned through a playoff.
Miller’s photos from that tournament, played in Akron, Ohio, capture golf at a relatively casual time. Players sat on their bags while waiting for the other to hit, something that doesn’t happen any more. When Nicklaus won the tournament, he was handed a normal-sized check, rather than the oversized versions that were designed for television and photo ops (though Miller’s shot of Nicklaus posing with his regular check is pretty funny).
Nicklaus’ win in the 1963 World Series of Golf confirmed his status as an ascendant star. Palmer would win the 1964 Masters and battle Nicklaus for the rest of the decade. But while Nicklaus gained the upped hand on the course, Palmer remained a deeply beloved figure. The graciousness with which he handled the rise of Nicklaus, so evident in Miller’s photo, gives a sense of Palmer’s abundant charms.
Arnold Palmer at the World Series of Golf in Akron, Ohio, 1963.
Francis Miller/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Jack Nicklaus, following through on his swing, and Arnold Palmer (left) at the World Series of Golf in Akron, Ohio, 1963.
Francis Miller/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Arnold Palmer watched while Jack Nicklaus putted at the 1963 World Series of Golf in Akron, Ohio.
Francis Miller/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Jack Nicklaus (putting) and Arnold Palmer at the World Series of Golf in Akron, Ohio, 1963.
Francis Miller/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus at the World Series of Golf in Akron, Ohio, 1963.
Francis Miller/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer at the World Series of Golf in Akron, Ohio, 1963.
Francis Miller/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer at the World Series of Golf in Akron, Ohio, 1963.
Francis Miller/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer at the World Series of Golf in Akron, Ohio, 1963.
Francis Miller/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Jack Nicklaus at the World Series of Golf in Akron, Ohio, 1963.
Francis Miller/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Jack Nicklaus at the World Series of Golf in Akron, Ohio, 1963.
Francis Miller/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Jack Nicklaus at the World Series of Golf in Akron, Ohio, 1963.
Francis Miller/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Jack Nicklaus (putting) and Arnold Palmer at the World Series of Golf in Akron, Ohio, 1963.
Francis Miller/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Arnold Palmer at the World Series of Golf in Akron, Ohio, 1963.
Francis Miller/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Arnold Palmer at the World Series of Golf in Akron, Ohio, 1963.
Francis Miller/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
The scoreboard at the 36-hole World Series of Golf in 1963; Jack Nicklaus would end up winning by one stroke over Julius Boros.
Francis Miller/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
The scoreboard at the 36-hole World Series of Golf in 1963; Jack Nicklaus would end up winning by one stroke over Julius Boros.
Francis Miller/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Jack Nicklaus took the $50,000 first prize at the 1963 World Series of Golf in Akron, Ohio.
Francis Miller/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
