January 1972 and Golf Monthly cut through the wintry gloom with a cover shot from the previous summer and the 18th green at Royal Birkdale, home of the 1971 Open Championship.
The issue was in the shops in time for Christmas ’71 of course and there was a special treat for readers with a fascinating in-depth interview with golf’s greatest name, then and perhaps still now, Jack Nicklaus.
Asked if it was possible to win all four majors in one season, the Golden Bear enthused, “Yep. If I can control myself within, which is the hardest thing to do. If I can play well and have a year when I can also putt well, I must have a chance…My plan for 1972 is that I have four golf courses that couldn’t be better suited for me to win all the major championships in one year. They are Pebble Beach, Augusta, Muirfield and Oakland Hills.”
The great man wasn’t far off either. Winning the US Open and the Masters, he finished a shot behind Lee Trevino and his famous holed chip at the British Open. Only the US PGA was really out of his grasp, finishing 13th, six off the lead.
Read more from Donald Steel’s great interview with Nicklaus here.
