A Florida jury gave Jack Nicklaus $50 million after finding Nicklaus Companies spread lies about his mental state and claimed ties to LIV Golf League.
During the trial, evidence showed company officials falsely said the 85-year-old golf great was considering a $750 million position with the Saudi-backed golf group. The jury found these statements hurt his reputation and made him a target of public criticism.
"You need to have the keys taken away," company officials told business contacts and media outlets, suggesting mental decline and dementia, according to court evidence.
The trial revealed deep conflicts between the golf legend and billionaire Howard Milstein's company. While ruling against the company, jurors found Milstein and executive Andrew O'Brien weren't personally responsible.
Documents showed staff set up a 2021 meeting about course design with Golf Saudi. When talks turned to a LIV Golf leadership role, the PGA champion turned it down immediately.
The business relationship started when the company put in $145 million for course design and branding rights in 2007. After stepping back in 2017, the golf icon began a five-year non-compete period before leaving the board in 2022.
Things got worse when the company sued, claiming he broke contracts and interfered with business. The golf legend denied all accusations.
A judge's decision last July let him break free from non-compete limits to design courses on his own. Earlier court wins in New York gave him rights to his name and image, while the company kept control of merchandise.
Eugene Stearns, who fought for the champion in court, said the case was about fighting back against false claims of "selling out" the PGA Tour, telling ESPN.com that protecting his client's good name drove the legal fight.
