Bobby Nichols
A journeyman golfer who seized his moment, defeating Arnold Palmer to win the 1964 PGA Championship in a stunning upset.
Born 1936 (age 90)·American professional golfer·Birthday: April 14·The Silent Generation
Biography
Bobby Nichols emerged from a difficult childhood, having survived a near-fatal car accident as a teenager that left him with a steel plate in his hip. This resilience defined his path to professional golf. While he never dominated the tour, he was a consistent and respected competitor known for his smooth swing. His career apex came at the Columbus Country Club in 1964, where he held off the great Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus to claim the PGA Championship, his only major victory. That win secured his legacy, proving that on the right week, determination could trump sheer star power. Nichols later became a beloved figure on the PGA Tour Champions, his story a testament to perseverance in a sport of giants.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Bobby was born in 1936, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bobby Was Born
The biggest hits of 1936
#1 Movie
San Francisco
Best Picture
The Great Ziegfeld
Bobby's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1936Born
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1941Started school
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1949Became a teenager
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Could drive
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1954Could vote
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Turned 21
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1966Turned 30
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 40
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 50
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 60
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 70
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 80
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Age 90 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the 1964 PGA Championship, finishing three strokes ahead of Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.
- Captured 11 victories on the PGA Tour throughout his professional career.
- Served as the head professional at the Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, for many years.
- Was a founding member and regular competitor on the PGA Tour Champions (then the Senior PGA Tour).
Did You Know?
He survived a serious car crash at age 14 that required a lengthy hospitalization and left him with a permanent steel implant.
He was a talented baseball pitcher in his youth and was offered a minor league contract by the St. Louis Cardinals.
His 1964 PGA Championship victory was the first major to be broadcast in color on national television.
He served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Korea.
“I learned to swing a club again after they put a plate in my hip.”
