Jack Nicklaus got what he wanted with the PGA Tour’s latest announcement

against his former friend and business partner Howard Milstein. In a 78-page decision issued earlier this

month, David Lichter, a neutral arbitrator, ruled that Nicklaus was no longer bound by a non-compete agreement with the Nicklaus Companies, the company the golfer founded but now controlled by Milstein. “The arbitrator found that I’ve served my sentence, the non-compete clause has been lifted and I can do whatever I want,” Nicklaus told me in an interview on Wednesday.

“I can also design golf courses under my own name.”

A Milstein spokesman responded: “No.” “Nothing has changed,” a spokesman said. “If Jack wants to design a course and use his name to promote it, he must do so through the Nicklaus Company.” This is debatable: Nicklaus has already pursued golf projects outside the company’s purview, but he said he didn’t know whether Milstein could or would try to block them. But one thing is clear: While Nicklaus may have won this battle, the war with Milstein is on. And it continues. To briefly summarize the story I told Golf Digest in May 2023, Milstein, a multibillion-dollar New York real estate heir and owner of the largest private bank in the United States, invested $145 million in Nicklaus Companies in 2007, becoming its largest shareholder . . . (Milstein also owns a number of golf-related businesses, including golf magazines and websites that are competitors to Golf Digest.) Nicklaus grew frustrated with Milstein’s management and tried to exit the company altogether in 2017. Since then, Nikraus has been trying to act alone as a golf field designer, and Millstein has been forced to continue selling Nikrauss to Nikitchlus.

Milstein continued Nirahas in New York in 2022, and the preliminary judge (the case should be submitted in the court in 2025) gave both sides on both sides. He said Nicklaus could continue to develop courses, but he couldn’t sell them under terms the company still owns, such as “Golden Bear” and “Jack Nicklaus Signature.” Milstein also argued that Nicklaus couldn’t sell his services outside of Nicklaus’ companies because of a five-year non-compete agreement. But the arbitrator denied the claim, finding that the five-year period had already expired. So does that mean Nicklaus also has the right to use his name again to sell golf course projects? Nicklaus says yes. Milstein says no. Further litigation in New York will likely resolve this issue. Someday. On the other hand, in some cases, Nikraus continued Milstein in Florida for slandering, and Millstein lied when Nichraus opened to participate in Soudy Great LIV. This case is also under investigation. Of course, a wider question is why the billionaire’s billionaire’s war for the billionaire is against Septagenarium. Two 80-year-olds can’t come to a peace agreement. (Millstein is 73, Niklaus is 84.) In part, it seems the two alpha males simply hated each other. But Nicklaus has bigger ideas. “I used to go crazy sitting at home,” he told me. “I love the atmosphere and the fun of building golf courses.” And Nicklaus wants to continue the work with his sons, who have grown close to him personally and professionally in recent years. “Under this victory of the referee, my family can transfer my name and my similarity to the future. I know that I am a resource limited to this age, and I hope I have several good years left. But my kids are free now.” And Nicklaus, filled with the triumphant joy that comes with his 18 major victories, added, “I’m going to live forever!”