--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I came back and in '63, I was at the…" description: "\"I came back and in '63, I was at the British Open, trying to win my first British Open. And I had what I thought was a two-shot lead with two holes to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f9/jack-nicklaus-1429_balls_i-came-back-and-in-63-i-was-at-the-briti_26912.png" --- # I came back and in '63, I was at the British Open, trying… ![“I came back and in '63, I was at the British Open, trying to win my first British Open. And I had what I thought was a two-shot lead with two holes to play at Lytham. I remember it like it was yesterday. Anybody with a proper brain would have played the ball short of the hole. I didn't have a…” quote by Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f9/jack-nicklaus-1429_balls_i-came-back-and-in-63-i-was-at-the-briti_26912.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f9/jack-nicklaus-1429_balls_i-came-back-and-in-63-i-was-at-the-briti_26912.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f9/jack-nicklaus-1429_balls_i-came-back-and-in-63-i-was-at-the-briti_26912.png) > “I came back and in '63, I was at the British Open, trying to win my first British Open. And I had what I thought was a two-shot lead with two holes to play at Lytham. I remember it like it was yesterday. Anybody with a proper brain would have played the ball short of the hole. I didn't have a proper brain at the time. But you have to make that mistake to learn it.” [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A costly mistake in a high‑stakes moment taught a lasting lesson about strategic thinking and humility. **In simple terms:** Mistakes are teachers. Key Takeaway Learn from errors. Themes humility strategy growth sportsmanship learning Mood reflective determined humble Type anecdotal motivational When to use this quote - professional competition - personal development - coaching sessions - risk assessment meetings Key Concepts decision‑making pressure self‑awareness Practical Applications - training programs - leadership workshops Questions to Reflect On - What mistake could you have avoided with better foresight? - How can you turn a failure into a future advantage? A Different Perspective Some argue that over‑analysis can paralyze performance, but reflective mistakes can also reinforce bad habits if not examined critically. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [Golf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golf/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) [Yesterday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yesterday/) ## Related quotes > [Any golfer worth his salt has to cross the sea and try to win the British Open.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/any-golfer-worth-his-salt-has-to-cross-the-sea-and-try-to-win-the/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [As a kid, I remember John Daly bombing it around St. Andrews in 1995 to win the British Open, and people say we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-johnson/as-a-kid-i-remember-john-daly-bombing-it-around-st-andrews-in-1995-to/) [Dustin Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-johnson/) > [I've always felt like I was going to win a British Open at St. Andrews. That place is suited for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooks-koepka/i-ve-always-felt-like-i-was-going-to-win-a-british-open-at-st-andrews/) [Brooks Koepka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooks-koepka/) > [1960, I was 20 years old, and I was leading the U.S. Open. Now, I wasn't leading by several strokes, but I was leading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/1960-i-was-20-years-old-and-i-was-leading-the-u-s-open-now-i-wasn-t/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [We found ourselves in a hole that I didn't dig, but I have dug, dug and dug to try to get out of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/we-found-ourselves-in-a-hole-that-i-didn-t-dig-but-i-have-dug-dug-and/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) > [Everyone remembers the winner; nobody remembers who finishes second. But quite a lot, I seem to be right around the hunt with nine holes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooks-koepka/everyone-remembers-the-winner-nobody-remembers-who-finishes-second/) [Brooks Koepka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooks-koepka/) > [But wishes were empty thoughts, cast down a dark hole. They didn't come true unless you worked for them. I'd learned that about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-aguirre/but-wishes-were-empty-thoughts-cast-down-a-dark-hole-they-didn-t-come/) [Ann Aguirre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-aguirre/) > [When the British Open is in Scotland, there's something special about it. And when it's at St. Andrews, it's even greater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/when-the-british-open-is-in-scotland-there-s-something-special-about/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [I'd like to win the British belt outright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-degale/i-d-like-to-win-the-british-belt-outright/) [James DeGale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-degale/) > [It's great to win the British title. I wanted to control the fight behind my jab and then land the right hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dubois/it-s-great-to-win-the-british-title-i-wanted-to-control-the-fight/) [Daniel Dubois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dubois/) > [I'm a guy who loves my family, and we're probably only going to have a couple of more babies. I have the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/webb-simpson/i-m-a-guy-who-loves-my-family-and-we-re-probably-only-going-to-have-a/) [Webb Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/webb-simpson/) > [Obviously it's my second senior event, and I'm tired obviously coming back from the British Open, from surgery, which was priority No. 1, did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-norman/obviously-it-s-my-second-senior-event-and-i-m-tired-obviously-coming/) [Greg Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-norman/) > [Vijay Singh won a playoff in 2004 at Whistling Straits after a final-round 76, which was the highest last round by the winner of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-jenkins/vijay-singh-won-a-playoff-in-2004-at-whistling-straits-after-a-final/) [Dan Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-jenkins/) > [I'm proud of winning the British Open in 1983 when I was very young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-ballas/i-m-proud-of-winning-the-british-open-in-1983-when-i-was-very-young/) [Shirley Ballas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-ballas/) > [Everyone knows the British Open is my favorite tournament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seve-ballesteros/everyone-knows-the-british-open-is-my-favorite-tournament/) [Seve Ballesteros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seve-ballesteros/) ## More by Jack Nicklaus > [My kids all do love to hunt and fish. When they get together, I think that's what they get together more for than anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/my-kids-all-do-love-to-hunt-and-fish-when-they-get-together-i-think/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [I don't think you would have missed that putt, but in these circumstances, I would never give you the opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-don-t-think-you-would-have-missed-that-putt-but-in-these/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [I've said many times before that Pebble Beach is a wonderful thinking-man's golf course. That is why it is such a great U.S. Open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-ve-said-many-times-before-that-pebble-beach-is-a-wonderful-thinking/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [My workout was playing other sports and I always played tennis, football, basketball, threw a baseball - I was always doing something to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/my-workout-was-playing-other-sports-and-i-always-played-tennis/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [I guess that's why they call it Hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-guess-that-s-why-they-call-it-hell/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [If you want to hit it farther, hit it better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/if-you-want-to-hit-it-farther-hit-it-better/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [I wish I had kept my damn mouth shut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-wish-i-had-kept-my-damn-mouth-shut/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [You have to watch your handicap. My son Steve says, "Never make a putt you don't have to."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/you-have-to-watch-your-handicap-my-son-steve-says-never-make-a-putt/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [Whether it's pool or Ping Pong, I can't stand to have my kids beat me. Especially Ping Pong! And when they beat me, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/whether-it-s-pool-or-ping-pong-i-can-t-stand-to-have-my-kids-beat-me/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [If you'd asked me at 30 where I'd be during the Masters when I was 46, I'd have pictured myself on a boat fishing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/if-you-d-asked-me-at-30-where-i-d-be-during-the-masters-when-i-was-46/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [There are no maladies in my golf game. My golf game stinks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/there-are-no-maladies-in-my-golf-game-my-golf-game-stinks/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [That's sort of overkill. We've had 70 years of the Ryder Cup, and it's gotten along just fine. The pendulum will swing back without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/that-s-sort-of-overkill-we-ve-had-70-years-of-the-ryder-cup-and-it-s/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [Golf really excites me only when the course is difficult and challenging. I love competing. The pressure of competition against fine holes and fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/golf-really-excites-me-only-when-the-course-is-difficult-and/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [A perfectly straight shot with a big club is a fluke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/a-perfectly-straight-shot-with-a-big-club-is-a-fluke/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [In 1979, when I was 39, I had such a bad year, I thought it was all over. Thankfully it wasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/in-1979-when-i-was-39-i-had-such-a-bad-year-i-thought-it-was-all-over/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) [Explore all 242 Jack Nicklaus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) ## More Balls quotes > [It's a lot harder to play football when you haven't got the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gray/it-s-a-lot-harder-to-play-football-when-you-haven-t-got-the-ball/) [Andy Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gray/) > [Once you pull the trigger, you've got to throw balls aggressively and with conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-smith/once-you-pull-the-trigger-you-ve-got-to-throw-balls-aggressively-and/) [Alex Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-smith/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [Play small ball. Get back to basics. I would say that you need to be a conservative, but you need to maintain your independent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-tantaros/play-small-ball-get-back-to-basics-i-would-say-that-you-need-to-be-a/) [Andrea Tantaros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-tantaros/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Well, you can certainly teach free-throwing. And you can teach the boys to pass at angles and run in curves. - University of Kansas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-dawkins/well-you-can-certainly-teach-free-throwing-and-you-can-teach-the-boys/) [Darryl Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-dawkins/) > [Maybe bring in sponge balls to learn the technique and gain that experience of actually challenging for a header.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mason/maybe-bring-in-sponge-balls-to-learn-the-technique-and-gain-that/) [Ryan Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mason/) > [I like René Descartes' theory about a ball of wax. You can change its form from solid to liquid, but it's still the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/i-like-ren-descartes-theory-about-a-ball-of-wax-you-can-change-its/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [It wasn't really touching to be young; it was touching not to be young, because you had less of life left. Touching to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/it-wasn-t-really-touching-to-be-young-it-was-touching-not-to-be-young/) [Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/) > [This ball was so crowded that it took me - a trained professional journalist with vast experience in this area - forty five minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/this-ball-was-so-crowded-that-it-took-me-a-trained-professional/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Common sense is the guy who tells you that you ought to have had your brakes relined last week before you smashed a front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/common-sense-is-the-guy-who-tells-you-that-you-ought-to-have-had-your/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [Throwing a ball is not natural, whether it's overhand or underhand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennie-finch/throwing-a-ball-is-not-natural-whether-it-s-overhand-or-underhand/) [Jennie Finch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennie-finch/) > [I don't feel like I have to live up to anything because I've proven that I can play. Give me the ball and let's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-portis/i-don-t-feel-like-i-have-to-live-up-to-anything-because-i-ve-proven/) [Clinton Portis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-portis/) > [And if we seem nutty to you and if we seem like an odd ball to you, just remember one thing. The mighty oak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-turner/and-if-we-seem-nutty-to-you-and-if-we-seem-like-an-odd-ball-to-you/) [Glenn Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-turner/) > [You run the football for toughness. You run the ball to tell your opponent that you're as tough as they are. But you throw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-glanville/you-run-the-football-for-toughness-you-run-the-ball-to-tell-your/) Jerry Glanville Browse all 3,005 Balls quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I came back and in '63, I was at the British Open, trying to win my first British Open. And I had what I thought was a two-shot lead with two holes to play at Lytham. I remember it like it was yesterday. Anybody with a proper brain would have played the ball short of the hole. I didn't have a proper brain at the time. But you have to make that mistake to learn it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jack Nicklaus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-came-back-and-in-63-i-was-at-the-british-open-trying-to-win-my/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Balls" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-came-back-and-in-63-i-was-at-the-british-open-trying-to-win-my/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f9/jack-nicklaus-1429_balls_i-came-back-and-in-63-i-was-at-the-briti_26912.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f9/jack-nicklaus-1429_balls_i-came-back-and-in-63-i-was-at-the-briti_26912.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f9/jack-nicklaus-1429_balls_i-came-back-and-in-63-i-was-at-the-briti_26912.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I came back and in '63, I was at the British Open, trying to win my first British Open. And I had what I…” — Jack Nicklaus", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jack Nicklaus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I came back and in '63,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-came-back-and-in-63-i-was-at-the-british-open-trying-to-win-my/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-came-back-and-in-63-i-was-at-the-british-open-trying-to-win-my/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```