Johnny Miller joins the likes of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus after being honored with USGA’s highest honor
Golfer Johnny Miller will be honored with the United States Golf Association's (USGA) highest honor at its upcoming annual ceremony. The announcement was made official through a USGA press release.
Miller joins an impressive list of players who have received the Bob Jones Award, including Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, and Tiger Woods. The awards ceremony will be held at USGA headquarters in New Jersey in June.
In announcing the decision, USGA's CEO, Mike Whan, said this about Miller:
“Johnny’s contributions to our game are significant, and honoring him with the Bob Jones Award reflects everything he means to the game and everything the game means to him.”
For his part, Johnny Miller declared himself "honored" by this distinction:
“This is such a great honor to receive the Bob Jones Award. It was always about the USGA events for me. Growing up at The Olympic Club was such a privilege because it was a US Open course and my father always told me that’s the one I needed to win, the US Open.”
The USGA Bob Jones Award is given to those individuals who have "demonstrated exceptional commitment and dedication to the game of golf," and Miller is the 2023 recipient of this honor. The award is named for legendary amateur golfer and USGA founder Robert Tyre Jones Jr.
Johnny Miller: A true golf legend
Miller, 76, is one of the most successful and respected golfers in history. He was born in San Francisco, California, in 1947 and began playing golf at the age of 4. At 22, he turned professional and won his first PGA Tour tournament in 1971.
During his career, Miller was known for his ability to hit accurate shots and his ability to handle pressure in difficult situations.
In his professional career, he won 25 PGA Tour tournaments, including the 1973 US Open. In that edition, he carded 63 strokes on the final day, which is still the tournament's final day record. He also won a second Major tournament, The Open Championship, in 1976.
Johnny Miller was also a two-time World Cup champion. In 1973, teaming up with the legendary Jack Nicklaus, he defeated the South African pair formed by Gary Player and Hugh Baiocchi, in Spain.
Two years later, teaming up with Lou Graham, Johnny Miller defeated Taiwan's Hsieh Min-Nan and Kuo Chie-Hsiung in Thailand.
After retiring from professional golf in 1994, Miller became famous for his work as a television commentator and became one of the most influential voices in the golf world. For his work, he received multiple Emmy Awards. Today, he is dedicated to training young golfers and is an active member of the golf community worldwide.