For nearly two decades, Jack Nicklaus ’s name has been intertwined with the company he helped build, only to later fight in court to defend his reputation. That battle reached its conclusion this week after four and a half hours of deliberation. A Florida jury awarded the 18-time major champion $50 million in his defamation lawsuit against Nicklaus Companies, the firm now owned by billionaire Howard Milstein.

Nicklaus’ attorney, Eugene Stearns, told ESPN on Monday: “It’s always hard in a defamation case to prove damages to reputation, because in particular for a guy like Jack, it’s always such a good one. But I think what was important was the dispute that arose 3½ years ago when the company told the world that Jack was selling out the PGA Tour for the Saudi golf, when it was not tr

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