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Golfer of the century (Our Century) (Jack Nicklaus) (PBP) 12-19-99106 OUR CENTURY THE PALM BEACH POST 100 I the sports figures CHRIS EVERT Born Dec. 21, 1954 She showed us how to play the game hristine Marie Evert learned to play the game on the courts of Holiday Park in Fort Lauder- dale, where her father, Jimmy, coached tennis for most of her life — and his. The pigtailed "Chrissie" marched into the semifinals of her first U.S. Open at 16, missing the start of her junior year at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. With her trademark two-handed backhand and booming groundstrokes, Evert never fell below fourth in the world from 1972 until 1989, the year she retired, and she was No. 1 from 1975 to '81. Along the way, she won 18 Grand Slam cham- pionships, $9 million and accumulated a .8996 win- ning average, the highest in professional tennis history. Many called her game and her winning monotonous, but her "ice maiden" persona warmed as she matured. Evert's rivalry — and deep friendship — with Martina Navratilova re- mains one of the most poignant in sports history. Rounding out her life: marriage to. Olympic ski- er Andy Mill, and their three sons: Alexander, Nicholas and Colton. At home in Boca Raton, she's a typical car-pool mom, conducting business on her cell phone. Her Chris Evert Charities has raised more than $5.2 million to fight drug abuse and help abused children, and she's been known to. pick up a racket at the Evert Tennis Academy, a family -run venture also in Boca Raton. — ELIZABETH CLARKE JACK NICKLAUS Born Jan. 21, 1940 Golfer of the century Golf magazine called Jack Nicklaus the Golf- er of the Century in 1988. Ten years later, the PGA of America gave his wife, Bar- bara, the inaugural PGA First Lady of Golf Award. But in Palm Beach County, their influence spreads way beyond golf. The Nicklauses em- body the best of life in Palm Beach County: good sportsmanship, good business and good works. They moved to North Palm Beach in 1965 and have lived in the same Lost Tree Village home since 1970. Nicklaus also based his busi- ness, Golden Bear International Inc., in North Palm Beach. He is so identified with this area that the Convention and Visitors Bureau gave him an award for his "contribution to the inter- national image of Palm Beach County tourism." Nicklaus has won 100 professional tourna- ments highlighted by 18 major championships — six Masters, four U.S. Opens, three British THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Chris Evert plays the net with a youngster during a 1998 youth tennis clinic in Philadelphia. Evert is well-known for her work with children, including her Chris Evert Charities, which raises money to help abused children and fight drug abuse. Opens, five PGA Championships. He has de- signed, co -designed or redesigned golf courses around the world, including 18 in Florida. Of those, six are in Palm Beach County. A sev- enth course —The Bear's Club in Jupiter, where Nicklaus is founder, designer and presi- dent — should open in February. This private club is expected to reflect the best of Nicklaus' design work and his love of the land. He has a passion for plants (particu- larly palm trees) and keeps a staff of six to tend his own 3.5-acre spread at home and the land- scaping at The Bear's Club. Barbara has helped raise more than $10 million for charities locally and in Ohio, their home state. One major beneficiary: The Ben- jamin School, which their five children attend- ed and where Jack serves on the foundation board. "When Jack decides to do something — anything — he does it 100 percent," says Bar- bara, who married Jack in 1960 after their jun- ior year at Ohio State. He's focused his work in Florida, he said in 1989, "where more and more people can come down here to earn a living ... not just to live the life that's here, but to work and try to build something." — GREG SI'ODA The Palm Beach Post Sunday, December 19, 1999 Evert, in her own words On her life since retirement: "My first instinct is to tell you I'm a lot different. The first half of my life was all about me. The second half of my life is all about everybody else but me. I like myself better in this -role. The vanity goes out the window, and I feel much more grounded. But I'm the same person. I'm still competitive. I still get moody." On the most important thing she's done since retirement: "Raise children. It's the biggest responsibility people will have in their lifetime. People always ask me what was better - winning Wimbledon or.having a child? I think, winning Wimbledon is great for a week but then you're off to your.next tournament. Kids, they're a 24-hour reminder. They're life. The other thing is a feeling, a memory. But I feel very lucky to have had both." On why she gives back to the community: "I don't give back so much. When I look at what schoolteachers have to deal with or policemen, they're the ones who give back. I don't consider myself extraordinary. I should do something. I think everyone should do something. But I don't consider taking a meal to a poor family any different from me putting on a celebrity pro -am and raising money." On her relationship with Martina Navratilova today: "Martina and I have pretty much gone different directions. She spends about five months a year in Africa. She's finding herself and what she wants to do with her life. I've found that. We have a strong bond when we see one another, but we don't see one another that often. Yet there's that special feeling that's always going to be there." Jack and Barbara Nicklaus have lived in Palm Beach County for 35 years. Nicklaus, in his own words On his success: "Me success I've had in my career, I give Barbara at least 50 percent credit. The success we've had with our five children, I give her 99 percent of that." On The Beaes Club, his new high -end golf -course community off Donald Ross Road: It represents a "lifelong dream" to build a course that not only carries his name but also shows "my love, my passion and my respect for the game." On designing golf , courses: "I get a big kick out of doing something that's going to be here long beyond my golf game and my lifetime. It's a legacy that I leave."