Jack Nicklaus puts his 1967 gold Rolex watch up for auction and experts say it could raise £14million for charity

GOLF legend Jack Nicklaus is auctioning off his famous gold Rolex watch... and it could reach a whopping £14million.

The 18-time major winner is braced to flog the most expensive piece of sporting memorabilia ever to raise cash for his charity Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation.

Nicklaus, 79, has been pictured with the same watch ever since winning the US Open in 1967.

But he has decided to put it up for auction in December later this year after it goes around the world to attract potential bidders.

The Rolex will be taken to PGA events and auction houses across the globe including Geneva, London, Hong Kong and Los Angeles.

It remains one of his most cherished possessions and has spoken of his intention to cash in in the past.

Reported by The Wall Street Journal, he said: "It was my first watch and the only one I wore. It was just part of me.

“I decided if I take this watch and give it to one of my kids, it’ll end up in a drawer someplace.

“I said, ‘Why don’t we take this watch and do some good with it?’"

The record for the most expensive piece of sporting memorabilia goes to baseball legend Babe Ruth whose jersey fetched around £3.5m at auction in 2012.

Nicklaus launched his charity with wife Barbara in 2004.

The American ended up winning 12 of his majors wearing the watch and always had it on his wrist when being presented with the trophy.

He was gifted it in 1966 when a company laid out a whole host of time pieces on a table and asked Nicklaus to pick one.