Arnold Palmer
Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox golfer Arnold Daniel Palmer (September 10, 1929 – September 25, 2016) was an American professional golfer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most charismatic players in the sport's history. Since embarking on a professional career in 1955, he won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and the circuit now known as PGA Tour Champions. Nicknamed "The King", Palmer was one of golf's most popular stars and seen as a trailblazer, the first superstar of the sport's television age, which began in the 1950s.
Palmer's social impact on golf was unrivaled among fellow professionals; his modest origins and plain-spoken popularity helped change the perception of golf from an elite, upper-class pastime of private clubs to a more populist sport accessible to middle and working classes via public courses.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player were "The Big Three" in golf during the 1960s; they are credited with popularizing and commercializing the sport around the world.
In a career spanning more than six decades, Palmer won 62 PGA Tour titles from 1955 to 1973. He is fifth on the Tour's all-time victory list, trailing only Sam Snead, Tiger Woods, Nicklaus, and Ben Hogan. He won seven major titles in a six-plus-year domination from the 1958 Masters to the 1964 Masters. He also won the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998, and in 1974 was one of the 13 original inductees into the World Golf Hall of Fame.<ref>World Golf Hall of Fame website</ref>
Early lifeEdit
Arnold Daniel Palmer was born on September 10, 1929, to Doris (née Morrison) and Milfred Jerome "Deacon" Palmer<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, a working-class steel mill town.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He learned golf from his father, who had suffered from polio at a young age and was head professional and greenskeeper at Latrobe Country Club, which allowed young Palmer to accompany his father as he maintained the course.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Palmer attended Wake Forest College on a golf scholarship.<ref name=golfweek/> He left upon the death of close friend Bud Worsham and enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he served for three years, 1951–1954. At the Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May, New Jersey, he built a nine-hole course and had some time to continue to hone his golf skills.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> After Palmer's enlistment term ended, he returned to college and competitive golf.<ref name="nytime-death"/>
Palmer won the 1954 U.S. Amateur in Detroit and made the decision to turn pro in November of that year.<ref name=golfweek/> "That victory was the turning point in my life," he said. "It gave me confidence I could compete at the highest level of the game."<ref name=golfweek/> When reporters there asked Gene Littler who the young golfer was that was cracking balls on the practice tee, Littler said: "That's Arnold Palmer. He's going to be a great player some day. When he hits the ball, the earth shakes."<ref name=golfweek/>
After winning that match, Palmer quit his job selling paint and played in the Waite Memorial tournament in Shawnee-on-Delaware, Pennsylvania. There, he met his future wife, Winifred Walzer, and they remained married for 45 years until her death in 1999.<ref name=golfweek/>
On November 17, 1954, Palmer announced his intentions to turn pro.<ref name=golfweek/> "What other people find in poetry, I find in the flight of a good drive," Palmer said.<ref name=golfweek/>
CareerEdit
Palmer's first tour win came during his 1955 rookie season, when he won the Canadian Open and earned $2,400 for his efforts.<ref name="nytime-death"/> He raised his game status for the next several seasons. Palmer's charisma was a major factor in establishing golf as a compelling television event in the 1950s and 1960s, which set the stage for the popularity it enjoys today.<ref name="nytime-death"/> His first major championship win at the 1958 Masters Tournament, where he earned $11,250, established his position as one of the leading stars in golf, and by 1960 he had signed up as pioneering sports agent Mark McCormack's first client.<ref name="nytime-death"/>
In later interviews, McCormack listed five attributes that made Palmer especially marketable: his handsomeness; his relatively modest background (his father was a greenskeeper before rising to be club professional and Latrobe was a humble club); the way he played golf, taking risks and wearing his emotions on his sleeve; his involvement in a string of exciting finishes in early televised tournaments; and his affability.<ref name="nytime-death"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Palmer is also credited by many for securing the status of The Open Championship (British Open) among U.S. players. Before Ben Hogan won that championship in 1953, few American professionals had traveled to play in The Open, due to its extensive travel requirements, its relatively small purse, and the style of its links courses (radically different from most American courses). Palmer wanted to emulate the feats of his predecessors Bobby Jones, Sam Snead and Hogan in his quest to become a leading American golfer.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In particular, Palmer traveled to Scotland in 1960 to compete in the British Open for the first time. He had already won both the Masters and U.S. Open and was trying to emulate Hogan's 1953 feat of winning all three tournaments in a single year.<ref name="nytime-death"/> Palmer played what he himself said were the four best rounds of his career, shooting 70-71-70-68. His scores had the English excitedly claiming that Palmer may well be the greatest golfer ever to play the game.<ref name=SI>Template:Cite magazine</ref> British fans were excited about Palmer's playing in the Open. Although he failed to win, losing out to Kel Nagle by a single shot,<ref name="nytime-death"/> his subsequent Open wins in the early 1960s convinced many American pros that a trip to Britain would be worth the effort, and certainly secured Palmer's popularity among British and European fans, not just American ones.<ref name=SI/>
Palmer was greatly disappointed by his runner-up finish in the 1960 British Open. His appearance overseas drew American attention to the Open Championship, which had previously been ignored by the American golfers.<ref name=abc>Template:Cite news</ref> Palmer went on to win the Open Championship in 1961 and 1962, and last played in it in 1995. Martin Slumbers, chief executive of The R&A, called Palmer "a true gentleman, one of the greatest ever to play the game and a truly iconic figure in sport".<ref name=abc/> His participation in The Open Championship in the early 1960s "was the catalyst to truly internationalize golf," said European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley.<ref name=abc/>
Palmer won seven major championships:
- Masters Tournament: 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964
- U.S. Open: 1960
- The Open Championship: 1961, 1962<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Palmer's most prolific years were 1960–1963, when he won 29 PGA Tour events, including five major tournaments, in four seasons. In 1960, he won the Hickok Belt as the top professional athlete of the year and Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award. He built up a wide fan base, often referred to as "Arnie's Army", and in 1967 he became the first man to reach $1Template:Nbspmillion in career earnings on the PGA Tour. By the late 1960s Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player had both acquired clear ascendancy in their rivalry, but Palmer won a PGA Tour event every year from 1955 to 1971 inclusive, and in 1971 he enjoyed a revival, winning four events.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
For each of his wins at the Masters, Palmer's caddie was Nathaniel "Iron Man" Avery; at the time, Augusta National required all golfers to use the club's own caddies.<ref name="caddie-network">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Palmer won the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average four times: 1961, 1962, 1964, and 1967. He played on six Ryder Cup teams: 1961, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1971, and 1973.<ref name="nytime-death"/> He was the last playing captain in 1963, and captained the team again in 1975.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Palmer was eligible for the Senior PGA Tour (now PGA Tour Champions) from its first season in 1980, and he was one of the marquee names who helped it to become successful. He won ten events on the tour, including five senior majors.<ref name="nytime-death"/>
Palmer won the first World Match Play Championship that was held in England. The event was originally organized by McCormack to showcase his stable of players. Their partnership was one of the most significant in the history of sports marketing. Long after he ceased to win tournaments, Palmer remained one of the highest earners in golf due to his appeal to sponsors and the public.<ref name=bio>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 2004, he competed in the Masters Tournament for the last time, marking his 50th consecutive appearance in that event.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> At his death, he and Jack Nicklaus were the only two Masters champions to be regular members of Masters organizer Augusta National Golf Club (as opposed to the honorary membership the club grants to all Masters champions).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
From 2007 until his death, Palmer served as an honorary starter for the Masters.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He retired from tournament golf on October 13, 2006, when he withdrew from the Champions Tours' Administaff Small Business Classic after four holes due to dissatisfaction with his own play. He played the remaining holes but did not keep score.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Golf businessesEdit
Palmer had a diverse golf-related business career, including owning the Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Florida, which is the venue for the PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational (renamed from the Bay Hill Invitational in 2007), helping to found The Golf Channel,<ref name="nytime-death"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and negotiating the deal to build the first golf course in the People's Republic of China. This led to the formation of Palmer Course Design in 1972, which was renamed Arnold Palmer Design Company when the company moved to Orlando, Florida, in 2006.<ref name="nytime-death"/> Palmer's design partner was Ed Seay.
Palmer designed more than 300 golf courses in 37 states, 25 countries, and five continents (all except Africa and Antarctica),<ref name=golfweek>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="nytime-death"/> including the golf course at Henry Fok's Zhongshan Hot Springs Hotel, which was one of the first golf courses built in China since the founding of the People's Republic of China.<ref name=":Chatwin">Template:Cite book</ref> In 1971, he purchased Latrobe Country Club (where his father used to be the club professional) and owned it until his death.<ref name="nytime-death"/> The licensing, endorsements, spokesman associations and commercial partnerships built by Palmer and McCormack are managed by Arnold Palmer Enterprises. Palmer was also a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects.
In 1997, Palmer and fellow golfer Tiger Woods initiated a civil case in an effort to stop the unauthorized sale of their images and alleged signatures in the memorabilia market. The lawsuit was filed against Bruce Matthews, the owner of Gotta Have It Golf, Inc. and others. Matthews and associated parties counter-claimed that Palmer and associated businesses committed several acts, including breach of contract, breach of implied duty of good faith and violations of Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On March 12, 2014, a Florida jury ruled in favor of Gotta Have It on its breach of contract and other related claims. The same jury rejected the counterclaims of Palmer and Woods, and awarded Gotta Have It $668,346 in damages.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
One of Palmer's most recent products (mass-produced starting in 2001) is a branded use of the beverage known as the Arnold Palmer, which combines sweetened iced tea with lemonade.<ref name="nytime-death"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Automotive businessesEdit
As a member of the Lincoln-Mercury Sports Panel, in the early 1970s Palmer was a brand ambassador for Lincoln-Mercury.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 1974, Palmer, along with partners Mark McCormack and Don Massey, purchased a Cadillac dealership in Charlotte, North Carolina. Over the years, Palmer would acquire several other dealerships in several states including a Buick-Cadillac store in his hometown of Latrobe.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Latrobe dealership, known as Arnold Palmer Motors, closed in 2017 after 36 years in business and several months after his death.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
LegacyEdit
Template:Quote box According to Adam Schupak of Golf Week, "No one did more to popularize the sport than Palmer". "His dashing presence singlehandedly took golf out of the country clubs and into the mainstream. Quite simply, he made golf cool."<ref name=golfweek/> Jack Nicklaus said:
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He is mentioned by James Bond's caddie in Goldfinger: "If that's [Goldfinger's] original ball, I'm Arnold Palmer."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 2000, Palmer was ranked the sixth greatest player of all time in Golf Digest magazine's rankings, and by 2008 had earned an estimated $30 million.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Palmer was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa - The National Leadership Honor Society in 1964 at Wake Forest University. He won the inaugural Scripps Howard Super Sage Award in 2003. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was the first golfer to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the second golfer, after Byron Nelson, to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In addition to Palmer's impressive list of awards, he was bestowed the honor of kicking off the Masters Tournament beginning in 2007. From 2007 to 2009, Palmer was the sole honorary starter. In 2010, longtime friend and competitor Jack Nicklaus was appointed by Augusta National to join Palmer.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2012, golf's The Big Three reunited as South African golfer Gary Player joined for the ceremonial tee shots as honorary starters for the 76th playing of the Masters Tournament.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In describing the effect that Palmer had on the sport, biographer James Dodson stated:
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Personal lifeEdit
Palmer was married to the former Winnie Walzer for 45 years; the couple had two daughters, Peggy and Amy.<ref name="nytime-death"/> Winnie died at age 65 on November 20, 1999, of complications from ovarian cancer.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Palmer's grandson Sam Saunders is a professional golfer<ref name="nytime-death" /> who grew up playing at Bay Hill, where he won the club championship at age 15. Saunders attended Clemson University in South Carolina on a golf scholarship and turned pro in 2008. He stated that Palmer's family nickname is "Dumpy.”<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Palmer married his second wife, Kathleen Gawthrop, in 2005 in Hawaii.<ref name="premrrd">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
During the spring and summer months, Palmer resided in Latrobe, and he spent winters in Orlando and La Quinta, California.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He first visited Orlando in 1948 during a college match. When he took up residence in Orlando, Palmer helped the city become a recreation destination, "turning the entire state of Florida into a golfing paradise.”<ref name="Orlando">Template:Cite news</ref> That included building one of the premier events on the PGA Tour there, along with his contributions to new hospitals.<ref name="Orlando" /> On hearing about Palmer's death, Tiger Woods said, "My kids were born at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, and his philanthropic work will be remembered along with his accomplishments in golf."<ref name="syracuse" /> Arnold Palmer Boulevard is named in his honor.<ref name="Orlando" />
Palmer was a member of the Freemasons since 1958.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Palmer created the Arnie's Army Charitable Foundation to help children and youth. The Foundation saw the creation of the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies Center, The Howard Philips Center for Children & Families, the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, and the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He and O.J. Simpson were spokespersons for Hertz Rent-a-Car.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref> Palmer served on the advisory board of U.S. English, a group that supports making English the official language of the United States.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
During his playing career, Palmer smoked cigarettes, which caused him to battle an addiction to nicotine. He noted that many of his colleagues smoked, and he even endorsed the product in television commercials. Later in life, Palmer made a complete about-face and urged the public to give up smoking. He said that cigarette smoking has a negative effect on every organ in the body.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> As a testimonial for smoking cessation products, he was depicted in a 1989 photo by Robert Straus that was subject to copyright litigation as late as 20 years later.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref>
Palmer was a Republican and donated money to Pat Toomey, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, and George W. Bush. He was approached on multiple occasions by the Republican Party encouraging him to run for political office, but he declined on each occasion.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In a September 2018 interview with The Sporting News, Palmer's daughter, Peggy, characterized Palmer as a Goldwater Republican. She also said that her father was personal friends with president Dwight D. Eisenhower, who gave Palmer one of his paintings as a birthday present. Palmer also knew Donald Trump because Trump organized several golf tournaments. According to Peggy, Palmer appreciated Trump's support for the game. However, around the time of Palmer's death, which was during Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, Palmer showed disgust towards Trump and made unflattering comments about him.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
PilotEdit
Palmer's early "fear of flying" led him to pursue his pilot certificate. After almost 55 years, he logged nearly 20,000 hours of flight time in various aircraft.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> His personal website reads:
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Next to marrying his wife, Winnie, and deciding on a professional career in golf, there's only one decision Arnold Palmer considers smarter. Learning how to fly an airplane.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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On Palmer's 70th birthday in 1999, Westmoreland County Airport in Latrobe was renamed Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in his honor.<ref name="nytime-death" /><ref name="redncnws">Template:Cite news</ref> According to their website: "[The airport] started as the Longview Flying Field in 1924. It became J.D. Hill Airport in 1928, Latrobe Airport in 1935 and Westmoreland County Airport in 1978. Complementing a rich history rooted in some of the earliest pioneers of aviation, the name was changed to Arnold Palmer Regional in 1999 to honor the Latrobe native golf legend who grew up less than a mile from the runway where he watched the world's first official airmail pickup in 1939 and later learned to fly himself."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> There is a statue of Palmer made by Zenos Frudakis, holding a golf club in front of the airport's entrance, unveiled in 2007.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Palmer thought he would pilot a plane for the last time on January 31, 2011,<ref name="nytime-death" /> and flew from Palm Springs in California to Orlando in his Cessna Citation X.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His pilot's medical certificate expired that day and he chose not to renew it. However, public FAA records show he was issued a new third-class medical in May 2011.Template:Citation needed
BooksEdit
- A Life Well Played: My Stories (2016) Template:ISBN
- Reflections on the Game (2012, with Thomas Hauser. Originally published as Arnold Palmer: A Personal Journey, 1994) Template:ISBN
- Arnold Palmer: Memories, Stories, and Memorabilia from a Life on and off the Course (2004) Template:ISBN
- Playing by the Rules: The Rules of Golf Explained & Illustrated from a Lifetime in the Game (2002) Template:ISBN
- A Golfer's Life (1999, with James Dodson) Template:ISBN
- Arnold Palmer's Complete Book of Putting (1986, with Peter Dobereiner) Template:ISBN
- Arnold Palmer's Best 54 Golf Holes (1977) Template:ISBN
- Go for Broke! My Philosophy of Winning Golf (1973, with William Barry Furlong) Template:ISBN
- 495 Golf Lessons (1973, with Earl Puckett) Template:ISBN
- Golf Tactics (1970) Template:ISBN
- Situation Golf (1970) Template:ISBN
- My Game and Yours (1965) Template:ISBN
DeathEdit
Palmer died on September 25, 2016 (shortly after his 87th birthday), while awaiting heart surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (Shadyside) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.<ref name="nytime-death">Template:Cite news</ref> He was admitted three days earlier to undergo testing on his heart.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After his funeral, he was cremated and his ashes were scattered in his hometown at Latrobe Country Club.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His estate was valued at $875 million and was divided between his two daughters, his second wife (who received $10 million), eight employees who received $25,000 each, and his charity, Arnie's Army, which received $10 million.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
TributesEdit
Template:Quote box Less than a week after Palmer died, his life was celebrated by both teams at the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, just outside the Twin Cities.<ref name=ryder>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=usatoday>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=telegraph>Template:Cite news</ref> The celebration included a video tribute and a moment of silence during the opening ceremony, which also included tributes from the opposing captains—Davis Love III for Team USA and Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke for Team Europe—and the opposing honorary captains—Nicklaus for Team USA and England's Tony Jacklin for Team Europe. During the matches, the players paid tribute to Palmer, which included wearing a special logo, button and pin. Palmer's bag from the 1975 Ryder Cup was also placed on the first tee as a tribute. Palmer had won more than 22 Ryder Cup matches and had also captained Team USA to two victories, in addition to holding or being tied for the records for youngest captain, most career singles points and most points in a single Ryder Cup.<ref name=telegraph/> PGA of America president Derek Sprague stated:
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Two days after a 17–11 victory, which marked the first American Ryder Cup triumph since 2008 at Valhalla and which Love dedicated to Palmer, the majority of the team attended the memorial service for Palmer at St. Vincent College in Latrobe and also brought the trophy after Palmer's daughter Amy asked the team if they could do so.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
A Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to Palmer on January 1, 2017.<ref name=WalkofStars>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The United States Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp honoring Palmer on March 4, 2020.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Amateur winsEdit
- 1946 WPIAL Championship, PIAA Championship
- 1947 WPIAL Championship, PIAA Championship, Western Pennsylvania Junior, Western Pennsylvania Amateur
- 1948 Southern Conference Championship, Sunnehanna Invitational, Western Pennsylvania Junior
- 1950 Southern Intercollegiate, Western Pennsylvania Amateur, Greensburg Invitational
- 1951 Western Pennsylvania Amateur, Worsham Memorial
- 1952 Western Pennsylvania Amateur, Greensburg Invitational
- 1953 Ohio Amateur, Cleveland Amateur, Greensburg Invitational, Mayfield Heights Open, Evergreen Pitch and Putt Invitational
- 1954 U.S. Amateur, Ohio Amateur, All-American Amateur, Atlantic Coast Conference Championship, Bill Waite Memorial
Amateur major wins (1)Edit
| Year | Championship | Winning score | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | U.S. Amateur | 1 up | Template:Flagicon Robert Sweeny Jr. |
Results timelineEdit
| Tournament | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Amateur | R256 | R64 | R256 | R16 | 1 |
Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend R256, R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play
Source:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Professional wins (95)Edit
PGA Tour wins (62)Edit
| Legend |
|---|
| Major championships (7) |
| Other PGA Tour (55) |
PGA Tour playoff record (14–10)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1956 | Insurance City Open | Template:Flagicon Ted Kroll | Won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 2 | 1957 | Rubber City Open Invitational | Template:Flagicon Doug Ford | Won with birdie on sixth extra hole |
| 3 | 1958 | Azalea Open | Template:Flagicon Howie Johnson | Lost 18-hole playoff; Johnson: +5 (77), Palmer: +6 (78) |
| 4 | 1959 | West Palm Beach Open Invitational | Template:Flagicon Gay Brewer, Template:Flagicon Pete Cooper | Won with par on fourth extra hole |
| 5 | 1960 | Houston Classic | Template:Flagicon Bill Collins | Lost 18-hole playoff; Collins: −3 (69), Palmer: −1 (71) |
| 6 | 1960 | Insurance City Open Invitational | Template:Flagicon Bill Collins, Template:Flagicon Jack Fleck | Won with birdie on third extra hole Collins eliminated by birdie on first hole |
| 7 | 1961 | San Diego Open Invitational | Template:Flagicon Al Balding | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 8 | 1961 | Phoenix Open Invitational | Template:Flagicon Doug Sanders | Won 18-hole playoff; Palmer: −3 (67), Sanders: E (70) |
| 9 | 1961 | 500 Festival Open Invitation | Template:Flagicon Doug Ford | Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
| 10 | 1962 | Masters Tournament | Template:Flagicon Dow Finsterwald, Template:Flagicon Gary Player | Won 18-hole playoff; Palmer: −4 (68), Player: −1 (71), Finsterwald: +5 (77) |
| 11 | 1962 | Colonial National Invitation | Template:Flagicon Johnny Pott | Won 18-hole playoff; Palmer: −1 (69), Pott: +3 (73) |
| 12 | 1962 | U.S. Open | Template:Flagicon Jack Nicklaus | Lost 18-hole playoff; Nicklaus: E (71), Palmer: +3 (74) |
| 13 | 1963 | Thunderbird Classic | Template:Flagicon Paul Harney | Won with par on first extra hole |
| 14 | 1963 | U.S. Open | Template:Flagicon Julius Boros, Template:Flagicon Jacky Cupit | Boros won 18-hole playoff; Boros: −1 (70), Cupit: +2 (73), Palmer: +5 (76) |
| 15 | 1963 | Cleveland Open Invitational | Template:Flagicon Tommy Aaron, Template:Flagicon Tony Lema | Won 18-hole playoff; Palmer: −4 (67), Aaron: −1 (70), Lema: −1 (70) |
| 16 | 1963 | Western Open | Template:Flagicon Julius Boros, Template:Flagicon Jack Nicklaus | Won 18-hole playoff; Palmer: −1 (70), Boros: E (71), Nicklaus: +2 (73) |
| 17 | 1964 | Pensacola Open Invitational | Template:Flagicon Miller Barber, Template:Flagicon Gary Player | Player won 18-hole playoff; Player: −1 (71), Palmer: E (72), Barber: +2 (74) |
| 18 | 1964 | Cleveland Open Invitational | Template:Flagicon Tony Lema | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
| 19 | 1966 | Bob Hope Desert Classic | Template:Flagicon Doug Sanders | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
| 20 | 1966 | Tournament of Champions | Template:Flagicon Gay Brewer | Won 18-hole playoff; Palmer: −3 (69), Brewer: +1 (73) |
| 21 | 1966 | U.S. Open | Template:Flagicon Billy Casper | Lost 18-hole playoff; Casper: −1 (69), Palmer: +3 (73) |
| 22 | 1968 | Bob Hope Desert Classic | Template:Flagicon Deane Beman | Won with par on second extra hole |
| 23 | 1970 | Byron Nelson Golf Classic | Template:Flagicon Jack Nicklaus | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
| 24 | 1971 | Bob Hope Desert Classic | Template:Flagicon Raymond Floyd | Won with birdie on second extra hole |
Source:<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
European Tour wins (2)Edit
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apr 19, 1975 | Spanish Open | −5 (72-69-69-73=283) | 1 stroke | Template:Flagicon John Fourie |
| 2 | May 26, 1975 | Penfold PGA Championship | +5 (71-70-73-71=285) | 2 strokes | Template:Flagicon Eamonn Darcy |
Canadian Tour wins (1)Edit
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 17, 1980 | Labatt's International Golf Classic | −9 (68-68-64-71=271) | 1 stroke | Template:Flagicon Isao Aoki |
Australian wins (2)Edit
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nov 10, 1963 | Wills Masters | −3 (68-77-71-69=285) | 2 strokes | Template:Flagicon Jack Nicklaus |
| 2 | Oct 30, 1966 | Australian Open | −20 (67-70-66-73=276) | 5 strokes | Template:Flagicon Kel Nagle |
Latin American wins (2)Edit
- 1956 Panama Open, Colombian Open
Other wins (11)Edit
*Note: The 1963 Canada Cup was shortened to 63 holes due to fog.
Senior PGA Tour wins (10)Edit
| Legend |
|---|
| Senior PGA Tour major championships (5) |
| Other Senior PGA Tour (5) |
Senior PGA Tour playoff record (2–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1980 | PGA Seniors' Championship | Template:Flagicon Paul Harney | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 2 | 1981 | U.S. Senior Open | Template:Flagicon Billy Casper, Template:Flagicon Bob Stone | Won 18-hole playoff; Palmer: E (70), Stone: +4 (74), Casper: +7 (77) |
| 3 | 1984 | Daytona Beach Seniors Golf Classic | Template:Flagicon Orville Moody, Template:Flagicon Dan Sikes | Moody won with birdie on second extra hole |
Other senior wins (5)Edit
- 1984 Doug Sanders Celebrity Pro-Am
- 1986 Union Mutual Classic
- 1990 Senior Skins Game
- 1992 Senior Skins Game
- 1993 Senior Skins Game
Playoff recordEdit
PGA Tour of Australasia playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1978 | Victorian Open | Template:Flagicon Guy Wolstenholme | Lost to par on third extra hole |
Major championshipsEdit
Wins (7)Edit
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Masters Tournament | Tied for lead | −4 (70-73-68-73=284) | 1 stroke | Template:Flagicon Doug Ford, Template:Flagicon Fred Hawkins |
| 1960 | Masters Tournament (2) | 1 shot lead | −6 (67-73-72-70=282) | 1 stroke | Template:Flagicon Ken Venturi |
| 1960 | U.S. Open | 7 shot deficit | −4 (72-71-72-65=280) | 2 strokes | Template:Flagicon Jack Nicklaus (amateur) |
| 1961 | The Open Championship | 1 shot lead | −4 (70-73-69-72=284) | 1 stroke | Template:Flagicon Dai Rees |
| 1962 | Masters Tournament (3) | 2 shot lead | −8 (70-66-69-75=280) | Playoff1 | Template:Flagicon Gary Player (2nd), Template:Flagicon Dow Finsterwald (3rd) |
| 1962 | The Open Championship (2) | 5 shot lead | −12 (71-69-67-69=276) | 6 strokes | Template:Flagicon Kel Nagle |
| 1964 | Masters Tournament (4) | 5 shot lead | −12 (69-68-69-70=276) | 6 strokes | Template:Flagicon Dave Marr, Template:Flagicon Jack Nicklaus |
1Defeated Player (2nd) and Finsterwald (3rd) in an 18-hole playoff; Palmer (68), Player (71) and Finsterwald (77). 1st, 2nd and 3rd places awarded in this playoff.
Results timelineEdit
| Tournament | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T10 | 21 | T7 | 1 | 3 | ||
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | T21 | 7 | CUT | T23 | T5 |
| The Open Championship | |||||||
| PGA Championship | T40 | T14 |
| Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 1 | T2 | 1 | T9 | 1 | T2 | T4 | 4 | CUT | 27 |
| U.S. Open | 1 | T14 | 2 | T2 | T5 | CUT | 2 | 2 | 59 | T6 |
| The Open Championship | 2 | 1 | 1 | T26 | 16 | T8 | T10 | |||
| PGA Championship | T7 | T5 | T17 | T40 | T2 | T33 | T6 | T14 | T2 | WD |
| Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T36 | T18 | T33 | T24 | T11 | T13 | CUT | T24 | T37 | CUT |
| U.S. Open | T54 | T24 | 3 | T4 | T5 | T9 | T50 | T19 | CUT | T59 |
| The Open Championship | 12 | T7 | T14 | T16 | T55 | 7 | T34 | |||
| PGA Championship | T2 | T18 | T16 | CUT | T28 | T33 | T15 | T19 | CUT | CUT |
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T24 | CUT | 47 | T36 | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT |
| U.S. Open | 63 | CUT | CUT | T60 | ||||||
| The Open Championship | CUT | T23 | T27 | T56 | CUT | CUT | CUT | |||
| PGA Championship | T72 | 76 | CUT | T67 | CUT | T65 | CUT | T65 | CUT | T63 |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT |
| U.S. Open | CUT | |||||||||
| The Open Championship | CUT | CUT | ||||||||
| PGA Championship | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT |
| U.S. Open | |||||
| The Open Championship | |||||
| PGA Championship |
Template:Legend
Template:Legend
Template:Legend
CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = withdrew
"T" = tied
SummaryEdit
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 4 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 19 | 50 | 25 |
| U.S. Open | 1 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 13 | 18 | 32 | 24 |
| The Open Championship | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 23 | 17 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 37 | 24 |
| Totals | 7 | 10 | 2 | 26 | 38 | 62 | 142 | 90 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 26 (1958 Masters – 1965 Masters)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 6 (1966 Masters – 1967 U.S. Open)
Senior major championshipsEdit
Wins (5)Edit
| Year | Championship | Winning score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | PGA Seniors' Championship | +1 (72-69-73-75=289) | Playoff1 | Template:Flagicon Paul Harney |
| 1981 | U.S. Senior Open | +9 (72-76-68-73=289) | Playoff2 | Template:Flagicon Billy Casper, Template:Flagicon Bob Stone |
| 1984a | General Foods PGA Seniors' Championship (2) | −6 (69-63-79-71=282) | 2 strokes | Template:Flagicon Don January |
| 1984 | Senior Players Championship | −12 (72-68-67-69=276) | 3 strokes | Template:Flagicon Peter Thomson |
| 1985 | Senior Players Championship (2) | −14 (67-71-68-68=274) | 11 strokes | Template:Flagicon Miller Barber, Template:Flagicon Lee Elder, Template:Flagicon Gene Littler, Template:Flagicon Charles Owens |
a This was the January edition of the tournament.
1 Palmer won this with a birdie on the first playoff hole.
2 Won in an 18-hole playoff, Palmer shot a (70) to Stone's (74) and Casper's (77).
U.S. national team appearancesEdit
Professional
- Ryder Cup: 1961 (winners), 1963 (winners, playing captain), 1965 (winners), 1967 (winners), 1971 (winners), 1973 (winners), 1975 (winners, non-playing captain)
- World Cup: 1960 (winners), 1962 (winners), 1963 (winners), 1964 (winners), 1966 (winners), 1967 (winners, individual winner)
- Presidents Cup: 1996 (winners, non-playing captain)
- UBS Cup: 2001 (winners, captain), 2002 (winners, captain), 2003 (tie, captain), 2004 (winners, captain)
See alsoEdit
- Arnold Palmer Cup
- Arnold Palmer (drink)
- Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History
- Arnold Palmer Tournament Golf (video game)
- List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards
- List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins
- List of golfers with most wins in one PGA Tour event
- List of golfers with most PGA Tour Champions wins
- List of golfers with most Champions Tour major championship wins
- List of men's major championships winning golfers
- Longest PGA Tour win streaks
- Most PGA Tour wins in a year
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
Template:Sister project Template:Sister project
- Template:Official website
- Template:PGATour player
- Template:EuroTour player
- Arnold Palmer Invitational – PGA Tour event
- Arnold Palmer Design Company
- Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children
- Arnold Palmer's Restaurant in La Quinta, California
- Bay Hill Club and Lodge – Palmer's winter home course
- Latrobe Country Club – Palmer's summer home course
- Arnold Palmer Tee – Palmer's namesake half iced tea and half lemonade drink
- American Society of Golf Course Architects profile Template:Webarchive
- Template:C-SPAN
Template:Navboxes Template:Navboxes Template:U.S. Amateur champions Template:PGA Players of the Year Template:BMW PGA Championship champions Template:Navboxes Template:Hickok Belt Template:1996 United States Presidents Cup team Template:SI Sportsman of the Year Template:NCAA Theodore Roosevelt Award Template:Authority control