Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer was a renowned American professional golfer, born on September 10, 1929, in Youngstown, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Latrobe, where his father worked as a golf professional, fostering Arnold's early passion for the game. Palmer turned professional in 1954 after graduating from Wake Forest University and quickly became known for his unconventional swing and aggressive playing style, which attracted a large following known as "Arnie's Army." His career flourished in the late 1950s and early 1960s, highlighted by major victories including his first Masters win in 1958 and a remarkable comeback victory in 1960. Despite facing challenges later in his career, including increasing competition from Jack Nicklaus and health issues later in life, Palmer remained a beloved figure in golf until his death on September 25, 2016. Beyond his success on the golf course, he was also a successful businessman, course designer, and philanthropist, significantly contributing to the growth of golf as a popular spectator sport. Palmer's legacy endures, reflecting his influence both as a player and as a public figure.
Arnold Palmer
- Born: September 10, 1929
- Birthplace: Youngstown, Pennsylvania
- Died: September 25, 2016
Sport: Golf
Early Life
Arnold Daniel Palmer was born in Youngstown, Pennsylvania, on September 10, 1929, and grew up in Latrobe, a small industrial community near Pittsburgh. Arnold’s father worked at the Latrobe Country Club, eventually becoming the club’s golf professional. Arnold’s mother was also an avid golfer, so, not surprisingly, Arnold took to golf early.
Arnold received his first golf club when he was three years old. By the time he was nine, he shot a nine-hole round of 45—a better score than most who play golf for a hobby ever achieve. Arnold’s father encouraged his son’s interest in the game. In addition to instructing him in swing fundamentals, he impressed upon him the need to control his temper.
During high school, golf became Arnold’s main interest, and he won several amateur tournaments. While playing in a junior tournament in Los Angeles, he struck up a friendship with Bud Worshan, the brother of Lew Worshan, a leading professional and winner of the U.S. Open. Bud encouraged Arnold to apply for a golf scholarship at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. Arnold followed his friend’s advice, and his college years gave him the opportunity for further training and competition. After graduation, Arnold intended to remain an amateur. He obtained a business position that enabled him to play golf nearly every afternoon. But the attractions of a full-time career in golf proved too strong for him to overcome, and in 1954, he turned professional.
The Road to Excellence
Arnold’s golf game differed greatly from the traditional style. Although Arnold had received professional instruction since his earliest youth, his swing violated many of golf’s fundamentals. He lunged at the ball and finished his swing with an awkward follow-through. Because of his strength, he generated massive power. If, however, his swing was slightly off, he was liable to hit a very poor shot.
Some golfers thought the faults in his swing would prevent him from reaching the top level. Among his detractors was Gene Sarazen, a great golfer of the 1920’s and 1930’s, who predicted that Arnold’s professional career would be a short one.
Arnold’s initial lack of major success did not cause him to alter his ambition to become a great professional golfer. He faced an additional problem in this quest, a difficulty that was also his greatest strength as a player: He placed extremely high demands on his swing.
Arnold always took risks, aiming for the long drive instead of playing safe, even on very difficult holes. If in trouble, he tended to elect a risky shot to the green rather than the easy return to the fairway. Similarly, his putts were aimed directly at the hole; “lagging up” to the pin was not for him. If his first putt missed, Arnold was apt to find himself several feet behind the hole. Fortunately for him, he was one of the best long putters in the game.
The Emerging Champion
Arnold’s odd swing and daring strategy gained him a wide following. The dominant golfer of the early 1950’s was Ben Hogan. An icy perfectionist, Hogan aimed his shots precisely and knew the fundamentals of the swing better than anyone else. Although Hogan was widely respected, his taciturn demeanor did not encourage familiarity. Arnold, by contrast, was outgoing and friendly, and his lack of a perfect swing helped amateurs identify with him.
Arnold quickly attracted enormous galleries whenever he played. His fans acquired the nickname “Arnie’s Army,” and Arnold continued to draw a wide audience throughout his career. A dashing style and personable manner were not sufficient to account for his popularity. Arnold was, in fact, one of the greatest golfers of his time.
Arnold’s first major victory came in 1958, at The Masters. He won the tournament by a single shot, defeating the previous year’s champion, Doug Ford. Arnold’s 1960 victory in the same tournament was even more memorable. One of the striking features of his game was his ability to come from behind when seemingly out of contention. His charges in a tournament’s final round were one of the attractions to which his “army” looked forward. In 1960, he sank two long putts on the seventeenth and eighteenth holes, enough to give him the decision over the third-round leader, Ken Venturi.
Arnold had his best year as a player in 1960. Besides winning The Masters, he won the U.S. Open. Although at one point he was seven shots behind the leader, his final round was spectacular and gained him a two-stroke victory.
Continuing the Story
Arnold’s style and success won a larger public for golf than the sport had ever known. His duels during the early 1960’s with other notable golfers made golf a major television attraction. Among the foremost of his rivals was Billy Casper, whose controlled shot-making recalled Hogan. Arnold and Casper had their most remarkable duel in the 1966 U.S. Open. In the final round, Arnold had a seven-stroke lead with nine holes to play. This time Arnold’s risk-taking style did not pay off. Several poor shots erased his lead, and Casper defeated Arnold the following day in a playoff.
In spite of his loss to Casper, Arnold remained the dominant golfer of the early 1960’s, winning two British Opens and a fourth Masters. By the middle 1960’s, however, Arnold was eclipsed by Jack Nicklaus, regarded as one of the foremost golfers of all time.
Arnold continued to win tournaments until 1973, but his ungainly swing proved increasingly unequal to the demands his risky style placed on it. His touch on long putts also lessened after the mid-1960’s. He ceased to be a major force on the tour after this time, but his fans retained their devotion to him.
In 1994, Arnold made his final appearance at the U.S. Open after forty years of competing in the tournament. In 1996, he captained the U.S. team to victory in the Presidents Cup. Diagnosed with prostate cancer, Arnold underwent surgery in 1997 and radiation treatment in 1998. Following his treatment, he spearheaded the Senior Tour for the Cure program to raise awareness about prostate cancer.
Arnold’s recovery from cancer and the death of his wife Winnie limited his appearances in Senior Tour events in 1999 to ten, his lowest total since 1983. In 2000, he reached a new milestone, playing in his one-thousandth tour event. He would later appear in his fiftieth Masters Tournament, the highest total in the history of the tournament. Beginning in 2007, Palmer was given the honor of kicking off the Masters Tournament every year. He was joined as an honorary starter by Nicklaus in 2010 and by South African golfer Gary Player in 2012. Apart from his remarkable success as a player, Arnold became a highly accomplished businessman, course designer, and aviator. His personal life continued to develop as well, and on January 26, 2005, Arnold married Kathleen Gawthrop in a private ceremony on the island of Oahu.
Less known than his commercial enterprises was his role in golf history, both in the United States and internationally. As a recognized participant in and witness to many notable events, he was frequently asked to write introductions for or contribute chapters to books on topics ranging from the major golf courses of China and the basics of the sport to biographies of famous golfers and histories of the sport in the United States.
Palmer died on September 25, 2016, while awaiting heart surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was eighty-seven years old.
Summary
Arnold Palmer’s enthusiasm for golf and desire to excel compensated well for the defects in his swing. He learned golf almost as soon as he could walk, and the game came naturally to him. As a result, he trusted his swing fully and played in a risky, aggressive style. His daring shots won him a wide audience and helped to establish golf as a major spectator sport. He was the foremost golfer of the period from 1958 to 1965 and remained one of the most popular and accessible sports figures in history.
Bibliography
Anderson, Dave. "Arnold Palmer, the Magnetic Face of Golf in the '60s, Dies at 87." The New York Times, 25 Sept. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/09/26/sports/golf/arnold-palmer-dies-at-87.html. Accessed 21 Mar. 2017.
Callahan, Tom. Arnie: The Life of Arnold Palmer. HarperCollins, 2017.
Hauser, Thomas. Arnold Palmer: A Personal Journey. Collins, 1994.
McCormack, Mark H. Arnold Palmer: The Man and the Legend. Cassell, 1967.
Palmer, Arnold. Arnold Palmer: Memories, Stories, and Memorabilia from a Life on and off the Course. Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2004.
Palmer, Arnold. Playing by the Rules: All the Rules of the Game, Complete with Memorable Rulings from Golf’s Rich History. 2nd ed., Atria Books, 2004.
Palmer, Arnold. A Life Well Played: My Stories. St. Martin's Press, 2016.
Palmer, Arnold, and James Dodson. A Golfer’s Life. Ballantine Books, 2000.
Sampson, Curt. The Eternal Summer: Palmer, Nicklaus, and Hogan in 1960, Golf’s Golden Year. Villard, 2000.
Sounes, Howard. The Wicked Game: Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and the Story of Modern Golf.William Morrow, 2004.