Arnold Daniel Palmer (born September 10, 1929), born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, is a golfer who has won numerous events on both the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955. He is a graduate of Wake Forest University. Palmer is not generally regarded as the greatest player in history, (most would give that accolade to Jack Nicklaus; some to Bobby Jones; and Tiger Woods has challenged them in recent years), but he is arguably the most important in that he was the first golf star when television started to air golf tournaments in the 1950s.
Career outline
In 1954, Palmer won the U.S. Amateur. His charisma was a major factor in establishing golf as a compelling television event in the 1950s and 1960s, setting the stage for the popularity it enjoys today. He is also credited by many for securing the status of The Open Championship (British Open) among US players. Before Palmer, relatively few American professionals attempted to play The Open due to its travel requirements, foreign environment, and the style of its courses (radically different from most American courses). Palmer's successive Open wins in the early 1960s convinced many American pros that a trip to Britain would be worth the effort.
He has won seven major championships:
Palmer's most prolific years were 1960-1963, when he won 29 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. Later in the 1960s Jack Nicklaus acquired clear ascendancy in their rivalry, but Palmer won a PGA Tour event every year up to 1970, and in 1971 he enjoyed a revival, winning four events.
Palmer was eligible for the PGA Senior Tour (now the Champions Tour) 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.
Palmer was Mark McCormack's first client. 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. Palmer won the first World Match Play Championship in England, an event which was originally organised by McCormack to showcase his stable of players.
In 2004, he competed in The Masters for the last time, marking his 50th consecutive appearance in that event.
PGA Tour wins
- 1955 Canadian Open
- 1956 Insurance City Open, Eastern Open
- 1957 Houston Open, Azalea Open Invitational, Rubber City Open Invitational, San Diego Open Invitational
- 1958 St. Petersburg Open Invitational, The Masters, Pepsi Championship
- 1959 Thunderbird Invitational, Oklahoma City Open Invitational, West Palm Beach Open Invitational
- 1960 Palm Springs Desert Golf Classic, Texas Open Invitational, Baton Rouge Open Invitational, Pensacola Open Invitational, The Masters, U.S. Open, Insurance City Open Invitational, Mobile Sertoma Open Invitational
- 1961 San Diego Open Invitational, Phoenix Open Invitational, Baton Rouge Open Invitational, Texas Open Invitational, Western Open, The Open Championship
- 1962 Palm Springs Golf Classic, Phoenix Open Invitational, The Masters, Texas Open Invitational, Tournament of Champions, Colonial National Invitation, The Open Championship, American Golf Classic
- 1963 Los Angeles Open, Phoenix Open Invitational, Pensacola Open Invitational, Thunderbird Classic Invitational, Cleveland Open Invitational, Western Open, Whitemarsh Open Invitational
- 1964 The Masters, Oklahoma City Open Invitational
- 1965 Tournament of Champions
- 1966 Los Angeles Open, Tournament of Champions, Houston Champions International
- 1967 Los Angeles Open, Tucson Open Invitational, American Golf Classic, Thunderbird Classic
- 1968 Bob Hope Desert Classic, Kemper Open
- 1969 Heritage Golf Classic, Danny Thomas-Diplomat Classic
- 1970 National Four-Ball Championship
- 1971 Bob Hope Desert Classic, Florida Citrus Invitational, Westchester Classic, National Team Championship
- 1973 Bob Hope Desert Classic
Major championships are shown in bold.
Senior PGA Tour wins
Senior majors are shown in bold.
Miscellanea
Palmer was one of the founders of The Golf Channel.
One of Palmer's favorite drinks alledgedly is a combination of half iced tea and half lemonade, a drink which is often referred to as an "Arnold Palmer" in his honor.
See also
External links
