| Arnold Palmer |
|
|
|
| Written by Denise I Smithson |
|
Arnold Daniel Palmer was born on September 10, 1929 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, or as the residents there call it "Laaatrobe," with an emphasis on the "A." Considered to be one of the greatest golf players in history he has won a number of events including the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour dating back to 1955. Given the nickname, "The King," he is popular among both fans and golf pros around the world. Part of golf's Big Three that included Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, with the emergence of televised sports in the 1950's, Palmer and his Big Three buddies made golf interesting, and watchable. Arnold got his passion for playing golf from his father Deacon Palmer who was a professional greens keeper at Latrobe Country Club. Remarkably, at only age seven, Arnold golfed an impressive 70 at Bent Creek Country Club. Even though his father worked at the Latrobe Country Club, which was only nine holes back in the day, Arnold was only allowed to play in the early mornings or late afternoons, when club members weren't using the course. He attended the popular Wake Forest University appropriately on a golf scholarship and served for three years in the Coast Guard. During this time, while continuing to develop his golf skills, he married Winifred Walker who he met while playing in a Pennsylvania golf tourney. During his rookie season, he won the Canadian Open and surged ahead with personality and business ideas that made golf a sport people became interested in and wanted to watch-many people give Palmer the credit for the sport becoming so popular. His first major championship win came in the 1958 Masters - within two years he was one of the biggest names in the game. One thing which helped was his signing on with the agent Mark McCormack. Asked later on what it was he saw in the young Palmer, he answered: "his good looks, his modest background, the way he played golf, his risk taking and wearing his heart on his sleeve, and his involvement in so many exciting early televised finishes." One of the first US golfers to win the English Open, Palmer quickly became an international golf superstar and won the Masters in the years 1958, 1960, 1962 and 1964. He also won the US Open in 1960 and the English Open again in 1961 and 1962. However, his best years were 1960 through 1963. In this time period, Palmer won 29 PGA Tour Events in only four seasons of play. In 1960, Arnold was named Sports Illustrated top pro athlete of the year and he won the Sportsman of the Year award. His fans, known as "Arnie's Army," cheered when their Arnie became the first man to reach one million dollars in career earnings in 1967. Even with pros like Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player playing alongside him, Arnold managed to win a PGA Tour every year all the way up to 1970 and in 1971 he enjoyed a rejuvenation of his career winning four events. Arnold won the Vardon Trophy for low score average four different times and played on six Ryder Cup teams. By 1980, the acclaimed golfer was eligible for the Senior PGA Tour and with his name alone, helped make the tour successful. The tourney would eventually be renamed as the Champions Tour. On the Senior Tour he won ten events on the tour and with the help of his agent McCormack, Palmer became tops in pay for endorsements, sponsorships, and charity events. He has also won the revered Presidential Medal of Freedom Award presented to him by George W. Bush. Palmer made his 50th and last appearance in the Masters in 2004. After failing to make the cut for the 2005 Senior Open, Palmer announced that he would no longer compete in the Senior Majors. However, in 2004 he made one of his greatest shots, getting onto the 18th green in his second shot from more than 200 yards. Even Palmer himself was impressed. Arnold Palmer no longer plays competitively, but stays active in the world of golf. He is involved in the Bay Hill Club and Lodge, which hosts the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He was one of the developers of the Golf Channel and helped to build one of the first golf courses in China and founded the Arnold Palmer Design Company. Ranked the sixth best player of all time by Golf Digest, Palmer has also won the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Arnold Palmer now resides in Orlando, FL where he stays on top of developments in the golf world and still enjoys a good game of golf. About the Author: Improving your golfing swing is possible if you have the right knowledge. For amazing tips and information and ideas visit Nothing But Sports. http://nothingbutsports.info/ Kindly provided by 4Girls.dk You are welcome to use this article on your own website, if you include this link. |