I. Don't be the slowest player In my casual games at Bay Hill, we get around in under four hours -- and that's in fivesomes. Evaluate your pace of play honestly and often, and if you're consistently the slowest one in your group, you're a slow player, period. Encourage everyone to move quickly enough so you find yourself right behind the group in front several times, both early and late in the round. Remember the old staples of getting around in good time: Play "ready golf" (hit when ready, even if you aren't away) until you reach the green, be prepared to play when it's your turn on the tee and green, and never search for a lost ball for more than five minutes. II. Keep your temper under control In the final of the Western Pennsylvania Junior when I was 17, I let my putter fly over the gallery after missing a short putt. I won the match, but when I got in the car with my parents for the ride home, there were no congratulations, just dead silence. Eventually my father said, "If I ever see you throw a club again, you will never play in another golf tournament." That wake-up call stayed with me. I haven't thrown a club since. Throwing clubs, sulking and barking profanity make everyone uneasy. We all have our moments of frustration, but the trick is to vent in an inoffensive way. For example, I often follow a bad hole by hitting the next tee shot a little harder -- for better or worse.
I. Don't be the slowest player
In my casual games at Bay Hill, we get around in under four hours -- and that's in fivesomes. Evaluate your pace of play honestly and often, and if you're consistently the slowest one in your group, you're a slow player, period. Encourage everyone to move quickly enough so you find yourself right behind the group in front several times, both early and late in the round.
Remember the old staples of getting around in good time: Play "ready golf" (hit when ready, even if you aren't away) until you reach the green, be prepared to play when it's your turn on the tee and green, and never search for a lost ball for more than five minutes.
II. Keep your temper under control
In the final of the Western Pennsylvania Junior when I was 17, I let my putter fly over the gallery after missing a short putt. I won the match, but when I got in the car with my parents for the ride home, there were no congratulations, just dead silence. Eventually my father said, "If I ever see you throw a club again, you will never play in another golf tournament." That wake-up call stayed with me. I haven't thrown a club since.
Throwing clubs, sulking and barking profanity make everyone uneasy. We all have our moments of frustration, but the trick is to vent in an inoffensive way. For example, I often follow a bad hole by hitting the next tee shot a little harder -- for better or worse.
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A transformative moment often requires a specific combination of conditions and a single event that acts as a catalyst. Think of Europe in 1914, a mix of ethnic tensions, political rivalries and expansionist conflict. Then, bam, the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand leads to a world war. In the America of 1958, the war-hero president, Dwight Eisenhower, loved golf and conducted business on the course. Economic expansion led to an emerging middle class, suburban migration and an increase in leisure time. Into that mix of conditions came a bolt of lightning that made golf the coolest sport on the planet: Arnold Palmer won the 1958 Masters, and the game was changed forever. Of course, it wasn't only Palmer's one-shot (four-under 284) victory that did the trick, but also the way the tournament unfolded and the winner's personality.
A transformative moment often requires a specific combination of conditions and a single event that acts as a catalyst. Think of Europe in 1914, a mix of ethnic tensions, political rivalries and expansionist conflict. Then, bam, the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand leads to a world war.
In the America of 1958, the war-hero president, Dwight Eisenhower, loved golf and conducted business on the course. Economic expansion led to an emerging middle class, suburban migration and an increase in leisure time. Into that mix of conditions came a bolt of lightning that made golf the coolest sport on the planet: Arnold Palmer won the 1958 Masters, and the game was changed forever.
Of course, it wasn't only Palmer's one-shot (four-under 284) victory that did the trick, but also the way the tournament unfolded and the winner's personality.
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- A double dose of royalty paraded into Greensboro on Wednesday. On a rainy afternoon before to the PGA Tour's Wyndham Championship (you may remember it as the Greater Greensboro Open), The King and The King of Stock Car Racing met in the clubhouse of Sedgefield Country Club to kick off the tournament, exchange gifts and shake hands. Those hands have combined to win nearly 300 events, including seven major championships and seven Daytona 500's. Arnold Palmer was born in 1929, the son of Latrobe, Pa., golf pro and greenskeeper Deacon Palmer. Eight years later, Richard Petty arrived in Randleman, N.C., born to local dirt track racer Lee Petty. Both boys idolized their fathers and both took up their paternal professions.
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- A double dose of royalty paraded into Greensboro on Wednesday.
On a rainy afternoon before to the PGA Tour's Wyndham Championship (you may remember it as the Greater Greensboro Open), The King and The King of Stock Car Racing met in the clubhouse of Sedgefield Country Club to kick off the tournament, exchange gifts and shake hands. Those hands have combined to win nearly 300 events, including seven major championships and seven Daytona 500's.
Arnold Palmer was born in 1929, the son of Latrobe, Pa., golf pro and greenskeeper Deacon Palmer. Eight years later, Richard Petty arrived in Randleman, N.C., born to local dirt track racer Lee Petty. Both boys idolized their fathers and both took up their paternal professions.
From The Pittsburgh GazzetteBy Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-GazetteArnold Palmer, one of three players from Western Pennsylvania to win a U.S. Open, had some advice for Greensburg native Rocco Mediate in his 18-hole playoff today with Tiger Woods, the world''s No. 1 player.Don''t give up.Palmer, 78, remembers the 1955 U.S. Open when Jack Fleck, a driving-range operator from Bettendorf, Iowa, beat the great Ben Hogan in an 18-hole playoff at the Olympic Club in San Francisco in what is still considered the greatest upset in golf history."I remember it very well," Palmer said this morning from his office in Latrobe. "[Fleck] didn''t have a chance in the world. But it can happen. And Rocco is playing well enough to win."Mediate, 45, a five-time winner on the PGA Tour, has never won a major championship. What''s more, he would be the oldest champion in U.S. Open history if he manages to beat Woods in their 18-hole showdown at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, Calif.Keep reading....
By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Arnold Palmer, one of three players from Western Pennsylvania to win a U.S. Open, had some advice for Greensburg native Rocco Mediate in his 18-hole playoff today with Tiger Woods, the world''s No. 1 player.Don''t give up.Palmer, 78, remembers the 1955 U.S. Open when Jack Fleck, a driving-range operator from Bettendorf, Iowa, beat the great Ben Hogan in an 18-hole playoff at the Olympic Club in San Francisco in what is still considered the greatest upset in golf history."I remember it very well," Palmer said this morning from his office in Latrobe. "[Fleck] didn''t have a chance in the world. But it can happen. And Rocco is playing well enough to win."Mediate, 45, a five-time winner on the PGA Tour, has never won a major championship. What''s more, he would be the oldest champion in U.S. Open history if he manages to beat Woods in their 18-hole showdown at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, Calif.
From The New York TimesThe United States Golf Association dedicated the Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History at the U.S.G.A. Museum here Tuesday. On a picture-perfect afternoon, a living legend officially became an institution.Who better than Palmer to represent golf’s rich history, and what better way to honor a legend than to allow him to enjoy the fruits while he is alive.Keep reading....
The United States Golf Association dedicated the Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History at the U.S.G.A. Museum here Tuesday. On a picture-perfect afternoon, a living legend officially became an institution.Who better than Palmer to represent golf’s rich history, and what better way to honor a legend than to allow him to enjoy the fruits while he is alive.
From The Detroit Free PressTiger Woods is injured, and the PGA Tour seems to be on hold. This is the Tiger effect: He has created so much interest in his own game that, when he isn''t playing, it''s hard to get excited.This is not so terrible; it''s a price we pay for living in the same era as the most dominant golfer ever. But people often wonder what golf would be like if Tiger had a true rival. Phil Mickelson comes closest, but Tiger and Phil haven''t dueled enough in important tournaments.Keep reading....
Tiger Woods is injured, and the PGA Tour seems to be on hold. This is the Tiger effect: He has created so much interest in his own game that, when he isn''t playing, it''s hard to get excited.This is not so terrible; it''s a price we pay for living in the same era as the most dominant golfer ever. But people often wonder what golf would be like if Tiger had a true rival. Phil Mickelson comes closest, but Tiger and Phil haven''t dueled enough in important tournaments.
FromJack Nicklaus ought to be a fixture here, like the Hogan Bridge or Eisenhower''s Tree.The Masters misses him.Sure, he played the Par 3 Contest on Wednesday, but it''s not enough for the winner of a record six green jackets.It''s time for the Golden Bear to join Arnold Palmer for the ceremonial first tee shots to start the tournament next year. The problem goes beyond whether Nicklaus is ready to do so next year. I sense from comments he made earlier this season that he might be. The problem seems to be whether Palmer will share the first tee with him.Keep reading....
Jack Nicklaus ought to be a fixture here, like the Hogan Bridge or Eisenhower''s Tree.The Masters misses him.Sure, he played the Par 3 Contest on Wednesday, but it''s not enough for the winner of a record six green jackets.It''s time for the Golden Bear to join Arnold Palmer for the ceremonial first tee shots to start the tournament next year. The problem goes beyond whether Nicklaus is ready to do so next year. I sense from comments he made earlier this season that he might be. The problem seems to be whether Palmer will share the first tee with him.
From ESPN.comBy Ron SirakAUGUSTA, Ga. -- While watching Arnold Palmer''s ceremonial opening tee shot fade into the fog that delayed play for an hour in Thursday''s first round of the Masters, the movie "It''s a Wonderful Life" came to mind. Palmer is the George Bailey of golf.Keep reading....
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- While watching Arnold Palmer''s ceremonial opening tee shot fade into the fog that delayed play for an hour in Thursday''s first round of the Masters, the movie "It''s a Wonderful Life" came to mind. Palmer is the George Bailey of golf.
From PGATour.comAUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) -- Fifty years after Arnold Palmer won the Masters for the first time, he settled over the ball Thursday morning and hit a ceremonial tee shot that went so far he never saw it land.Blame that on the thick fog that settled over Augusta National."Fifty years ago, it went a lot farther," Palmer said. "But the tee was a lot farther up."Keep reading....
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) -- Fifty years after Arnold Palmer won the Masters for the first time, he settled over the ball Thursday morning and hit a ceremonial tee shot that went so far he never saw it land.Blame that on the thick fog that settled over Augusta National."Fifty years ago, it went a lot farther," Palmer said. "But the tee was a lot farther up."
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) -- Fifty years after Arnold Palmer won the Masters for the first time, he settled over the ball Thursday morning and hit a ceremonial tee shot that went so far he never saw it land.
From The Golf ChannelToday there are no worries. Today there is no race.“Today,” says Arnold Palmer, “I feel pretty good.”Yes, today is a good day for the 78-year-old golfing icon, one to relish where life’s locomotive has taken him and not worry about where it’s headed.Fifty years ago. That’s what Palmer is being asked to recall on this fine day. The first week in April, 1958, to be exact, back when he won his first of four green jackets, defeating Doug Ford and Fred Hawkins by one – and a rather perturbed Ken Venturi by two.Keep reading....
Today there are no worries. Today there is no race.“Today,” says Arnold Palmer, “I feel pretty good.”Yes, today is a good day for the 78-year-old golfing icon, one to relish where life’s locomotive has taken him and not worry about where it’s headed.Fifty years ago. That’s what Palmer is being asked to recall on this fine day. The first week in April, 1958, to be exact, back when he won his first of four green jackets, defeating Doug Ford and Fred Hawkins by one – and a rather perturbed Ken Venturi by two.
From ESPN.comBy Bob HarigAll these years later, it is necessary to remind yourself that in 1958 Arnold Palmer was not yet Arnold Palmer. Not the Arnie we have come to know as one of golf''s greatest champions and ambassadors. Not the Arnie who carried a sport on its back, helped usher in the television age, inspired the masses.Nope, back then, the son of a greenskeeper from Latrobe, Pa., was a well-regarded pro who had yet to win his first major championship. His "army" was in its formative years, and his megawatt personality had yet to capture the fancy of marketing gurus and advertising reps.Keep reading....
All these years later, it is necessary to remind yourself that in 1958 Arnold Palmer was not yet Arnold Palmer. Not the Arnie we have come to know as one of golf''s greatest champions and ambassadors. Not the Arnie who carried a sport on its back, helped usher in the television age, inspired the masses.Nope, back then, the son of a greenskeeper from Latrobe, Pa., was a well-regarded pro who had yet to win his first major championship. His "army" was in its formative years, and his megawatt personality had yet to capture the fancy of marketing gurus and advertising reps.
From USGA.orgFar Hills, N.J. – We’re opening the doors to the new Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History in just a couple short months. It’s been three years of intense work, with a tremendous effort put forth by every individual on the project team. We’ll soon have a state-of-the-art facility that will allow us to better care for the USGA’s impressive collections of historical memorabilia. We’ll also have a new research center, new storage areas, and new exhibition galleries where we will display hundreds of artifacts that have never before been shared with our visitors.But for me, the most significant aspect of this project is the opportunity it provides to honor one of the game’s truly outstanding gentlemen. For more than 50 years, since he won his first USGA national championship at the Country Club of Detroit in the 1954 U.S. Amateur, Arnold Palmer has been a friend to the USGA. He’s the only individual to serve as National Chairman of our Members program. And for more than 30 years he’s supported our efforts as a trusted member of the USGA Museum Committee.Keep reading....
Far Hills, N.J. – We’re opening the doors to the new Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History in just a couple short months. It’s been three years of intense work, with a tremendous effort put forth by every individual on the project team. We’ll soon have a state-of-the-art facility that will allow us to better care for the USGA’s impressive collections of historical memorabilia. We’ll also have a new research center, new storage areas, and new exhibition galleries where we will display hundreds of artifacts that have never before been shared with our visitors.But for me, the most significant aspect of this project is the opportunity it provides to honor one of the game’s truly outstanding gentlemen. For more than 50 years, since he won his first USGA national championship at the Country Club of Detroit in the 1954 U.S. Amateur, Arnold Palmer has been a friend to the USGA. He’s the only individual to serve as National Chairman of our Members program. And for more than 30 years he’s supported our efforts as a trusted member of the USGA Museum Committee.
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From The LA TimesArnold Palmer was officially named host for the 2009 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, the 50th anniversary of the tournament.Palmer, 78, a five-time winner of the event, said in a statement today that it was special to serve as the host of the tournament next January."I consider it a great honor to follow in the footsteps of Bob Hope as host," Palmer said.Keep reading....
Arnold Palmer was officially named host for the 2009 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, the 50th anniversary of the tournament.Palmer, 78, a five-time winner of the event, said in a statement today that it was special to serve as the host of the tournament next January."I consider it a great honor to follow in the footsteps of Bob Hope as host," Palmer said.
From The ScotsmanREWIRING the connection between talent and success, Tiger Woods energised the debate over the possibility, however remote, of achieving a perfect season in golf when he holed a 24-foot putt on the last green at Bay Hill on Sunday to win his fourth event of 2008 in four starts and his seventh consecutive tournament in a row.Backed down to 10/1 to become the first golfer to win the professional Grand Slam – all four major championships in one season – and 11/10 to win the Masters at Augusta next month, Woods is also a spartan 16/1 with the bookmakers to better Byron Nelson''s long standing record set in 1945 of 11 consecutive tournament wins.Keep reading....
REWIRING the connection between talent and success, Tiger Woods energised the debate over the possibility, however remote, of achieving a perfect season in golf when he holed a 24-foot putt on the last green at Bay Hill on Sunday to win his fourth event of 2008 in four starts and his seventh consecutive tournament in a row.Backed down to 10/1 to become the first golfer to win the professional Grand Slam – all four major championships in one season – and 11/10 to win the Masters at Augusta next month, Woods is also a spartan 16/1 with the bookmakers to better Byron Nelson''s long standing record set in 1945 of 11 consecutive tournament wins.