Fan-Favorite Palmer Still Plodding Along

By Ken Klavon, USGA

Baltimore, Md. – He hasn’t won an event since 1993, but people continue to treat him like he’s Elvis.

It’s undisputable that he is, outside of Jack Nicklaus, the biggest draw on the Senior Tour. Still. Today. At 72.  

This phenomenon, known as Arnold Palmer, has achieved virtually everything there is in golf. The U.S. Amateur? Check. The Masters? Did it. Four times. The U.S. Open? Yep. Cherry Hills C.C., 1960. British Open? Of course. Twice. The PGA Championship? Well, nobody’s perfect.

Awards and honors? There are too many to list.

Palmer has continued to play simply because he loves the game. If it wasn’t for the Senior Open this week, he’d most likely be playing on your neighborhood muni course.

He’ll be the first to admit that his overall game hasn’t been up to snuff, calling it “suspect” and “not very good” on Wednesday. Last year during the Senior Open at Salem, he said he wasn’t sure how much longer he’d play if he continued to struggle. He backed that up, to an extent, by announcing before The Masters that it would be his final one.

Addressing the issue again on Wednesday, he hadn’t come to any final conclusions.

Despite that, he has accepted that he is in the twilight of a glorious career, yet it’s been troubling to see the skills diminishing before his very eyes. One thing he hasn’t lost is his sense of humor.

“I’m still hopeful that I might play some good golf, and I enjoy it,” he said.

“I really thought maybe this year I wouldn’t play much at all, and haven’t at this point. But I have made commitments and will keep those commitments if the heat and humidity don’t kill me. But I’ll tell you what, if the heat and humidity do kills me this week, it’s the best way I know to die.

"I've been around so long I know most of the people by their first names and the ones I don't know by their names are relatives."

When players talk about Palmer, they speak in revered tones. He is proof that canonizations can happen before the life form ends. They recognize that he was instrumental in seeing the game grow, by selling it on a global scale. Palmer was the bridge from selling the game to the million-dollar contracts that exist today.

He attracted sponsors before becoming a peddling entity himself. America fell in love with him. He was, during the last two decades, rated as one of the most recognizable figures in the country because of his exposure in advertisements, which helped transcend the game.

“Arnie probably brought television alive,” said Bruce Fleisher, who lists Palmer as one of his heroes. “He still has his baby blue eyes and he’s still loved by all.”

Fleisher fondly remembered being paired with Palmer at a tournament last year.

“I was amazed at his graciousness, at his ability to still tolerate people. I don’t know if I could, but wherever this man went – whether you were a cleaning lady or you were the president of some corporation – he gave everybody time,” said Fleisher.

The same held true during Palmer’s afternoon practice round on Wednesday. Fans, lined six and seven deep, watched as he, Jim Holtgrieve, 1992 Senior Open champ Larry Laoretti and Tom Wargo traded putts and barbs.

Those in the gallery would continually ask Palmer for an autograph, and he would continually reply: “Folks, I’m apologizing because if I sign, I’ll never finish.” But he did shake hands and share high-fives – before holding to his word and signing after his round.  

If the gallery size wasn’t evidence enough, perhaps Holtgrieve summed it up best on the par-3 12th.

Wargo and Palmer had a friendly wager going during the round. When Wargo stuck his drive several feet from the hole, the gallery cheered. To which Holtgrieve said: “Don’t cheer for [Wargo]. If you’re rooting for him, then you’re cheering against Arnie. And I don’t think that’s why you’re out here.”

So, at 72, has the inimitable Palmer been reduced to that of a ceremonial golfer, as one reporter suggested, a traveling sideshow to play to the masses? His last victory was at the Senior Skins Game in 1993. He’d prefer it to not be that way.

“Well, when you play as poorly as I’ve played, it becomes a little ceremonial,” said Palmer. “I don’t like it and that will probably have a lot to do with how little I play in the future.”

Another inquisitor wondered what he treasured most out of his storied career, whether there was one moment that stood out above the rest.

Without hesitating, Palmer said: “Yeah, being here. You guys listening to me, me sitting here talking. That’s a great accomplishment to me that you still want to hear me. I love the game.”

And, mustering up the best impersonation he could, “As Eddie Murphy would say, ‘Simple as that.’”

Ken Klavon is the USGA Web Editor. E-mail him at kklavon@usga.org.