Arnie Palmer turns 84
A significant moment took place in golf this week.
No, it wasn’t Tiger Woods getting hit with a two-shot penalty in the second round of the BMW Championship after it was ruled his ball had moved after he did some landscaping around it.
And no, it wasn’t veteran Jim Furyk, snubbed as a captain’s pick by Fred Couples for a spot on the Presidents Cup team, shooting the sixth 59 in the history of the PGA Tour.
It was the 84th anniversary of the birthday of golf’s most beloved individual and one of its great champions.
There were no big plans for Arnold Palmer on Tuesday. It would be a day like many others for the King. He’d arrive at his office early in the morning, tend to the business of the day and then get set for what he’s cheerfully done for many years: sign autographs.
His secretary would pull a chair alongside his desk, a sleeve from the desk would be pulled out and the signing would begin.
“In many ways, the autographs are as popular as ever,” he said, admitting it’s somewhat surprising to him. When reminded that his name is still one of the most recognizable in the sport nearly 40 years removed from his last PGA Tour victory, Palmer looked almost embarrassed and said humbly, “Thank you. That means a lot.”
What also means a lot to Palmer is the game of golf. He still rides his personalized golf cart from his home in Latrobe, situated on a hill just above his office and just across the road from Latrobe Country Club.
That’s about the extent, however, of Palmer’s exposure these days.
“I haven’t played golf at all, zero. I’ve started about four or five times, never played more than nine holes and here I am,” said the seven-time major champion. “I’d do the same things that I’d always do and after lunch, I’d come back here with the idea of going out and hitting some balls. I’d sit down at my desk, read whatever is on my desk and, by the time I’m done with that, I’m too tired to go hit golf balls.”
Considering the guy is in his 80s, that sounds fairly normal. But for this proud champion, there’s more to the story.
“Mostly, it’s the fact I can’t hit it the way I once did and that just kills me,” he said. “And when I do go out and watch the young guys hit it, like Will (Mears, his grandson) and Jimmy (Dr. Jim Bryan, one of his regular playing partners), guys that I play with, and they’re hammering that golf ball out there pretty good and I can’t reach the fairway. When you can’t play the way you once did…”
Part of his birthday, he promised, was going to be spent on the practice range at LCC, uttering something he’s said to me many times over the years.
“I think I’ve come up with something, something that’s been rattling around in my head,” he said. “I’m not going to tell you what it is, so don’t ask!”
While he is sadly getting away from playing the game, he remains a vibrant force in the game. His invention, the Arnold Palmer drink, has become wildly successful as an Arizona Ice Tea product.
n If you have an interesting story about your club or course or an individual, let me know. Send your story ideas to mike.dudurich@gmail.com.
“We had a meeting not long ago and they told us that 400 million cans of the Arizona Tea had been sold in the last year,” Palmer said with a smile.
He also is the force behind 300 free-standing stores in Asia that sell Arnold Palmer apparel.
“Women’s stuff, babies, children’s, men’s shirts, sweaters, clothing. And that’s going well.”
The (Arnold Palmer) Design Company is still doing course design work but “it’s still slow here, I’m not pushing it that much, but I’m doing it.”
His grandchildren, both from his two daughters and those of his wife Kit’s, keep him busy, but it’s the kind of busy he loves.
When you sit back and think about it, isn’t the way his life has evolved pretty amazing?
Who would have thought it possible for a youngster from Latrobe to take a game long viewed as a sport for the elite, bring it to the masses, become one of the best to ever play the game and lay the foundation for what today’s golfers have?
Yep, it was a big day last Tuesday.
Here’s hoping for many more.
n If you have an interesting story about your club or course or an individual, let me know. Send your story ideas to mike.dudurich@gmail.com