Emotional week comes to an end
It has been a powerful and powerfully emotional week.
Arnold Palmer’s well-lived life came to an end last Sunday evening and, as one of his friends, Bob Ford, the outgoing Director of Golf at Oakmont Country Club said, “He didn’t get cheated, did he?”
The man from little Latrobe, Pennsylvania, who literally grew up at Latrobe Country Club under the strong presence of his father, Deke, became the most impactful and the most important figure the sport has ever known.
Palmer was the first player to win $1 million in his career, the first to travel from tournament to tournament in his own plane, the first to become a great spokesman for a variety of products and the first superstar across the spectrum of sports.
He made millions in his career, much more off the course than on.
There are things about him that that tell you much more about him than numbers or statistics. There is no doubt he was not the greatest player to ever play the game, that debate is between Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. But you know what? He was OK with that.
Palmer was aware of what he accomplished on the course and he was perfectly fine with that. Would he have liked to have been in that best ever conversation? Certainly he would, but maybe the fact that he was the people’s champion and the most impactful player softened things for him.
TV pundits have often made a big deal about how he was just as comfortable hanging with presidents, heads of state and elite businessmen as he was with his friends at Latrobe Country Club and Bay Hill in Florida.
Platitudes have been written and spoken all week about Palmer and as I’ve struggled to come to grips with his death, one question has made lap after lap around my brain.
Who’s going to replace golf’s King? The literal answer, of course, is no one. Not only is there never going to be another Arnold Palmer physically, but the situation that made him the leader he became will never come up again.
AP was the dominant force in professional golf when his path crossed that of the arrival of television and that intersection resulted in the game being brought to millions and millions of people who might otherwise never have been exposed to it.
He was behind the PGA Tour as we know it today and was one of the original people behind the creation of what is now known as the Champions Tour.
Who among the current leaders in the game are capable of carrying on Palmer’s legacy?
The reason that question keeps circling my brain is because I can’t come up with an answer.
Phil Mickelson has often been compared with Palmer in terms of style of play. That may be the case but Lefty is real wacky way too often to be seriously considered. Palmer would never have engaged in the grandstanding that Mickelson did after the 2014 Ryder Cup and then again before this one began.
He threw just about every captain he’s ever played for under the bus as a reason for the teams continued losses, when in reality, the teams haven’t produced as they should have. Underachievers all and the captains had nothing to do with that.
Beyond that, I don’t know. Maybe the best we can hope for is for today’s players, as well as those who follow, to emulate the strengths Palmer had in order to make the game better.
Simple things like shaking hands with people, looking them in the eye. Signing every autograph the same way, clearly and legibly. Respecting fans and appreciating the time and effort they put in as fans in the game.
Arnold Palmer was one of a kind. So important, but so humble. I was fortunate enough to get to know him and even though his declining health told us what we knew was coming. Getting that phone call last Sunday night, however, was a real gut punch.
He’s gone, but his presence and legacy will live on forever.
Rest in peace, my friend.
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Do you have an interesting story about your club or course or an individual who has done something special, let me know. Send your story ideas to mike.dudurich@gmail.com.
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Mike Dudurich is a freelance golf writer and also hosts The Golf Show on 93.7 The Fan, Saturday mornings from 7-8 during golf season. Follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeDudurich.