Palmer’s family makes for special weekend
The emotion was as palpable as the sky was blue this week in Orlando, Fla.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational, as you’ve no doubt heard, was held at the Bay Hill Golf Club & Lodge, but more to the point, it was held for the first time without the man who played an exhibition there, loved the place, bought it and turned it into an elite site for one of the top stops on the PGA Tour.
Great effort was expended by Arnold Palmer’s family and Arnold Palmer Enterprises to make this year’s tournament an appropriate tribute to honor his memory, just six months after he passed away last September.
A 13-foot statue of Palmer was created and placed between the first and 10th tees at Bay Hill and unlike similar tributes to other famous people, the area around the statue is not roped off to restrict access to the statue.
The man depicted in the statue would have had none of that. Among the many things he became known for over the course or got a thumbs-up or a wink, felt like one of Palmer’s long-time friends.
He once told me he was flattered people would want his autograph and, as we all know, he became the greatest signer of all time in any sport. But one thing bugged him. While he loved being among his people, he hated how they thrust pens, Sharpies and assorted other writing implements at him.
“I have more shirts ruined that way,” said Palmer, who never left home without one of his own Sharpies in his pocket.
He’d want people snuggling up to the statue, getting pictures taken and creating memories of this special week.
This would be the kind of week everyone involved with the tournament would love to have a big-name winner. Obviously, that’s the hope of tournament directors every week, but with Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott and Phil Mickelson opting to not play this week, there’s a chance a Charley Hoffman could win.
That would be something similar to Angel Cabrera winning the 2007 U.S. Open to join names like Ernie Els, Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller as champions there.
It just seems like it would only be right for an upper echelon member of the PGA Tour to win this week, but as noted earlier, that doesn’t always happen.
The week has evolved into one of those picture-perfect central Florida weeks, a little chilly in the morning, bright blue skies with comfy temperatures in the afternoon. The ceremony on the range Wednesday was a touching tribute to Palmer and, in essence, a passing of the baton to his grandson Sam Saunders as the man to continue AP’s legacy.
The tournament gave the area where the media works a new name, the Doc Giffin Media Center, in honor of Palmer’s right-hand man of nearly 50 years. In what might have been the only downer of the week, Giffin wasn’t able to get there to take part in the ceremony because of Tuesday’s inclement weather.
Besides that, Palmer’s family will look back on this week with a great deal of satisfaction.
They’ll no doubt start thinking about the next big celebration of the great man’s life that will take place in Augusta, Ga. at the Masters. Last year, Palmer needed a great deal of help to get out to the first tee for the ceremonial tee shots. He didn’t take a shot but sat close by and took it all in.
He won’t be there on that Thursday morning and that will be quite emotional.
Keep the tissues close.
n n n
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.