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September 09, 2005
Audience with the King
You have clearly decided your days as a competitor in the majors are over. But I understand that you still have plans to play in Champions Tour events, and the Super-Seniors tournaments? Also, Skins Games?
A.P. I am not even sure what I'm going to do over the rest of the season. My schedule is unpredictable though I can confirm I've entered the US Senior Open in Ohio in July. It's difficult for me because I'm busy with course design and not only am I spending a lot of time on that but on other projects as well. Also, there's an uncertainty with my golf which has put me in a position where I don't feel I am going to play very much. On the other hand, I've committed to a couple of small charity events in the not too distant future. I do play for fun in the afternoons here at Bay Hill, but I'm not playing well at the moment. The whole of my game is poor I'm afraid.
How did your dual role as honorary chairman and player in the Senior PGA Championship at the Laurel Valley Golf Club go?
A.P. It went very well. I think it was a very successful tournament and the whole thing worked out extremely well. I played quite well, but I missed the cut which was disappointing. On the other hand, that gave me more time to fulfil my role as host. It's not the first big event we've had at Laurel Valley, my home course where I grew up, by any means. Way back in 1965 it staged the USPGA won by my great, sorely missed friend Dave Marr. Then we had the Ryder Cup there in 1975 when I was captain of the US team, and it was also the venue for the US Senior Open in 1989. Ironically, I've never played well there in a championship. In fact my record there is rather poor. Maybe my concentration has suffered over the years because of the distractions that have arisen due to my being the local man.
Regarding the Masters, it's well documented that Augusta National would like you to become their honorary starter. What is your view about that and do you think you will take them up on their offer?
A.P. I am giving that question some thought at the moment, but I haven't made a final decision yet. I still see myself going there every year, but I certainly don't plan to play in the tournament any more.
Jack Nicklaus says the golf ball should be reined in for top tournament pros so it can't fly beyond a certain distance. I believe this is your view as well. Is this the answer to the distances that modern Tour pros hit the ball these days? Do you agree with Jack that it's a problem? Or does perhaps the answer lie in the equipment?
A.P. We do need to rein in the ball. I have my own feelings about it but they are similar to Jack's. My feeling is that they need to slow the ball down and make the great tournament courses play their full length. At the moment it's not in the same ball park. We need to slow it down because we can't keep building longer and longer courses. Pretty soon we won't have the real estate to do that. There's no doubt the ball is the better point of reference for this than clubs. When I became associated with Callaway, my feeling was that the ordinary golfer needs to play the game and find it easier. I was thinking about them when I was doing my thing with Callaway. In my view, the professionals carry the higher grade balls so far and all the materials they now have in them really do affect their performance when in the hands of the best players.
Regarding Palmer Course Design: what projects do you have in the pipeline – near completion, at drawing-board stage, etc?
A.P. We are doing a number of projects and from time to time we are finishing them. We don't have as many as we once did. I supposed we have 15-20 on the go right now - in places like Florida and north-west California, for instance, also in Beijing. We have designed over 300 courses in total and we have 20 in process. I think the current rivalries are comparable with the Big Three and it will continue in that fashion. What is perhaps in doubt is who the challengers to Tiger Woods over the long term are going to be.
What is your view of playoffs in major championships? Should they be sudden-death, over 18-holes, four holes, or what?
A.P. I think if the program of the final day allows it, then there should be very good reasons why a playoff should not span four holes. I think that is fair enough. No one wants to come back the next day, which is what has to happen if there's a tie in the US Open. But on the other hand I hate to see it where a player can make one slight mistake and have it cost him a major championship, which is what can happen in sudden-death.
As a businessman, you have extended the Arnold Palmer brand into all sorts of areas, ranging from health care to vineyards. Are you prepared to give anything a go on the commercial front, or are there some projects you wouldn't want to embrace?
A.P. We certainly have an open mind about what to endorse, but on the other hand if it's a particular product I have to be able to use it myself to see if it's appropriate to what we're doing. I'd have an awful lot of endorsements if I didn't ask myself the question, 'do I want that?'
Looking into your crystal ball, do you see the world of four majors and regionalized Tours enduring in the game? Or are we going to see a world circuit evolving? If so, how do you think this should be run?
A.P. We are definitely going to see a larger role for the World Golf Championship events in years to come, but the way it will take place is difficult for me to say. We see a much greater number of leading international golfers on our Tours these days and there is no question that there will have to be non-American tournaments on this Tour as it grows.
Are you happy with the way the Ryder Cup has evolved in recent times? Are there changes you would like to see in the event?
A.P. I think the Ryder Cup is one of golf 's most important international events and I rate it very highly. I wouldn't make any changes to the format and I would hope to see it continue to fulfil its role as a unique contest in international golf. It is always great to represent your country in any kind of a match and the Ryder Cup has depicted that right to the tee. It surely will continue to do so. I have many fond memories of my Ryder Cup experiences. In particular, I recall the thrill and surge of patriotism that I felt at the opening ceremonies of my first Ryder Cup at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
How highly do you rate the Presidents Cup? Are there changes you would like to see in the event?
A.P. I think the Presidents Cup complements the Ryder Cup beautifully. And it provides players in the international team with an opportunity for the highest level of team play that would not otherwise be there for them.
I gather you flew over to Portugal and Spain recently? Do you still enjoy flying your own plane? You must have clocked up a lot of hours.
A.P. That particular journey was a 7,000- mile round trip which I enjoyed very much. There are always two pilots in my plane wherever we go. In my flying career, I have recorded over 18,000 flying hours. My airplane is much faster now than the model I first flew. My current plane is a Cessna, Citation 10. It's nine years old, but very comfortable and very convenient.
How did your recent trip to Portugal go? Also, how do you think the Victoria course is shaping up ahead of the World Cup of Golf in November?
A.P. It's going to be a wonderful course and they are currently working hard to get it ready for the World Cup of Golf. When we were designing it, we didn't know it would get such a prestigious event so early in its life, though obviously we hoped it would. There is a lot of water on the course but I wouldn't call it a dominant water situation. The holes on which it comes into play are actually quite few. It's a marvelous setting and I'm really looking forward to seeing how it plays at the World Cup of Golf.
If you're not going to make as many public golf appearances as you have in the past, what do you think you will do with your time?
A.P. I'll spend more time building courses and I'll be more involved in the actual progress. I have some personal business projects that I'm working on, but the answer to the rest of that question is that we don't have a lot of other things that we are involved in.
I noticed that recently you addressed the students at Wake Forest, your alma mater. Are you planning to step up your involvement with student golf at Wake Forest?
A.P. I addressed a gathering of the students who had just graduated. I go there occasionally and we are in the process of trying to do a course for the university. We are looking at two different projects and once a decision has been made and a site bought then a dedicated course will be built. When I was a student there, there was a little course on which we practiced but when it came to playing our matches against other colleges, we were hosted by a country club nearby.
Are you looking forward to your forthcoming visit to Toronto? I gather it marks the 50th anniversary of your first Tour win – in the 1955 Canadian Open.
A.P. They are creating a new tournament, based on a couples format and called the Kings and Queens Senior Amateur Championship. The event takes place from September 12-14 at the Weston Golf & Country Club, where I won my first Tour event in 1955. It's all been organized by the Greater Toronto Area Golfers' Association for its Greens & Dreams Fund, and the Sick Kids' Foundation will be its beneficiary. It will kick off with a gala dinner on September 12. Then Marlene Streit, a very distinguished Canadian lady amateur golfer who was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame last November, will join me in hitting the ceremonial tee shots to get the ball rolling on the 13th.
How clear are your recollections of that first Tour win?
A.P. I remember it all those years ago very well because I go to Toronto frequently. I'm sure it goes without saying, but I love the place.
How is re-married life, and how is Mrs Palmer adapting to her new life? I understand that she likes Kingdom? Also, do you get much feedback from readers?
A.P. Married life is great. Mrs Palmer likes the magazine and I get a lot of feedback from readers, most of it very favorable.
Thank you very much Mr Palmer.
A.P. It's my pleasure.
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