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June 30, 2006
Palmer Withdraws from Senior Open
Arnold Palmer issued the following statement on Friday, June 30, regarding the U.S. Senior Open Championship, to be played July 7-10 at Prairie Dunes Country Club, Hutchinson, Kansas:
"It is with great regret that I have come to the very difficult decision to advise the USGA that I am withdrawing from the upcoming U.S. Senior Open at Prairie Dunes. I have spent considerable time over the past few weeks attempting without success to bring my game up to acceptable standards to play in this important national championship. In my judgment, my golf right now is far below the level that I would feel comfortable with as a bona fide contestant. I hope that the fans who have given me such wonderful support over the years will understand and accept my decision."
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Arnold Palmer won the 1981 U.S. Senior Open at Oakland Hills Country Club, Birmingham, Michigan, the first year he was eligible to play in the championship. He defeated Bill Casper and Bob Stone in an 18-hole playoff. Palmer played in the next 24 Senior Opens through last year's championship at NCR Country Club, Dayton, Ohio.
Palmer's last competitive appearance was in the Wendy's Champions Skins Game at Wailea, Hawaii, in February. His most recent Champions Tour start was in the Administaff Small Business Classic at Houston, Texas, last October.
Posted by dgiffin at 11:12 AM
Palmer blast opens new Callaway Performance Center
Arnold Palmer striped a ceremonial tee shot that rolled to the end of the range at the new Ely Callaway Performance Center, the state-of-the-art golf research and fitting facility named after Callaway Golf’s late founder, Ely Callaway. Palmer was invited to hit the ceremonial first shot to inaugurate the 75,000 square foot facility, the hub of Callaway Golf’s 15-acre, two-building research and development operational campus. Also attending were JAG actress Catherine Bell, Alice Cooper, Phillip Bailey of Earth Wind and Fire, and longtime Callaway friend and presidential advisor Vernon Jordan.
But it was Palmer who stole the show. Stepping from the stage, he handed his jacket to his wife, Kit, and tucked his tie into his shirt, wryly remarking, “Now I look like Walter Hagen.”
Palmer cracked his tee shot to the applause of the hundreds in attendance.
The signed club and ball are now on permanent display in the posh new lobby.
Posted by crodell at 10:24 AM
June 07, 2006
NEW TOURNAMENT LOGO FEATURES SIGNATURE, UMBRELLA
Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard Highlights Classic Symbols Associated With Tournament’s Legendary Host
The new logo of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard, unveiled today by tournament director Scott Wellington, combines two classic symbols of Arnold Palmer – his looping, easy-to-read signature and his trademark multi-colored umbrella logo.
“His signature is arguably the most recognizable in all of sport, and we obviously wanted something that said Arnold Palmer. There was no need to reinvent the wheel,” said Wellington.
The PGA Tour event, which has been played since 1979 at Palmer’s Bay Hill Club in Orlando, Florida, most recently was known as the Bay Hill Invitational. MasterCard became the presenting sponsor in 2004. Invacare, Hertz and UBS are associate sponsors of the tournament.
“The new imagery captures the style and sophistication of someone who has done so much for the game of golf,” said Alan Heuer, COO, MasterCard International Incorporated. “As an organization, MasterCard is even more proud to help bring to golf fans the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard – and to be such an integral part of its new look and moniker.”
The Arnold Palmer signature and the umbrella logo are both recognized worldwide as signs of excellence, not only of a famous professional golfer, but also for quality merchandise.
Palmer takes pride and great care in his signature, saying, “I have always felt very strongly that if someone thinks enough of me that they want my autograph, I should provide one that they can read. Very little irritates me more these days than to see the illegible autographs that some people give out.”
The umbrella idea came from Palmer in a 1960s brain-storming session with his business manager, the late Mark McCormack, other lawyers and marketing experts. The focus of the meeting was on the need for some unique golf article as a logo. “How about an umbrella?” Palmer interjected. “A golf umbrella.”
Everyone agreed that the umbrella was one piece of golf equipment not claimed by someone else, and after clearance through a trademark search, the Arnold Palmer logo became the four-paneled, multi-colored umbrella, always tilted to the right, that has been promoted ever since on products and clothing around the world.
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Palmer has told the story of registering at a hotel not too many years ago in Hong Kong, and signing his name. “The clerk looked at it and beamed widely at me and said, ‘Ah, you bring more Arnold Palmer shirts!’” Palmer related. “For a moment I was confused, and then it came to me. He had no clue that Arnold Palmer was in fact a golfer.”
The new name for the tournament was announced on March 8 by PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, who said at the time, “We have been discussing the possibility of a name change with Arnold and his family … Arnold has been the face of the tournament for a number of years, and it makes sense that it bears his name to honor his countless contributions to the tournament and to the PGA Tour.”
Palmer said then, “It has been a matter of great pride for me when my name was placed on an entity of one sort or another over the years, but I can’t think of anything that brings me more pleasure and satisfaction than having it on the tournament that has meant so much to me for so long.”
The Arnold Palmer Invitational is scheduled in 2007 for March 15-18. The defending champion will be Rod Pampling, and other past winners include Tiger Woods (four times), Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Kenny Perry, Fred Couples, Payne Stewart, Paul Azinger, Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite, and Fuzzy Zoeller.
NOTE: FOR LOGO ART, PLEASE CONTACT DONNA ADAMS, 407-876-2888
OR EMAIL dadams@arnoldpalmerinvitational.com
Posted by scurry at 11:22 AM
June 02, 2006
Jack and Arnie: Talkin' Golf with Jim Nantz
Shortly after this year's Masters, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer sat down with Jim Nantz for a chat. With cameras rolling, they reminisced about their head-to-head battles and their relationship for 1 hour 40 minutes.
The plan was to turn the conversation into a half-hour show to air on CBS. Instead, "Jack and Arnie: Talkin' Golf" will be two half-hour shows, the first airing Sunday at 10:30 a.m. before the final round of the Memorial tournament and the second airing July 2.
The Royal Bank of Scotland, which employs Nicklaus as a spokesman, bought the airtime.
CBS is promoting the interview as a first.
"Arnold and I have been together lots of times, and obviously we've talked lots of times," Nicklaus said Thursday. "But we've never put together any kind of show for posterity.
"I think it's kind of neat that we did it. I don't know why it hadn't been done before. But, by gosh, it hadn't been, so it was time to do it."
The show displays a warm connection between these two golf legends, even though there have been reports over the years that they didn't get along.
"I think that, frankly, comes from the press," Nicklaus said. "I don't think the press ever really worries about the facts. Never let the facts interfere with a good story."
"Arnold and I have been friends. Sure, we've had our differences. Absolutely. I mean two guys don't walk around in euphoria all day long. I mean, we were obviously competing, and when you compete you have issues."
"But if I ever needed anything, I know Arnold would be there for me, and I think Arnold knows that if anything ever happened to him, I'm there for him."
"There were a lot of nice things that Arnold did for me when I first started on the [PGA] Tour that he certainly didn't have any reason to do."
Nicklaus equated the rumors about Palmer and him with those about a rift between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.
"I heard when I was Presidents Cup captain [last year] that there was bad blood between Phil and Tiger. The first day I get there, Tiger and Phil say, 'Hey, come on, let's play some ping pong.' Two guys playing ping pong and having a good time, laughing, kidding each other. Is that bad blood?"
Sunday's show begins with Nicklaus talking about the first time he saw Palmer, on a Tuesday before an Ohio Amateur. Nicklaus was 14 at the time, and after his round, despite a heavy rain, Nicklaus stood and watched Palmer on the driving range for half an hour.
Says Nantz: "You didn't know he was stalking you back then, did you, Arnold?"
Nicklaus, 66, and Palmer, 76, continue in a similar vein, often poking fun at each other, as they talk about their many battles, beginning with the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills in Colorado.
Near the end of Sunday's show, Nicklaus talks about the final round of the 1964 Masters.
"I'll never forget that round," Nicklaus says. "I played with Dave Marr. Dave and I ended up tying for second, and Arnold, you won by six shots, I think."
Says Palmer: "You didn't play with Dave Marr."
Nicklaus: "I didn't?"
Palmer: "Nope. I played with Dave Marr because I remember this very well."
What Palmer remembers is a conversation he had with Marr on the 18th tee.
"I said, 'David, is there anything I can do to help you?' I knew you and he were going at it for second place."
Palmer says he was surprised by Marr's response.
"He said, 'Yeah' -- and he used a word that I won't repeat -- 'you can make 12 on this hole.' "
It appears as though Palmer and Nicklaus had fun getting together to do this show, and viewers should enjoy watching it.
Posted by scurry at 01:29 PM