Golf historians generally regard Arnold Palmer’s 1960 season as one of golf’s greatest. The contention is hard to dispute.
Consider: During 30 tournaments in which Palmer entered in 1960, he won nine times, including The Masters and The U.S. Open; he had two second-place finishes and three thirds. In all, he finished in the top ten 23 times.
Those are just some of the statistical reasons that led Palmer biographer Thomas Hauser to conclude: “No year meant more to a sport than 1960 meant to golf, and the man with the magic wand was Arnold Palmer.” What was dubbed Palmer’s “Golden Year” was capped when Sports Illustrated selected the golfer for “Sportsman of the Year” the same year sporting legends like Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Bill Russell and Johnny Unitas were having banner years that would eventually be immortalized in hall of fame shrines.
But if 1960 was indeed Palmer’s “Golden Year” then there can be no disputing his “Silver Year.”
It was 1961.
And, according to research done by Palmer assistant Doc Giffin, it was every bit as remarkable as 1960.
In ‘61, Palmer entered 29 tournaments (one fewer than ‘60), and had six wins compared to the nine he posted in ‘60. 1961 was the year he won the first of two consecutive British Open championships. It was the only major he’d win that year.
But further on down the leaderboard is where Palmer really makes a dent in the argument that ‘60 was statistically superior. And it’s interesting to consider in light of Tiger Woods’s second-place finish at Oakmont, a place where he played near-flawless golf but just couldn’t get the fist-pumping birdie putts to drop.
In ‘61, Palmer had five second-place finishes and three third-place finishes (1960 had two seconds and three thirds). Most remarkable was that in 29 tournaments, Palmer finished in the top 10 an amazing 24 times.
Tour statistics bear out that ‘61 was statistically superior. His average finish in 1960 was seventh, but it rose to sixth the following year.
In all, the two-year stretch includes 59 starts, 15 victories, seven second-place finishes, six thirds and 47 times in the top 10, a stretch of competitive consistency that’s rarely been equaled in professional golf.
Palmer would go on to claim 92 PGA and Senior tour victories with 61 second-place finishes, 42 of which were on the PGA Tour.
So how does Palmer in 1960-’61 stack up against Woods, whose last two years could arguably be his best? Remember, in the win category, these years include the seven consecutive wins in which Woods was electrifying the golf world in pursuit of Byron Nelson’s immortal streak of 11 consecutive victories.
You could say it’s close.
As of Sunday’s U.S. Open, Woods had entered 24 tournaments over the last 18 months. The stretch includes an amazing 11 victories with three seconds, a third; and 17 top tens. Number crunchers could agree that the percentages are remarkably similar.
And consider this: during Palmer’s 1961, he opened the season by missing the cut at the Los Angeles Open, then went the rest of the season finishing worse than ninth only four times. In nine 2007 events, Woods has bottomed outside the top 10 three times with ties for 15th, 22nd and 37th respectively.
Who knows? Maybe Tiger would add to his win total if he played more often. Or maybe the wear would reduce his statistical greatness.
All that is known is that as of June 18 and the happy birth of Sam Alexis Woods, daughter of Tiger and Elin, it is inevitable that terms like “No. 1” and “No. 2” will take on a whole new meaning to the proud Papa.
That is unless he delegates midnight diaper changing duties to someone else.