Five guys, one question: What’s your favorite Arnold Palmer story?
A U.S. Open always draws experts from diverse fields to what for one week is the absolute center of the golf universe.
That makes it a good time to ask a variety of golf industry people -- players, architects, golf journalists -- about the one story they like to tell about golfing icon Arnold Palmer above all others. Here are some of their answers:
• Frank Nobilo, former PGA player & current commentator The Golf Channel: “You could say that Arnold Palmer kept me from quitting golf. It was back in 1995 at the Masters and I was playing dreadfully. I’d shot an 81 the day before and had thought about withdrawing. I was really about my game. I told my coach I was planning on quitting and he said, ‘Man, you couldn’t if you wanted to. You’re scheduled to golf tomorrow with Arnold Palmer.’ What was I going to do? Let Arnold Palmer play Augusta as a one-ball? So I showed up the next day determined to do my best. He didn’t know me from Adam, but Arnold greeted me on the first tee with the warmest handshake and twinkle in his eye. Just that look let me knew he was out there to have fun and I was invited to be a part of it. And what a time it was. Neither one of us was going to nudge our way onto the leader board, but it was a lively round and I got to have my own mini-Masters with Arnold Palmer.”
• Bubba Watson, professional golfer: “My favorite Arnold Palmer story? That was the day I got to meet him and shake his hand. Yeah, he probably shook a couple hundred other hands that day, but I spent the next week showing people that hand that shook the hand of Arnold Palmer.”
• Chi Chi Rodriguez, World Golf Hall of Famer: “People on tour used to complain that Arnold Palmer got preferential treatment. I’d ask them, ‘Do you want preferential treatment, too? Then start treating everyone the way Arnold Palmer does.’ When I came on tour in 1960, he was the man who came up and offered his friendship. He treated me with great respect. He’s old school like that. He treats everyone with respect. And, man, I loved the way he played the game. Some guys went for the pin some of the time, but Arnold always went for the pin. Still does. Man, you could put the pin thousands of feet below sea level on the deck of the Titanic and Arnold would scramble to find a scuba suit and get diving. He’ll always go for it. That’s why I like Sean O’Hair this week. He plays like Palmer. Had O’Hair hit a 9 iron instead of a wedge into the 17th at TPC everybody would be talking about him as a favorite here at Oakmont. Keep your eye on him.”
• Cameron Morfit, senior writer, Golf Magazine: “My favorite Palmer moment may have came during the end of an interview I did with him a few years ago. He’d just gotten married and was a happy newlywed. I figured I’d ask him about if he used Viagra or not. I was a little reluctant to ask because I knew we’d get a lot of letters from people saying I was an impudent young jerk with no manners -- and I was afraid he might react that way, too! But I asked him and he came to life. He got a big smile on his face and said he didn’t need it. That he was still charging. I think the interview would have gone much better if I’d have asked him that first. He welcomed the question and was happy to talk about his virility. We got some letters complaining about the question, but Mr. Palmer didn't mind one bit.”
• Robert Trent Jones Jr., architect of more than 240 courses in 40 countries: “I could tell you tons of stories, but it would always come back to his warmth and generosity. The think I like about him, too, and this may surprise some people, are the courses he designs. I’m a big fan. Some marquee players design courses for their own ego, They never can get it through their heads that the key to designing courses is drainage, drainage, drainage. You need to spend 10 years working on bulldozers or hire people who have done the nitty-gritty. Arnold’s been smart enough to surround himself with the best people in golf, starting with Ed Seay and Erik Larsen. They're wonderful course designers and great people, too. Really, Arnold's building himself a nice legacy apart from his competitive career with the great courses he and his team have put together. My favorite Palmer designs? I like Orchid Island Golf Club in Vero Beach, Florida. I think they did a tremendous job at PGA West in La Quinta and Tralee Golf Club in Ireland has some brilliant holes out on the dunes.”