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March 23, 2011
Arnold Palmer’s Classic Looks Inspire New Arnie Golf and Lifestyle Apparel Line
(TORONTO) – In partnership with Arnold Palmer Enterprises, Geoff Tait and Bobby Pasternak, co-founders of Quagmire Golf clothing, announce the launch of Arnie, a golf and lifestyle apparel line
directly inspired by the looks and fabrics worn by the golfing legend during the peak decades of his playing career.
Imbued with the casual aesthetic that distinguished Palmer as a trend setter and style icon on and off the course, each piece is designed, crafted and detailed to meet the exceptionally high standards set by the man himself.
Developed through countless hours researching primary source material – including Palmer’s personal library of photographs from the 1950s, ‘60s and '70s and archive of historically significant garments – the 2012 collection will be available at better green grass and off-course golf retailers, as well as major department stores.
"The Arnie line of apparel represents the styles of clothing that are as popular today as they were in the earlier part of my career," says Palmer. "It’s been a real thrill to see some of my signature pieces come back to life, and experience the enthusiasm Geoff and Bobby have for introducing them to the next generation."
Palmer was recently ranked one of "The 25 Coolest Athletes of All Time" by GQ, which previously named him one of the "50 Most Stylish Men of the Past 50 Years." He was also honored as one of "The 75 Best Dressed Men of All Time" by Esquire.
"Arnie won seven major championships and 94 professional titles, which is astounding, but he was a cultural force way beyond the golf course," says Tait, Creative Director of Arnie apparel. "The lifestyle he led is what’s behind each piece we’ve designed and the result is a collection that is clean, classic and cool."
Retailing from $79 and up, Arnie is set for three deliveries in 2012, each with a distinct aesthetic:
- 1950s Collection (February) – During this period, Palmer showcased slim, clean-fitting clothes.
His tops were distinguished by short plackets, small collars and shorter sleeves. Palmer tended to prefer his pants fitted and his outfits were often highlighted by the color blue, which is exclusively
found in the 1950s collection.
- 1960s Collection (April) – When Palmer was dominating the competition, he was also looking the part.
Wider legged pants, wider collars and longer shirt plackets were the style of the day. No golfer of the era looked as naturally cool as Palmer, especially in his staple color of red, which is
exclusively found in the 1960s collection.
- 1970s Collection (July) – While piloting his own plane around the world, Palmer’s wardrobe continued to evolve and set trends.
He chose shirts that reflected the style of the day, with slightly wider collars and long plackets, but the fit of his pants more closely resembled a modern boot cut. His color palette also became more subdued, hence grey being the signature color exclusive to the 1970s collection.
"For Arnie and his team to select us to bring his apparel line back to market – and work so closely with us on the collection development – has been an amazing experience," adds Pasternak, Director of Operations at Arnie apparel. "Everything, from the new two-color variation of the Arnold Palmer Umbrella to the fits and details, was a collaborative process."
Beginning in Fall 2011, additional information will be available at www.arniewear.com.
Behind Arnie
Two buddies who met on a golf trip, Geoff Tait and Bobby Pasternak founded Quagmire in 2005. The brand – which includes men’s, women’s and kid’s golf and lifestyle clothing – is available at hundreds of pro shops and off-course retailers throughout North America.
Quagmire's management partner is the 32-year-old Jaytex Group, the Canada licensee of famous brands Kenneth Cole Reaction, Tommy Bahama, Original Penguin, Gant, Union Bay and Ben Sherman.
Media Contact:
Tom Williams
Buffalo Communications
703.891.3319
twilliams@buffalocommunications.com
Posted by scurry at 01:45 PM
March 22, 2011
THE HOSPITAL THAT GOLF BUILT
WHERE GREAT WORK GETS DONE
Proceeds from the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard benefit the Arnold Palmer Medical Center, which includes Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies.
This is a well-established fact, and an important one, too, because in the 32 years of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard, significant sums have been raised on behalf of a cause that is as important as anything Arnold Palmer has done in his long, multifaceted and successful career in golf. And with many of the best players on the PGA TOUR here at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge for this year’s tournament, they’ll play a part in raising more money for the two Orlando hospitals that have come to mean so much to area families since 1989.
Interestingly, some of these families belong to PGA TOUR players who live in central Florida. More than 20 TOUR professionals have had children born at Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies while others have taken their kids to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children for treatment and care for injuries or illnesses.
Says John Bozard, President of the Arnold Palmer Medical Center: “Because of our partnership with Mr. Palmer, the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard, the PGA TOUR and many other events and organizations, we are affectionately referred to as, ‘The hospital that golf built.’ However, in addition to their financial support, we also serve the families of professional golfers. When a child is sick or injured, it does not matter what his or her father (or mother) does for a living. What matters is the health and wellbeing of a child, just like with every family we serve. We are proud that many golfers have welcomed a new baby into the world or turned to us in their child’s time of need and the team at the Arnold Palmer Medical Center has been here, ready to serve them.”
England’s Brian Davis, who now lives in Orlando with his wife, Julie, and three children, says he has come to know the people at the Arnold Palmer Medical Center “like members of my family.” While his oldest son, Oliver, was born in the United Kingdom, his two youngest children, Henry and Madeline, were born at the Arnold Palmer Medical Center. Each has needed further medical care after birth, and in the case of Madeline, she underwent two operations after a series of problems, including a collapsed lung.
Davis moved to the U.S. after having a chance to compare medical service delivery in his home country and at the APMC, and he admits he could never overstate how important that decision has been. “Our number one priority is the health of our children and making sure they get the proper care,” Davis says. “All I can say is that our story is probably not unlike a lot of people who come to the Arnold Palmer Hospital. You want the best for your kids, and you are so grateful to be able to put them in such great hands.”
D.A. Points, who lives in Ocoee, Florida, couldn’t agree more. His wife, Lori, gave birth to their daughter, Laila Jane, last February at Winnie Palmer Hospital and all went smoothly. Together they visited Palmer in December in his office at Bay Hill to present the tournament founder and host with a personal donation for the hospital. Points, too, has seen the hospital work wonders up close. His nephew, Carson Chorney, spent 160 days at Arnold Palmer Hospital being treated for cancer. The 11-year-old is doing much better, and he has even started to hit golf balls with his uncle.
“Both hospitals have played a role in our lives,” says Points, who considers Palmer a mentor and friend. “We’re fortunate, all of us who live in the area, to have such an amazing place to go when our kids are born or when our kids are sick. The whole organization does so much for everyone who goes there.”
“The success of the hospital and the great work that is done there every day has always had great personal meaning to me, and it’s something we’re all proud to be a part of,” Palmer says. “It’s been a big part of my life, and it pleases me that so many people have been helped over the years.”
Sometimes, help just comes in the form of simple things that bring serenity and peace of mind to an exciting but stressful time: the birth of a child. That’s what Charles Howell III says he and his wife, Heather, remember about the care they received when their daughter, Ansley, was born last May.
“Having never gone through the experience before – it was our first child – we had no idea what to expect. They walked us through everything, which was awesome. The delivery rooms were so good – we thought we were at a hotel, a nice hotel. That good. We always had good people around us. For a day like that, especially when it’s your first child and it can be kind of a traumatic thing, it was easy. The people there were just great.”
Of course, the story would be no different regardless of who walks through the doors. And that includes people who do not have the means to otherwise receive care. But with the help of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard, everyone is treated the same – and treated well. It’s fair to say that the tournament proceeds that benefit the Arnold Palmer Medical Center actually benefit the patients.
“I’ve been there at the hospital when people come in with no insurance, and they look after them and give them the care that they need,” Davis says. “Having a relationship with the tournament, being able to play and help raise money means a lot. It helps to keep the hospital afloat, and it’s great that we can raise money to help the people who are struggling. But in my mind, the really important people are those at the hospital, especially Dr. (Gregor) Alexander, who is one of the most amazing men I’ve ever met. He has given his life to the hospital and to kids. It’s also amazing that Arnold had the vision to do what he’s done on behalf of the hospital.”
“How the tournament works in conjunction with the hospital and the benefits it receives … I’ve always understood it and I always knew it,” Howell says. “Now I can say that I’ve lived it. It’s a little different when you go to the hospital and have that first-hand experience of what those people do, the great care that they give to you no matter who you are.
“I’ve always played the tournament because it was a local event, it’s a great event and because of Arnold, but now it has a little different meaning for me because of what they stand for and what they did for me and my family.”
Posted by scurry at 09:28 AM
March 20, 2011
Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard Will Feature 25 of the Top 50 Players in World Ranking
The 2011 Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard will feature defending champion Ernie Els, six-time champion Tiger Woods, and current major winners Phil Mickelson and Graeme McDowell when the 33rd annual PGA TOUR event is held March 21-27 at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, Florida.
Nine former winners at Bay Hill are entered. Woods had four consecutive victories from 2000 through 2003, then won in 2008 and 2009, but did not defend last year. Mickelson won in 1997. Among the other former winners is Andy Bean, the 1981 champion who still shares the course record of 62 (with Greg Norman). The others entered are Robert Gamez, Tim Herron, Andrew Magee, Rod Pampling and Vijay Singh.
Twenty-five of the top 50 players on the World Ranking are entered, led by fourth-ranked McDowell, the U.S. Open champion, and sixth-ranked Mickelson, the Masters champion. Woods is listed between them on the World Ranking, holding fifth place.
Els is ranked No. 13 in the world. Other highly-ranked players in the field include No. 11 Dustin Johnson, No. 12 Jim Furyk, No. 14 Ian Poulter, No. 17 Bubba Watson, No. 18 Hunter Mahan and No. 25 Edoardo Molinari, who shared second place at Bay Hill last year with Kevin Na, two strokes behind Els.
Also in the field from the top of the World Ranking are No. 26 Charl Schwartzel, No. 27 Robert Allenby, No. 29 Rickie Fowler and No. 31 Justin Rose. Young Japanese star Ryo Ishikawa returns, ranked No. 44 in the world, along with No. 47 Camilo Villegas.
Mark Wilson, ranked first in the 2011 FedExCup points race, is entered along with Jhonatton Vegas, the young Venezuelan who holds second place, and a local favorite, D.A. Points, who is in fifth place. Seven of the top 12 are entered.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard will be played over four rounds for $6 million in prize money ($1,080,000 to the winner) starting Thursday. There will be Pro-Am competitions at Bay Hill Monday and Wednesday, while Tuesday will be a practice day.
For tickets to the 2011 Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard or for more information, call the Bay Hill Club ticket office at 407-876-7774 or toll free at 1-866-764-4843, or visit us on the Internet at www.arnoldpalmerinvitational.com. Tournament proceeds benefit Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies.
2011 Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard Field
Robert Allenby
Stephen Ames
Stuart Appleby
Arjun Atwal
Aaron Baddeley
Ricky Barnes
Andy Bean
Cameron Beckman
Matt Bettencourt
Jason Bohn
Keegan Bradley
Chad Campbell
Alex Carpenter
Alex Cejka
K. J. Choi
Daniel Chopra
Stewart Cink
Erik Compton
Chris Couch
Ben Curtis
Robert Damron
Brian Davis
Brendon de Jonge
Chris DiMarco
Jason Duffner
David Duval
Ernie Els
Matt Every
Brad Faxon
Rickie Fowler
Jim Furyk
Tommy Gainey
Robert Gamez
Sergio Garcia
Robert Garrigus
Brian Gay
Tom Gillis
Paul Goydos
Bill Haas
Hunter Haas
Peter Hanson
J.J. Henry
Tim Herron
J.B. Holmes
Charles Howell III
Billy Hurley III
Yuta Ikeda
Trevor Immelman
Ryo Ishikawa
Fredrik Jacobson
Lee Janzen
Brandt Jobe
Dustin Johnson
Richard S. Johnson
Zach Johnson Skip Kendall
Chris Kirk
Martin Laird
Marc Leishman
Justin Leonard
Spencer Levin
Bill Lunde
Jarrod Lyle
Andrew Magee
Hunter Mahan
Matteo Manassero
Steve Marino
Ben Martin
Troy Matteson
Graeme McDowell
William McGirt
Rocco Mediate
Phil Mickelson
Zack Miller
Edoardo Molinari
Ryan Moore
Kevin Na
Sean O’Hair
Nick O’Hern
Jeff Overton
Rod Pampling
Kenny Perry
Rod Perry
Carl Pettersson
D.A. Points
Ian Poulter
Dicky Pride
Alex Prugh
Justin Rose
Sam Saunders
Charl Schwartzel
John Senden
Michael Sim
Webb Simpson
Vijay Singh
Heath Slocum
Brandt Snedeker
Kyle M. Stanley
Brendan Steele
Henrik Stenson
Kevin Streelman
Daniel Summerhays
Vaughn Taylor
Roland Thatcher
David Toms
D.J. Trahan
Bo Van Pelt
Jhonattan Vegas
Scott Verplank
Camilo Villegas
Johnson Wagner
Jimmy Walker
Bubba Watson
Boo Weekley
Mike Weir
Charlie Wi
Mark Wilson
Gary Woodland
Tiger Woods
Posted by scurry at 03:41 PM
March 09, 2011
THE KING HAS BAY HILL FLYING HIGH
Palmer refining course, eagerly looking forward to another great year at tournament that bears his name
Arnold Palmer recently decided that he would not renew his pilot's license after more than 50 years of aviation success and excitement, but that doesn't mean he ever tires of piloting the direction of another of his passions - overseeing one of the most prestigious events on the PGA TOUR, the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard.
"Every year I think of something that I want to do a little better, and every year that makes me look forward to bringing everyone back to Bay Hill Club," Palmer says with a big smile.
Palmer, 81, has plenty to look forward to, what with hosting the 33rd edition of the tournament that bears his name March 21-27 and also celebrating the 50th anniversary of his prized layout, Bay Hill Club & Lodge. The Championship Course at Bay Hill is as good as ever after a significant renovation last year that was met by overwhelming approval from the
competitors. Palmer has made a few minor tweaks to the 7,381-yard, par-72, most significantly leveling some fairway bunkers to bring uniformity to the shot values.
"We were very happy with the changes, how those changes made a difference in how the players handled the golf course, and we were very happy that the players seemed pleased with what we did. That was all good news for us," says Palmer, who cautions that anything he changes now is in the vein of refinement.
"The larger work is done," he says. "That doesn't mean we can't do a couple of little things - though I don't plan to make it any harder. We've looked at some sand traps, and we're leveling those up a bit, and we'll scrutinize here and there to make sure everything is as good as it can be. I'm happy with what we've got now. If there is one surprise to it all, I thought the scores (last year) would be a lot lower."
Former U.S. Open and British Open champion Ernie Els won his second title at Bay Hill, making a series of clutch putts down the stretch to close with a 1-under-par 71 and 277 total, good for a two-stroke victory over Edoardo Molinari and Kevin Na. The tournament finished on Monday after inclement
weather forced a suspension of the final round. The extra day only added to the drama.
"I'll tell you, Ernie Els played a very good golf tournament, and he needed to because they were on him," Palmer says. "It was a very exciting finish."
Also exciting to Palmer is the continued growth of the tournament's charitable initiatives and its beneficiaries, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies. As Palmer says, playing golf isn't high on his list anymore but he loves remaining in the game to be able to accomplish other goals.
"Most of the stuff that we think about these days is being done is in line with the hospital and how we can keep that energy going, the interaction between the club, the tournament and the hospital," Palmer says. "The hospital is growing, the things they are doing, the technologies that are developing, are all very important things. How to keep that charity growing... we keep pushing it hard, and people are so generous. That gives us a lot to do, but good things."
"We continue to work hard all year long to ensure that Mr. Palmer's philanthropic vision is carried out, and that means strengthening the tournament's relationship with our benefiting charities, the Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation," said Scott Wellington, tournament director. "It will be clear to see that work in action during the weeks leading up to and through the event this year."
Palmer says his passion for golf hasn't changed. But the manner in which he enjoys it has evolved. "You know, I don't play Bay Hill like I used to, but what I enjoy now is watching how the players, when they come here to the tournament, handle the challenges of Bay Hill," Palmer says. "I just wish I could still be out there with them, but what I'm doing now is OK, too. What I'm doing is still special, and it will always be special."
For tickets to the 2011 Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard or for more information, call the Bay Hill Club ticket office at 407-876-7774 or toll free at 1-866-764-4843, or visit us on the Internet at www.arnoldpalmerinvitational.com. Tournament proceeds benefit Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies.
Posted by scurry at 02:30 PM