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November 12, 2007
Palmer to Receive GCAA Lifetime Achievement Award
Golf legend to be honored at Hall of Fame Banquet Jan. 14
NORMAN, Okla. — Arnold Palmer will be honored with the GCAA Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual Hall of Fame Banquet Jan. 14 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Fla. In addition, Palmer will become only the third non-coach inducted into the GCAA Hall of Fame.
“I am certainly looking forward to receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Golf Coaches Association of America,” said Palmer. “I consider it a particular honor inasmuch as my golf at Wake Forest played a major role in leading me into my career in professional golf. I have kept in close touch with collegiate golf through the years and was very pleased to lend my name to the Palmer Cup when it was founded a decade ago.”
Besides the magnificent performance record, Palmer’s magnetic personality and unfailing sense of kindness
and thoughtfulness to everybody with whom he comes in contact have endeared him to millions throughout
the world and led to the informal formation of the largest non-uniformed “military” organization in existence -- Arnie’s Army. Seven of his victories came in what the golfing world considers the four major professional championships. He won the Masters Tournament four times, in 1958, 1960, 1962 and 1964; the U.S. Open in spectacular fashion in 1960 at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver and the British Open in 1961 and 1962. He came from seven strokes off the pace in the final round in that U.S. Open win and finished second in four other Opens after that. Among the majors, only the PGA Championship eluded him. He finished second in the PGA three times. Palmer was also a two-time NCAA medalist, in 1948 and 1949, while at Wake Forest.
The golfing great has been the recipient of countless honors, the symbolic plaques, trophies and citations scattered throughout his personal, club and business worlds, the epitome coming in 2004 when he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush at a White House ceremony. He has received virtually every national award in golf and after his great 1960 season both the Hickok Professional Athlete of the Year and Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year trophies. He is a charter member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and a member of the American Golf Hall of Fame at Foxburg, PA, and the PGA Hall of Fame in Florida. He is chairman of the USGA Members Program and served as honorary national chairman of the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation for 20 years. He played a major role in the fund-raising drive that led to the creation of the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Women in Orlando in the 1980s. A long-time member of the board of directors of Latrobe Area Hospital he staged a major annual fund-raising golf event for that institution for six years that led to the formation of the Latrobe Area Hospital Charitable Foundation.
The GCAA’s marquee event, The Palmer Cup presented by Monster, is named in Palmer’s honor. The annual
event between the top college players in the United States and Europe was first played in 1997 and has become one the the most widely respected amateur events in the world. Additionally, the national championship medalist in NCAA Divisions I, II and III, as well as the NAIA, or honored with the Arnold Palmer Award presented by Callaway Golf.
Palmer joins Karsten Solheim and Byron Nelson as previous recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
- GCAA -
For Immediate Release
Contact: Dustin Roberts
Golf Coaches Association of America
(405) 329-4222
http://gcaa.collegiategolf.com
Posted by scurry at 02:51 PM
September 22, 2007
ArnoldPalmer.com Named Best
Wins prestigious web award from the Web Marketing Association
In the eyes of many golf-loving Americans, Arnold Palmer is the greatest. Now, at least in the eyes of one prestigious panel of award-bestowing experts, so is his website.
ArnoldPalmer.com was recently named one of the Web Marketing Association’s Best Web Sites of 2007. The Palmer site, which is anchored by a daily timeline item harkening back to a corresponding news item from Palmer’s vivid and colorful past, was one of just 96 winners selected from 2,400 entries from more than 40 countries.
For Palmer, who celebrated his 78th birthday on September 10, a lifetime of earth- and airborne achievements has notched a first in yet another realm, the internet.
“Yes, this is the first time I’ve ever won a web award!” he says. “I couldn't be happier that ArnoldPalmer.com was chosen as one of the best. It's the one place where all the fans can go to instantly learn everything that might interest them about our charities, my history, our businesses, Kingdom Magazine, the outstanding golf courses we’ve built and what's new in our world.”
Organizers said entries were judged on design, copy writing, innovation, content, interactivity, navigation, and use of technology. Teams of independent Internet professionals representing a variety of relevant disciplines of web site development weighed each entry. Judges included members of the media, advertising executives, site designers, creative directors, corporate marketing executives, content providers and webmasters.
The WebAward competition format allows Web sites to compete head to head with other sites within their industry to win the Best of Industry and Standard of Excellence awards. Here’s the award and here’s the announcement.
The Web Marketing Association (http://www.webmarketingassociation.org) works to create a high standard of excellence for web site development and marketing on the Internet. Founded by the Web Marketing Association in 1997, when the letters “www” still looked like a sloppy typo, the WebAwards is the standards-defining competition that sets industry benchmarks for the best web sites.
If you’ve never had the opportunity to immerse yourself in www.ArnoldPalmer.com, now's the time.
Because it’s only here at ArnoldPalmer.com that will you learn the surprising connection between Arnold Palmer and Tony Soprano, and why you’d be a wise guy to listen to Palmer’s astute Super Bowl picks. It’s here where you can read about the day in 1970 that Johnny Carson tabbed the golfer to be his “Tonight Show” stand-in, and it’s here where you’ll learn just what insights U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts sought from Palmer the Spring 2007 day after the golfer dined with The Queen.
ArnoldPalmer.com is what happens when old school goes high tech. This is what happens when one of the most storied lives -- not just in golf, but in all America -- is given the most lavish and loving consideration that only a medium like the world wide web can bestow.
And it’s all right here, fresh and new everyday, all the insight, warmth and glory. It’s a virtual cornucopia of Palmer knowledge and trivia that, until now, couldn’t be contained between the covers of even the most voluminous biographies.
“I'm proud of the team that's taken advantage of this fantastic medium to give the fans such an excellent high-tech umbrella for everything that's going on in our world,” Palmer says. “I hope fans will check it out. I don’t think they’ll be disappointed.”
Posted by crodell at 09:57 AM
June 13, 2007
ARNOLD PALMER JOINS GOLF DIGEST AS PLAYING EDITOR
Magazine’s Exclusive All-Star Roster Already Includes Nicklaus, Woods, Sorenstam, Mickelson, and Watson
NEW YORK—Golf legend Arnold Palmer has signed a long-term agreement with Golf Digest to serve as an exclusive Playing Editor. The announcement was made today by Jerry Tarde, Chairman and Editorial Director of Golf Digest Publications, a division of Condé Nast Publications.
Through the agreement, Palmer will contribute bylined instruction and feature articles exclusively to Golf Digest. Palmer officially joined the Golf Digest staff with the magazine’s June issue and was the subject of the popular “My Shot” interview—which appears as part of the magazine’s U.S. Open Preview section.
“Golf Digest and I share the same values in our desire to give back to the game and belief that golf fans come first,” said Palmer. “Golf Digest is the No. 1 golf publication in the world. I’m excited to be part of the team and help people play golf better.”
“Adding Arnold Palmer to our staff marks a milestone in the history of Golf Digest,” Tarde said. “Arnold joins Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam, Phil Mickelson and Tom Watson as exclusive contributors to the magazine—pretty much wrapping up the greatest champions, current and past, alive today.”
In addition to the players mentioned above, Golf Digest’s elite roster of Playing Editors includes Ernie Els, Johnny Miller, Nick Price, Justin Leonard and David Toms. Golf Digest also has a number of renowned teachers on staff, including Butch Harmon, David Leadbetter and Hank Haney.
Arnold Palmer was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. He is fourth on the PGA Tour all-time win list with 62 victories, including four Masters, two British Opens, one U.S. Open and one U.S. Amateur.
Golf Digest is part of Condé Nast Publications and is the largest and most widely read golf publication in the world. Condé Nast Publications, a unit of Advance Publications, includes twenty-eight consumer magazines and their websites, eight uniquely branded websites, the Fairchild Fashion Group, Parade, the Condé Nast Media Group, and the Shared Services Centers.
# # #
Media Contact
Andrew Katcher (212) 630-2488
Posted by scurry at 12:19 PM
May 28, 2007
Wyndham Worldwide Launches Sweepstakes, Ad Campaign Featuring Arnold Palmer
PARSIPPANY, N.J., May 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Global hospitality company Wyndham Worldwide is launching a blockbuster marketing program including sponsorship of a PGA TOUR golf tournament, a national TV campaign featuring golf legend Arnold Palmer, and the Wyndham Foursome Sweepstakes, all designed to introduce consumers to its unparalleled range of accommodations.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/wyndham/28495/
Building upon its title sponsorship of the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, NC (Aug 13-19), Wyndham Worldwide also is introducing its first- ever national advertising campaign, an on-site presence at TOUR events, Internet promotion and, at most of its 6,000-plus U.S. properties, a Wyndham Championship in-room video promoting tune-in to the Tournament broadcast.
"We are very excited about this fully integrated approach to educate consumers about our hotel, rental and vacation ownership brands," said Steve Holmes, Chairman and CEO of Wyndham Worldwide. "We have been a public company for under a year and have already established a strong presence as a major force in the travel industry, giving consumers a wide range of choices in lodging, vacation rental and vacation ownership. The launch of a national advertising campaign is an important step in the evolution of Wyndham Worldwide as a powerhouse in leisure travel."
Wyndham Worldwide and Palmer signed an exclusive marketing partnership to develop Arnold Palmer Golf Holidays by Wyndham. Wyndham Vacation Ownership is developing a signature line of Palmer-branded travel products featuring select golf destinations throughout the United States. The vacation packages will be made available to current and prospective Wyndham timeshare owners and will include a wide selection of activities appealing to all levels of golf enthusiasts.
"Playing good golf is the goal of every person who's ever picked up a golf club, and the fact that they can use it as an excuse for a vacation is something that I think is wonderful," commented Palmer.
"Partnering with Arnold Palmer, a legend known around the world as one of the game's most beloved champions, is a tremendously incredible opportunity for us," said Wyndham Vacation Ownership President and Chief Executive Officer Franz Hanning. "Golf has always been among the most popular activities to enjoy while on vacation and this initiative enables us to showcase a wide selection of activities to our more than 800,000 owners and also appeal to golf enthusiasts seeking a world-class vacation experience."
Palmer will also be featured in a national television advertising campaign promoting the Wyndham Foursome sweepstakes that will award four travel packages. The campaign debuts during this week's telecast of the Memorial Tournament on the GOLF CHANNEL and CBS and will feature Palmer encouraging viewers to enter for a chance to win one of four prizes: an Orlando Golf package including five days of instruction at the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy, a week in the Caribbean at the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort in St. Thomas, a week in a country home in Ireland, or a week-long California road trip.
In addition to the promotion with Palmer, Wyndham is using its significant distribution channels to raise awareness about the tournament and promote tune-in to the broadcast:
- At hundreds of locations across Wyndham's 10 hotel brands, an in-room video with commentary from Palmer will promote tune-in to the Wyndham Championship, the concluding tournament to the PGA TOUR Regular Season that determines final player seedings heading into the first-ever PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. The video will air between June 1 and August 19th. - Callers to any of Wyndham's multiple toll-free reservation lines who are put on hold will hear a message from Arnold Palmer inviting them to tune in to watch the Wyndham Championship. - The home pages of all individual brand Web sites as well as WyndhamWorldwide.com will have a click-through banner promoting the sweepstakes as well as a link to the Wyndham Championship site. - Several hotel brand print ads will include a snipe promoting tune-in to the broadcast. - Wyndham Vacation Ownership will have an onsite presence at 10 PGA TOUR Events to drive sweepstakes entries and promote the many benefits of vacation ownership.
Wyndham Worldwide Corporation is one of the world's largest hospitality companies. Wyndham Worldwide offers individual consumers and business-to-business customers a broad suite of hospitality products and services across various accommodation alternatives and price ranges through its premier portfolio of world-renowned brands. Wyndham Hotel Group encompasses almost 6,500 franchised hotels and over 539,000 hotel rooms worldwide. RCI Global Vacation Network offers its more than 3.4 million members access to over 60,000 vacation properties located in approximately 100 countries. Wyndham Vacation Ownership develops, markets and sells vacation ownership interests and provides consumer financing to owners through its network of approximately 150 vacation ownership resorts serving over 800,000 owners throughout North America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific. Wyndham Worldwide, headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., employs more than 30,000 employees globally.
ATTENTION MEDIA: Consumers can access the digitized downloadable file at: http://www.wyndhamworldwide.com/media_center
Wyndham Worldwide
CONTACT: Lisa Burby, Vice President Communications of Wyndham Vacation
Ownership, +1-407-921-7775 (cell), +1-407-370-5146 (office),
lisa.burby@wyndhamvo.com; Chris Smith, Director of Public Relations for PGA
TOUR Business, +1-904-273-3379, csmith@pgatourhq.com; Betsy O'Rourke, SVP
Marketing & Communications of Wyndham Worldwide, +1-301-332-6530 (cell),
+1-973-753-7422 (office), betsy.o'rourke@wyndhamworldwide.com
Web site: http://www.wyndhamworldwide.com/media_center
http://www.wyndhamworldwide.com/
Published May. 28, 2007
Copyright © 2007 SYS-CON Media. All Rights Reserved.
Posted by scurry at 11:55 AM
January 30, 2007
Continued Refinements at Bay Hill Club
Founder and host approves change to par-70 layout
For Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard
Ceaseless in his love for and devotion to the game of golf and tireless in his efforts to make one of the best PGA TOUR events better, Arnold Palmer continues to make refinements to his Bay Hill Club in Orlando, Florida, in preparation for the 2007 edition of his tournament, which has been renamed the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard.
While only minor adjustments have been made to Palmer’s prized layout since Rod Pampling’s victory last year, players may find the scoring dynamics a bit different. That’s because the Championship Course will be adjusted down to a par-70 configuration for this year’s 29th edition March 12-18, though it remains par 72 for the membership. Two par-5 holes, the fourth and 16th, are being converted to par-4s, though their yardage won’t change much; the fourth will measure about 480 yards while the 16th will be close to 500 yards. The course’s overall yardage of 7,267 won’t be diminished appreciably.
“It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a few years now, and I figured it was time, simply for the way the game is progressing along,” Palmer says. “You look at how they approach certain holes … most of the guys are hitting irons into 16. It’s playing as par-4 anyway. So I thought we should take a look at this. I think this will make it more interesting for the overall tournament in relation to par.”
Other adjustments to the golf course are of a cosmetic variety. Most prominent is a renovation of the bunkers. The edges have been cut, which makes them slightly larger and gives them a cleaner look. New white sand has been installed for consistency of appearance as well as playability. The remainder of the layout, from the denseness of the rough to the speed of the greens, is being cultivated for optimum playing conditions.
Palmer’s Bay Hill course has always been one of the top challenges on the PGA TOUR. With its humps, mounds and bunkers protecting large, firm greens, and its broad fairways lined by thick rough, the Championship Course presents a series of difficult but fair holes. Last year, amid placid playing conditions, Bay Hill ranked in the middle of the pack on the PGA TOUR in terms of difficulty, with the field averaging 72.225 strokes.
“The golf course is probably as good or better than ever,” Palmer says. “I say that every year, and every year I think we manage to make it a little bit better, a little more challenging. I think the players will find it in great shape and provide the kind of test that a golf course should. If you take care of the golf course first then everything else sort of falls into place.”
For tickets to the 2007 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard or for more information, log on to the tournament web site, www.arnoldpalmerinvitational.com or call the Bay Hill Club ticket office at 407-876-7774 or toll free at 1-866-764-4843. Tournament proceeds benefit the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies.
Posted by scurry at 04:49 PM
November 17, 2006
Golf Digest Celebrity Invitational
Golf Digest magazine hosted its second annual Golf Digest Celebrity Invitational at the Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles on November 6, 2006 to benefit the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Hosted by Arnold Palmer and in support of Arnie’s Army Battles Prostate Cancer, the event featured musicians and celebrities from TV and film paired with amateur golfers. Twenty-five celebrities participated, including Richard Schiff, Peter Gallagher, Richard Karn, Dougray Scott, Joe Mantegna, Engelbert Humperdinck and Kenny G, who was recently named No. 1 in Golf Digest's ranking of the "Top 100 in Music." Marty Rubino, a cancer survivor with a 25 handicap, had a hole in one and won a 2007 Porsche Cayenne. Ketel One, endorsed by Mr. Palmer, was one of the event sponsors.
The event helped raise nearly $200,000 for prostate cancer research.
Posted by scurry at 02:51 PM
November 16, 2006
Make a Purchase You Will Feel Really Good About
Arnold Palmer, Samsung and CompUSA have teamed up to benefit the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children has been helping to heal children from Central Florida and around the world for more than 17 years. And now you can help too.
During November and December, when you purchase any Samsung mobile phone or select Samsung IT products at any CompUSA store, a portion will be given back to the Arnold Palmer Hospital. Or you can help by purchasing special donation coupons online at www.compusa.com/fourseasonsofhope or at any CompUSA location.
Since great causes run in the Palmer family, you can also participate in an auction to benefit the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Children & Babies. Click here to start bidding and helping.
To find out more about the hospital, visit www.arnoldpalmerhospital.org. To learn more about Arnold Palmer, visit www.arnoldpalmer.com. And for more information about Samsung’s Four Seasons of Hope, visit www.fourseasonsofhope.com. Because a little help can make a big difference.
Posted by scurry at 03:39 PM
November 15, 2006
Palmer, Grandson Set for Father/Son Challenge
Arnold Palmer and his grandson, Sam Saunders, will team up for the fourth time in this year's Father/Son Challenge tournament the week of Nov. 30-Dec. 3, at ChampionsGate Golf Resort near Orlando, Florida. Saunders, a freshmen at Clemson University, is a scratch amateur, who was a medalist in last year's U.S. Junior Amateur at Longmeadow Country Club in Massachusetts.
The annual Del Webb Father/Son Challenge, which features a 36-player field comprised of 18 PGA TOUR or Champions Tour professionals and their son or daughter, is entering its 12th year and NBC Sports will televise the event nationally.
The unique 36-hole scramble format makes this event one of the most renowned and affable Challenge Season events in golf, as evidenced by the legendary players that are a part of the showcase. In order to be eligible, all of the fathers must have won a major championship on the PGA TOUR.
The teams will play for the prestigious Willie Park Trophy replica belts named in honor of the winner of the first British Open in 1860, in addition to a $1,085,000 purse.
This year’s tournament activities begin with a two-day pro-am on Thursday, Nov. 30 and Friday, Dec. 1. The 36-hole event, played under a scramble format, will be Saturday, Dec. 2 and Sunday, Dec. 3. NBC will televise the event on both days.
Posted by scurry at 04:53 PM
October 09, 2006
STONEHOUSE PUBLISHING INKS LICENSING DEAL WITH THE “KING”
World Class Panoramic Golf Course Photographer Patrick Drickey to Immortalize ‘Arnie’s Greatest Moments and Greatest Course Designs”
Omaha, NE —Stonehouse Publishing Company announced today that it has become an official licensee of Arnold Palmer Enterprises and, as such, will create a signature line of prints commemorating the King’s greatest moments in golf. In addition, Stonehouse will have the right to use Palmer’s authentic and lithograph signature and brand logos on prints featuring courses such as Bay Hill, Pebble Beach and Latrobe County Club.
Stonehouse will create a series of prints utilizing its trademark panoramic golf course photography to capture Palmer’s major championship victories at the Open Championship, U.S. Open and PGA Championship venues. Great courses such as Cherry Hills, Royal Birkdale and Royal Troon will be spotlighted in the collection. The prints will be available on www.stonehousegolf.com, www.arnoldpalmer.com and through select On and Off Course golf retailers.
“It is an honor to develop a line of Stonehouse prints that celebrates a legend the likes of Arnold Palmer, and we are thrilled to be working with him and his team” said David Vogrin, President of Stonehouse Publishing. “We are confident the Palmer series will rekindle memories of Arnold’s triumphs with members of his Army, and create an interest with younger fans that did not have the chance to witness one of golf’s most exciting players firsthand.”
The newly executed deal is for the period of three years, and Stonehouse expects to release the first of the Palmer series on November 1st in time for the 2006 holiday season.
To check out the entire Stonehouse portfolio, visit www.stonehousegolf.com. Stonehouse panoramic golf course prints range in size and price from the 9” x 15” framed Miniature Edition, available for a suggested retail price of $45.00, to the 30” x 50” framed Ltd. Edition bearing Mr. Palmer’s authentic signature for a suggested retail price of $1,999.99. For more information on Arnold Palmer’s businesses visit www.arnoldpalmer.com.
About Stonehouse Publishing, Co.
Based in Omaha, Nebraska, Stonehouse Publishing, Co. was founded in 1995 by Photographer Patrick Drickey to deliver “the fine art of golf” to consumers. Stonehouse Publishing goes to great lengths to ensure that each of its panoramic images of the finest golf holes in the world are shot in the perfect light and from the golfer’s perspective. All of the Stonehouse Publishing prints are printed and assembled by hand in the United States. To view the Stonehouse collection first-hand and for more information on the company, visit www.stonehousegolf.com.
About Patrick Drickey
Patrick Drickey is a Pioneer of Panoramic Golf Course Photography and his portfolio includes images from the world's great destination and championship courses, including Whistling Straits, Pebble Beach, Pinehurst and many others. His panoramic format is ideally suited for vividly capturing the scope and breadth of a golf course and his 25 years of experience as an architectural and landscape photographer apply well as a golf course artist. While capturing light and landscape is important, Patrick’s attention to the reproduction of each image is unsurpassed. He personally oversees the preparation of every fine art lithograph and collector watercolor rendition. These reproduction processes are very rare and far more costly than usual photographic reproductions that are mass-produced, but the results are self-evident. Patrick is the founder of Stonehouse Publishing, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.
Posted by scurry at 02:07 PM
September 01, 2006
Funds Sought for Palmer Airport statue
The Latrobe Foundation is conducting a fundraising drive to raise $35,000 to erect a statue of Arnold Palmer to grace the terminal entrance of Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Palmer's hometown.
Contributions of $1,000 or more will be displayed with the contributor’s name adorning a plaque at the base of the statue. Contributions of $100 or more will have their names embossed on golf balls that will be used to construct a towering “Wall of Balls” near the statue.
Tax deductible contributions can be sent to the Latrobe Foundation, Palmer Statue Project, P.O. Box 143, Latrobe, Pa. 15650-0143. Be sure to write “Palmer Statue Fund” in the memo portion of the check.
Posted by crodell at 01:27 PM
August 08, 2006
Arnold Palmer to Attend Ryder Cup in Ireland
Arnold Palmer will fly to Ireland in late September to attend to course design business and spend time at the prestigious Ryder Cup as it is played in Ireland at the K Club course outside of Dublin that he and his associates designed in 1991. Palmer, who is the second most productive point-maker in U.S. Ryder Cup history, has not been on hand for Ryder Cup competition since his second captaincy in 1975 at Laurel Valley in his native Western Pennsylvania.
The legendary golfer is anxious to see how the cream of the American and European crop of pros handle the highly-regarded, parkland-style course, which his company fine-tuned for owner Michael Smurfit after the most prestigious international team competition was awarded to Smurfit and Ireland for the first time several years ago. The Ryder Cup will be played on the Palmer course, part of the 36-hole complex at the magnificent K Club resort, on September 22-24. Although the United States leads in the biennial event, 24 wins against nine defeats and two ties, the Americans have lost four of the last five meetings and have not won in Europe since a victory in England in 1993.
On the business side, Palmer will attend activities connected to two Arnold Palmer Design Company projects - St. Lucia in the eastern Caribbean and White Oak in Hendersonville, North Carolina, and make a site visit and attend a reception for Milverton, a new course being developed in Ireland. These bring to nearly 300 the number of courses designed by the Palmer company world-wide over the last 35 years.
Palmer will pilot his Cessna Citation X on its non-stop flight to Ireland, landing in Shannon for the business commitments before moving on to Dublin for the Ryder Cup.
Posted by dgiffin at 03:23 PM
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
March 16, 2006
It's Arnie's Place in Name and Spirit
PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem confirmed that the Bay Hill Invitational will be renamed after this week to become the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard.
"We are particularly excited about this development for the future of the tournament here at Bay Hill," Finchem said. "Arnold, of course, is inextricably related to this championship. He created it. He and Jack Nicklaus created the PGA Tour; I often say, if it wasn't for Arnold, I wouldn't have a job."
Palmer founded the Bay Hill Invitational 27 years ago, when it was named the Bay Hill Citrus Classic. Under Palmer's guidance, the tournamenthas evolved into one of the Tour's premier events.
The name change occured after a suggestion by Palmer's daughter, Amy Saunders. Finchem concurred and made the change official. Importantly, I think what's happened here with the development of the tournament under Arnold's tutelage is very special," Finchem said. "It is one of those things that's a part of the texture and the fabric of the PGA Tour."
The name change is, in a word, a formality as Palmer has been the overseer of the tournament since he moved the event across Orlando from Rio Pinar to the Bay Hill Club in 1979.
"If it can be what I had hoped this tournament would be over the years, I'll be very happy for it," Palmer said.
When asked if we can expecct his comeback in the first-ever Arnold Palmer Invitational, Palmer responded, "I won't have any problem with that at all. I can promise you that. So it's pretty easy for me to say I will not miss trying to play."
Regarding his opinion of the condition of the course for this year's event, Palmer put it bluntly, "I suppose that the bottom line for our purposes is that the golf course is the best this year that it has ever been."
Players will notice that the rough is precariously deep, but the fairways are not narrower from regular member play. Palmer has allowed the rough to grow to 3 1/2 inches, topping it off last Sunday. It will not be mowed throughout the tournament. According to Palmer, the greens and fairways have responded to off-season treatments very well and the length of the golf course is unchanged. The greens will be running "a modest 11 or 12 on the speeds."
"We have kept it muc the same as it has been over the past few years," he said. "We haven't really tried to change the character of the golf course." Palmer takes great care not to trick up his prized golf course, leaving the classic layout alone for the membership, while providing the professionals a demanding challenge.
"Well, I really have to analyze the situation and look at it from all aspects of the game of golf," Palmer said. "One of the things we continually try and do is grow the game, and grow it not for the professionals necessarily, certainly in their interest, but grow the game for the people who go out and play the game and enjoy playing it."
So far, Palmer's plan for Bay Hill has worked even though the average driving distance on the Tour has risen over the past few years with the advancement of equipment technology.
"Last year, I was very happy with the consistency of how the golf course was treated by these long hitter, 12-under-par," he said. "If we can keep in that area, that doesn't change much in 50 years; it's still running around the same number."
Bob Byman won the first Bay Hill tournament with a 278 total in 1979.
It's a delicate balance, but one Palmer pays close attention.
"So I have to look at it from the point of view that I love the game and I don't want to ruin it for the guys who go out and shoot 80 or 85," He said. "I want them to be able to enjoy it and I want them to feel like they can go out and improve their games just like the professionals can improve theirs."
The game is in good hands with Palmer and renaming the tournament will remind us all of that.
Posted by scurry at 08:32 AM
March 11, 2006
Bay Hill Event Being Renamed to Honor Arnold Palmer
Will Become Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard in 2007
ORLANDO, FL – PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem announced today that the TOUR’s Bay Hill Invitational presented by MasterCard is changing names after this year to honor its longtime host, World Golf Hall of Famer Arnold Palmer.
Beginning in 2007, the tournament will be known as the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard. It is held annually at Palmer’s Bay Hill Club.
“We have been discussing the possibility of a name change with Arnold and his family and how it would be an appropriate tribute to one of the game’s all-time great champions and ambassadors,” Finchem explained. “There was a strong sentiment to do this, and in the end we determined that it might as well occur sooner than later, particularly now that Arnold has consciously reduced his competitive playing schedule.
“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.”
“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,” Palmer said.
The tournament first was introduced as the Florida Citrus Open Invitational in 1966 at Rio Pinar Country Club in Orlando, before relocating to Bay Hill Club in 1979. Proceeds from the tournament benefit the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, which has been serving patients since 1989.
“The tournament name change is certainly most appropriate for the man who has changed the face of the sport over the last 50 years and continues to impact it on a daily basis,” said Tournament Director Scott Wellington. “This will do nothing but provide even greater awareness for our event, our loyal and dedicated sponsors, and Mr. Palmer's hospital and the Orlando community as a whole. We are tremendously excited about the future of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard.”
“MasterCard is proud to be associated with Arnold Palmer, a man who has done so much not just for the game of golf but for the Orlando community. We look forward to many more priceless moments both on the course and at the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children,” said Alan Heuer, Chief Operating Officer, MasterCard International.
About the PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is a tax-exempt membership organization of professional golfers. Its primary purpose is to provide competitive earnings opportunities for past, current and future members of the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour; to protect the integrity of the game; and to help grow the reach of the game in the U.S. and around the world.
In 2006, the three Tours will compete in nearly 120 events for approximately $325 million in prize money. Tournaments will be held in eight countries outside the U.S. and in 38 states.
In addition to providing competitive opportunities for its membership, TOUR events also generate significant funds for local charities. In fact, the three Tours reached the $1 billion mark in overall charitable contributions in late 2005. The PGA TOUR's web site address is www.pgatour.com and the company is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
About MasterCard International
MasterCard Incorporated is a leading global payments solutions company that provides a broad variety of innovative services in support of our global members' credit, deposit access, electronic cash, business-to-business and related payment programs. MasterCard, through its principal operating subsidiary, MasterCard International Incorporated, manages a family of well-known, widely accepted payment card brands including MasterCard®, Maestro® and Cirrus® and serves financial institutions, consumers and businesses in over 210 countries and territories. The MasterCard award-winning Priceless® advertising campaign is now seen in 105 countries and in 48 languages, giving the MasterCard brand a truly global reach and scope. For more information, go to www.mastercardinternational.com.
Posted by scurry at 01:38 PM
March 01, 2006
SAM SAUNDERS, ARNOLD PALMER'S GRANDSON, TO PLAY IN BAY HILL INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY MASTERCARD
High School Senior Given Spot in Tournament Field
Eighteen-year-old Sam Saunders has caddied in the Bay Hill tournament for his grandfather.
Twice he has played in final rounds as a marker -- with Peter Jacobsen and Dicky Pride.
This year, Arnold Palmer's grandson, a high school senior and plus-four amateur, will tee it up on Thursday, March 16, as a bonafide member of the championship field of the 2006 Bay Hill Invitational Presented by MasterCard.
Tournament officials extended one of the 20 available special invitations to the BHI to Saunders just days after the son of Roy and Amy Saunders, Palmer’s daughter and son-in-law, won the men’s club championship on the tournament course by 17 strokes. It was the second Bay Hill title for the Trinity Prep student, who plans to pursue his education and golf career at Clemson University.
“Sam has displayed his talent through the past couple of years and this is an opportunity for a young man to get out and get some experience in the game that might not otherwise come his way,” Palmer said. “So, we’ll see how he does with the big boys. I think that will be great.”
Among Saunders’ golfing achievements to date, he won the Florida State High School championship as a junior, was medalist at last year’s USGA Junior Amateur, was local medalist and played in the 2004 U.S. Men’s Amateur at the Winged Foot Club, site of this year’s U.S. Open, and won several national junior events, including the prestigious Sawgrass Invitational. He first won the Bay Hill men’s championship when he was a 15-year-old high school freshman.
Posted by scurry at 07:06 PM
February 28, 2006
There's Nothing Easy for the Field at Bay Hill Invitational Presented by MasterCard
Palmer’s Bay Hill Club is a well-respected, enduring test
One measure of a great golf course is its enduring value as a meaningful test, regardless of the improvement of the players who take it on and the equipment with which they arm themselves. The Bay Hill Club, which has hosted the prestigious Bay Hill Invitational presented by MasterCard since 1979, has proven through the years to be one of the more exacting examinations on the PGA Tour.
“Bay Hill is definitely one of the best courses we play, one I’ve always enjoyed. It tests every part of your game,” says defending champion Kenny Perry, who submitted a solid performance in posting a 12-under-par 276 total and a two-stroke victory over Vijay Singh and Graeme McDowell. “You have to work pretty hard for what you get there.”
Last year Bay Hill was the 10th most difficult course on the PGA Tour, with the field averaging 73.243, more than a stroke over par. Andy Bean set the course record of 62 in 1981 and Greg Norman equaled the mark in 1984. Bay Hill is one of just eight Tour layouts that has not seen a course record set or equaled since 2000, and at only two regular stops has the course record endured longer than at Bay Hill.
Accomplished architect Dick Wilson designed the Bay Hill Club in 1961, but the championship layout didn’t find its identity or earn its high reputation until tournament host Arnold Palmer began in 1989 to slowly, surely and smartly bring it up to modern standards and its current par-72 configuration of 7,267 yards. The broad-shouldered golf course features narrow fairways accentuated by humps, bumps and bunkers, and large greens with strong contours. While generally regarded as one of the best driving tests on Tour, the Bay Hill Club, consistently regarded as one of the best resorts in America, demands much more than good tee shots because of its intriguing green complexes with firm and fast surfaces, its dramatic doglegs, and the intelligent integration of water hazards that initiate numerous risk-reward decisions.
Having said that, those who have found success at Bay Hill have usually enjoyed a good week with the driver. “It's a wonderful golf course for a long hitter, if they are driving it well, because of the way it's shaped,” says Tiger Woods, who won four straight Bay Hill Invitational titles beginning in 2000. “The par fives are borderline for most guys. Guys who are long can probably take a go at most of the par fives. Some of the par fours, since they are doglegs, longer hitters can cut the corners and shorten them up quite a bit.”
“It’s hard to play out of the rough here,” says Chad Campbell, who ended Woods’ reign with his impressive six-stroke victory in 2004. “Everything is sort of set up by how well you drive it, and you definitely have a tough time scoring if you’re not in the fairways. That’s probably the biggest key.”
Long tee shots aren’t necessarily an advantage, at least not all the time, according to 1999 winner Tim Herron. “I think you have to shape it both ways. I think the holes really set up nice. You can kind of see them and visualize your shot, and move it around.”
As far as key holes to consider, two par fours, the first and the signature 18th are annually among the toughest holes on the PGA Tour. No. 1 is a dogleg left of 441 yards. The home hole, also 441 from the championship tees, is renowned for its kidney-shaped green that wraps around water. “Nos. 1 and 2, right from the start the golf course is really tough,” says Ernie Els, the 1998 champion. “Then you have Nos. 17, and 18, that tough green, and the rocks there, it’s a good finish.”
Another hole that causes sweaty palms is the 558-yard par-five sixth, a dogleg left that wraps around a lake. John Daly made 18 there in 1998. “You can ruin your round right there,” Els says. “You want to make birdie, but you also don’t want to hit it left. Anything left is like out of bounds. You got to tee it up from the tee again with that water. So that’s a key hole, a very big hole.”
Loren Roberts, who won back-to-back Bay Hill titles in 1994 and 1995, says the holes around the turn, Nos. 7 through 11, can determine the outcome if a contender plays them too loosely. “I think that’s the meat of the golf course,” Roberts says. “You can’t fall asleep because you can start making bogeys one after the other. But that’s pretty much true of the whole golf course. It’s just not a golf course you can attack. You keep it in play and make some putts, and just go about your business. Physically and mentally, it’s a real challenge.”
For tickets to the 2006 Bay Hill Invitational presented by MasterCard, or for more information, log on to the tournament web site, www.bayhillinvitational.com, or call the Bay Hill ticket office at 407-876-7774 or toll free at 1-866-764-4843. Tournament proceeds benefit the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children & Women.
Posted by scurry at 07:04 PM
February 22, 2006
Ernie Els, Fit Again, Readies for Another Bay Hill Invitational Presented by MasterCard
Arnold Palmer’s tournament a highlight in Big Easy’s schedule
Fully recovered from a knee injury that cut short his 2005 season, Ernie Els returns to the Bay Hill Invitational presented by MasterCard eager to resume his winning ways on the PGA Tour and revisit a layout that he enjoys and where he’s had some success. Traditionally drawing one of the strongest fields in the game, the Bay Hill Invitational, which is celebrating its 28th year, is scheduled for March 13-19.
Els, 36, who has a home in Orlando, was involved in a freak boating accident last July while on vacation and suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament to his left knee that required surgery. He did not play on the PGA Tour the remainder of 2005, but did play twice in his native South Africa in December, winning his second start at the
Dunhill Championship on the European Tour.
Returning again to Bay Hill, where he won in 1998, Els hopes to add to his 15 PGA Tour titles at one of his favorite venues. Nicknamed the Big Easy, Els won the storm-interrupted 1998 edition of the Bay Hill Invitational in a 36-hole showdown against Tiger Woods and Davis Love III. He separated himself from the field with a sterling third-round five-under-par 67, and despite a final-round 73, Els’ 274 total was good for a four-stroke victory over Jeff Maggert and Bob Estes.
“It was a great winning it at Bay Hill, because I was just a new resident there in Orlando,” Els recalls. “I had a lot of fans there from Lake Nona. Playing with Davis and Tiger. I think Davis, Tiger, myself, we were top three in the world then and we played 36 holes together there, so that was a really special one.”
It was also special because of Els’ relationship and personal history with the tournament’s host, Arnold Palmer.
“Arnold was so wonderful to me. I played with him in the 1992 PGA, and he told my agent at that time that he was going to invite me to his tournament,” Els recalls. “He wrote me a letter. He invited me out of the blue to come and play at his golf course. He has always been great towards me. He’s always been a friend of mine. I still have that letter, so that’s pretty cool.”
So were the spoils of victory. “I think getting the sword from Arnold, getting the jacket from Arnold, all that was great,” Els says.
Els, the No. 4 player in the Official World Golf Ranking, has won 10 of his 15 PGA Tour titles and 20 of his 42 international trophies after breaking through at Bay Hill. Since 2003 only Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have won more than the five titles Els has won on the PGA Tour. He missed last year’s PGA Championship because of his knee injury, but he hasn’t missed a cut in a major since the 1999 PGA while compiling 11 finishes of fifth or better, including the 2002 Open Championship at Muirfield, Scotland. He also has won two U.S. Open titles, in 1994 and 1997.
Els tied for 23rd last year on the 7,267-yard, par-72 Palmer-enhanced layout that is among the most challenging the game’s top players encounter all season. “It’s a good course, it’s a long hitter’s course, and I feel real comfortable there,” Els says. “The start is really tough, and the finish, 17 and 18 are very strong holes. But if you’re on your game there, you can make some birdies on the par-5s and take advantage of a few other holes. The rest is just play hard and try to make your pars.”
Els says his forced sabbatical was good for him on several levels, and that he’s ready to resume his chase for more victories, especially major championships.
“Obviously, when you have time off like that you can reflect and set goals, and I've had real time for myself and to be away from the circus, you know,” Els says. “I think all this time that I had off was very constructive for myself, my family, for my business, everything around. I have got things in place a lot better than I had them in the past. I've got clear goals again, I’ve got some energy again, and I'm looking forward to playing.”
For tickets to the 2006 Bay Hill Invitational presented by MasterCard, or for more information, log on to the tournament web site, www.bayhillinvitational.com, or call the Bay Hill ticket office at 407-876-7774 or toll free at 1-866-764-4843. Tournament proceeds benefit the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.
Posted by scurry at 03:09 PM
February 14, 2006
Arnold Palmer Looks Forward to Another Bay Hill Invitational presented by MasterCard
Legendary host pleased with course setup, potential field
No longer a competitor in the PGA Tour event he founded 27 years ago, Arnold Palmer nevertheless is eager to host another edition of the Bay Hill Invitational presented by MasterCard. The 76-year-old legend says that although he misses the competition, he has found his tournament an enjoyable enterprise simply by serving as its host.
"I always liked the challenge of playing. When you recognize that it's not fun to play when you aren't doing well, then you move on," Palmer said. "I had to come to that decision. But in other ways I enjoy the tournament as much as ever, and in some ways more so. I enjoy watching the golf, which I couldn't do when I was on the golf course. There are a lot of great players out there and it's fun to see how the course challenges everyone. I enjoy seeing the galleries and a lot of friends."
The 28th Bay Hill Invitational is scheduled for March 13-19 at Palmer's Bay Hill Club in Orlando, Florida. One of the premier stops on the PGA Tour, the Bay Hill Invitational traditionally draws one of the strongest fields among golf tournaments from around the world.
The defending champion is Kenny Perry, who became just the second man over age 40 to win the Bay Hill Invitational, joining Ben Crenshaw. Perry established a three-stroke lead after 54 holes and held on for a two-shot victory over Vijay Singh and Graeme McDowell.
Winner of 62 PGA Tour events, including seven major championships (four Masters, two British Open titles and one U.S. Open), Palmer continues to cut back his active playing schedule to focus on golf course design and other pursuits.
"I don't have many plans for golf this year," Palmer said. "There are people I work for, but I don't know that I will play in the events they sponsor (on the Champions Tour). I am considering it, but that's all. I'll be around. I'll always be around to promote the game; that won't ever change. But at this point I have no plans to play very much at all."
Over the years Palmer has turned the Bay Hill championship course into one of the most demanding on the PGA Tour with its thick rough and humps, mounds and bunkers protecting large, firm greens. In years past he has instituted changes here and there, some subtle and others quite dramatic. The par-72 course again stretches to 7,267-yards.
"We expect the golf course to be absolutely tip top," Palmer says. "There are really no changes from last year. Last year proved to be a good test of golf. The rough will be much the same as last year – not long but very intense, very full. It will put more of a premium on tee shots, which I like to see. The scores reflected the difficulty of the course last year, and the player who won it, Kenny Perry, he played very well to be able to win. It was an exciting finish, right down to the end. That's what you want."
"Everything we can control we like to control and we like to do our very best to put on a great tournament."
For tickets to the 2006 Bay Hill Invitational presented by MasterCard, or for more information, log on to the tournament web site, www.bayhillinvitational.com, or call the Bay Hill ticket office at 407-876-7774 or toll free at 1-866-764-4843. Tournament proceeds benefit the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children & Women.
Posted by scurry at 11:41 AM
February 07, 2006
Mr. Palmer Will Again Host the Best Players in the World
Official World Golf Ranking confirms elite status of the field
The 2006 Bay Hill Invitational presented by MasterCard is well on its way towards one of the strongest fields in world golf, with 20 players from among the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking already committed to PGA Tour event scheduled for the week of March 13-19 at Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club in Orlando, Florida.
With 52 commitments received as of today - there will be a minimum of 120 players in the field - the list already includes defending champion Kenny Perry, ranked No. 11 in the world, and other notables such as Retief Goosen, Ernie Els, and Adam Scott, ranked No. 3, No. 5, and No. 10 in the world, respectively. Current U. S. Open champion Michael Campbell, ranked No. 13 in the world, has also committed.
Others already in the field are David Howell (No. 14), Darren Clarke (No. 20), Stuart Appleby (No. 24), Jose Maria Olazabal (No. 25), Nick O'Hern (No. 27), Bart Bryant (No. 28), Stewart Cink (No. 31), K. J. Choi (No. 36), Sean O'Hair (No. 39), Mark Hensby (No. 40), Mike Weir (No. 42), Fred Funk (No. 43), Rod Pampling (No. 45), Lee Westwood (No. 46) and Peter Lonard (No. 50).
The Bay Hill Invitational presented by MasterCard traditionally has one of the strongest fields of the year. In 2005, Bay Hill's field was the world's ninth strongest behind only the four major championships, The Players Championship, and the three World Golf Championship events. Thirty-four of the world's top 50 were at Bay Hill last year, a group which included four of the top five, nine of the top 15, and 20 of the top 30 players.
For tickets to the Bay Hill Invitational presented by MasterCard, or for more information, log on to the tournament web site, www.bayhillinvitational.com, or call the Bay Hill ticket office at 407-876-7774 or toll free at 1-866-764-4843. Tournament proceeds benefit the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.
Posted by scurry at 12:43 PM
January 11, 2006
Bay Hill Invitational Presented by MasterCard Supports Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children
With Arnold Palmer Hospital's national reputation for medical excellence, it is difficult to remember that just a few years ago, children and women in Central Florida who needed highly specialized medical care had no alternative than to travel to other cities for treatment. This began to change in the mid-1980s when a small group of physicians, community leaders, and Orlando Regional Healthcare came together with a vision for a world-class children's hospital.
They began their project by inviting Arnold and Winnie Palmer, known for their love of children, to tour to children's wing at Orlando Regional Medical Center. Arnold Palmer agreed to share his name with the new children's hospital - with the challenge that everyone involved strive to make it the best. The Palmers also began their significant financial support, however this was only the beginning of their involvement.
On September 10, 1989, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children & Women opened, and in 16 years it has earned a reputation as one of the leading hospitals of its kind in the Southeast and the nation. It is a special place, offering an uncommonly personal environment that nurtures the mind, body and spirit as an integral part of the healing process.
Throughout the years, the Palmers created a legacy - not only in their personal giving but also in continued advocacy, championing the hospital and its mission as well as giving their time and energies. Arnold and Winnie Palmer spoke at community events and named Arnold Palmer Hospital as the principal charitable beneficiary of the Bay Hill Invitational presented by MasterCard. The Bay Hill Club also supports the hospital by hosting the yearly fundraiser known as Champions for Children, held in October.
Winnie Palmer also volunteered as honorary chairman of Kids Are the Responsibility of Everyone (K.A.R.E.), led tours, established an annual Halloween parade for the young patients, and served on the Foundation's board of directors until her death in 1999. In recent years Arnold Palmer has created the National Advisory Council, comprised of friends, family, and business acquaintances, to promote and support Arnold Palmer Hospital.
The Palmer legacy invites others in to love the children, volunteer alongside staff, give generously, and remain as dedicated to the mission as those that first held its vision. The dream of bringing world-class healthcare to our community for babies, children and women, born just twenty years ago, is thriving as others, just as passionate and committed, continue the legacy of excellence, caring and selfless giving that Arnold and Winnie Palmer have so generously shared with the community.
The 2006 Bay Hill Invitational presented by MasterCard is scheduled for the week of March 13-19, featuring defending champion Kenny Perry and many others from among the world's highest-ranking golfers. For further information, log on to the tournament web site, www.bayhillinvitational.com, or call the Bay Hill ticket office at 407-876-7774, toll free at 1-866-764-4843. Tournament proceeds benefit the Arnold Palmer Hospital
Posted by scurry at 11:06 AM
December 01, 2005
Palmer, Grandson in Action Again
Arnold Palmer is making his final competitive appearance of 2005 this week, teaming up again with his 18-year-old grandson, Sam Saunders, in the WorldPoints Father/Son Challenge. The 11th renewal of the event, sponsored this year by MBNA at the ChampionsGate Golf Resort near Orlando, Florida, features four days of play with pro-amateurs on Thursday, December 1, and Friday, December 2. The tournament proper, with its scramble follows on Saturday and Sunday, December 3-4, and is being televised on NBC -- from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. EDT Saturday and from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. EDT Sunday. Larry and Drew Nelson are the defending champions. Raymond Floyd won the tournament five times, three with Raymond Jr. and two with Robert. Jack Nicklaus, Bob Charles, Craig Stadler and Hale Irwin and sons are the other former champions.
Posted by dgiffin at 02:59 PM
November 22, 2005
New Arnie's Army Screensaver Available for Download
This classic motion screensaver includes the new Arnie's Army logo, current date and is of course signed by Arnold Palmer. This screensaver is available at no cost to registered Arnie's Army members. Not a member? Register now and download it for free. The screensaver works on both Mac OS X and Windows 98/NT/2000/XP.
Posted by scurry at 02:37 PM
September 21, 2005
Arnold Co-Hosts Top Shelf Wednesdays with Vince Cellini from Latrobe Country Club
Arnold Palmer Co-Hosts Top Shelf Wednesdays with Vince Cellini from Latrobe Country Club. Arnold takes us through some of his favorite and historic spots at the Country Club he and his father helped build. From the carved statue (out of a pine tree) of his father Deacon off the 18th fairway, to the land he promised his late wife Winnie he would never develop, to the exact spot of the house in which he grew up. The emotion Arnold displays as he describes these places and the memories that cover 76 years are not to be missed! Arnold even brings out the famous Pennzoil tractor that is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Watch The King and his Jester (Vince) all night long starting at 7:30 pm Eastern!
Program Lineup:
- 7:30 PM/ET - 2003 Presidents Cup H/L
- 8:40 PM/ET - The Big Break IV: All Access-Ye Olde Golfe Channel
- 9:50 PM/ET - Grey Goose 19th Hole
- 10:30 PM/ET - The Big Break IV: USA vs. Europe
Starts Wednesday at 7:30 PM/ET!
Posted by scurry at 05:00 PM
September 14, 2005
Bay Hill Invitational Presented by MasterCard Makes $25K Donation to Hurricane Relief Fund
Tournament host Arnold Palmer announced today that the Bay Hill Invitational presented by MasterCard will make a $25,000 donation to assist the victims of the recent Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf Coast.
The contribution from Palmer’s PGA Tour event at the Bay Hill Club in Orlando, Florida, will be directed to the U. S. Golf Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund, which is a combined effort by the PGA Tour, PGA of America, United States Golf Association, Augusta National Golf Club, Golf Course Superintendents Association, and LPGA.
“Our thoughts and prayers recently have been with the people of Louisiana and Mississippi who have suffered so much because of Hurricane Katrina,” Palmer said. “We are extending our charitable contributions this year and joining with the other golf organizations to lend our support.”
The principal charitable beneficiary of the Bay Hill Invitational presented by MasterCard is the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children & Women. The 28th annual tournament at the Bay Hill Club is scheduled for the week of March 13-19, 2006, featuring defending champion Kenny Perry and many others among the world’s highest-ranking golfers.
Media contact:
Bev Norwood
bnorwood@arnoldpalmer.com
216-436-3409
Posted by scurry at 10:20 AM