Doc Giffin

As far back as 1962, the Masters was drawing frenzied crowds at Augusta National. It was in that throng of spirited onlookers that Arnold Palmer first spotted Donald "Doc" Giffin. Doc had just left his job as a sportswriter at the Pittsburgh Press to join the PGA Tour as its press secretary. On Mondays, he battled the galleries as they rushed hole to hole to gain a better vantage point. Doc's job was phoning in the action on the course to the crowded pressroom, where eager wire-service reporters had to meet deadlines.

Four years later, after admiring Doc's uncanny organizational skills and endless hustle from afar, Arnie spotted him at the Florida Citrus Open (since renamed the Bay Hill Invitational). This time, however, he didn't let him get away. After finishing a sandwich in the grillroom at Rio Pinar Country Club, Arnie called Doc over. He explained that the demands of work and family life were rapidly expanding. While Mark McCormack and his various people were capably managing his business dealings - his personal affairs on the road and back home in Latrobe had almost become too much for him and his wife Winnie to handle. What he really needed was a traveling secretary and somebody to run his home office. Arnie told Doc he was the man he wanted. A short while later following the PGA Championship at Firestone, Doc joined Arnold Palmer Enterprises. Says Arnie, "As far back as I can remember, Doc has been a loyal worker and a friend. I count that as one of the wisest choices I ever made."

Today, Doc has his own secretaries and support staff. In addition to overseeing requests for autographs and charity-auction items, he directs business inquiries to the right party in the Palmer corporate empire, processes media requests and even ghostwrites articles and speeches for Arnie. A Pennsylvania native, Doc resides in Latrobe with his wife Bernadette "Bunny" Horwat Giffin. Doc has been a central part of Arnie's life for nearly 40 years and will continue to be for years to come.