Arnold Palmer

By crohr47
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    Biography of Arnold Palmer

  • Birth

    On this date Arnold Palmer, a golf legend, was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

  • St. Paul Oper

    Palmer finishes third at the St. Paul Open at the Keller C.C.; earns $1,300

  • First Tournament Win

    Palmer wins his first professional tournament on American soil, the Insurance City Open, at the Wethersfield C.C., Hartford, Connecticut. Earns $4,000 first place paycheck.

  • Masters

    Arnold Palmer wins his first masters

  • All-around greatness

    Professional Golfer magazine describes Palmer, 29, as “the perfect tournament player. An excellent all-around game, an ideal temperament and a naturally friendly, crowd-pleasing personality are the trademarks of the new Masters Champion.”

  • Reaction

    Palmer is asked if he’s ever fretful about the outcome of an unlikely shot: “When I take a shot that seems bold, it never occurs to me that I might miss it. And when I do, I’m surprised as hell. I just can’t believe it.”

  • Third place

    Palmer fails to defend his Masters title, finishes 3rd and earns $4,500.

  • Oklahomo City Open

    Palmer wins the Oklahoma City Open at the Twin Hills G.&C.C. His won $3,500.

  • American Golf Classic

    Palmer wins the American Golf Classic at Firestone C.C.; earns $9,000

  • Nail biter

    In a nail biter 18-hole playoff to decide the Western Open at Beverly Country Club, Palmer pars the last hole to beat Boros by one, and Nicklaus by two. Earns $11,000.

  • T-shirts

    Golf Digest runs advertisements for “The Authentic Arnold Palmer Shirt.” All men’s sizes, $5 each, plus 35-cents for postage.

  • Golf's Favorite

    Golf Digest picks Palmer as the 4-to-1 favorite to be the first man to win four Masters championships.

  • HOLE IN ONE

    Palmer, 35, records his fifth hole-in-one in during the 1965 Pensacola Open with a 7 iron on the 11th hole at the Pensacola Country Club.

  • PGA

    Palmer writes in Golf Magazine that the PGA should cap the number of official tournaments at 30

  • Plane ride anyone?

    Palmer flies his new $750,000 Jet Commander to New York to receive the Gold Tee Award at the Metropolitan Golf Writer’s Association dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria.

  • Third anniversary

    Palmer and Dean Martin host the third annual All-American Collegiate Golf Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York.

  • 2 hole playoff

    Palmer beats Deane Beman in a two-hole playoff to win the Bob Hope Desert Classic and $20,000.

  • Sales

    A series of Bolens Husky riding mowers featuring Arnold Palmer with Latrobe C.C. in the background begin spurring sales around the country.

  • 1 million dollars!!!

    Palmer wins the inaugural 1968 Kemper Open at Pleasant Valley C.C. in Massachusetts. The $30,000 first place prize makes him the first golfer in history to earn more than $1 million in career prize money.

  • D.C. bound

    Palmer is in Washington D.C. to attend the National Press Club’s Sports Night with other athletic luminaries such as Bart Starr and Al Kaline.