On this date in 1967, Arnold Palmer shot a 64 at Rancho Municipal, one of his best scores ever, in the second round of the Los Angles Open. He shot 67 and 68 the next two rounds to win and collect the $20,000 first-place prize money. Also, two of the PGA Tour’s journeymen-type pros were born on this date. In 1939 Mike Hill, winner of three titles on the regular tour and 18 on the senior tour, was born in Jackson, Michigan. Hill died on August 4 last year. He was the younger brother of more accomplished Dave Hill. Also, in 1964, Woody Austin, four-time tour winner and runner-up at the 2007 PGA, was born in Tampa, Florida.
On this date in 2005, Arnold Palmer married, at age 75, his longtime girlfriend Kathleen (Kit) Gawthrop in a private ceremony in Hawaii on the beach at Turtle Bay Resort. Also, three-time Open Championship winner Sir Henry Cotton was born on this date in 1907. The English great was a jack of all trades; he was an author, commentator, course designer and teacher.
With the PGA Tour on the West Coast, it’s appropriate to observe that on this day in 1959, Arnold Palmer won the Thunderbird Invitational after rounds of 67-70-67-62—266 at Thunderbird Country Club (71, 6,680) in Palm Springs, California. The Thunderbird was a predecessor to The American Express event being completed this day. In 1959, first place was worth just $1,500. It was Arnold’s 11th PGA Tour victory. Also, on this date in 1997, we hearken back to Tiger Woods’ youthful burst into stardom when he made a hole-in-one in grand style in front of the boisterous 16th-hole crowd in Round 3 of the Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale.
On this date in 1989, Canadian great George Knudson died of lung cancer at age 51. Knudson won eight times on the PGA Tour and was highly regarded for his swing technique with a compact swing over an active lower body. The closest he came to a major victory was as runner-up in the 1969 Masters to George Archer. Also, on this date in 1999, David Duval joined Al Geiberger and Chip Beck, at the time, as the only shooters of a 59 in PGA Tour history. He did it on PGA West’s Palmer Private Course in the final round on his way to winning the Bob Hope tournament.
LPGA golfer Yani Tseng was born on this date in 1989 in Taiwan. She won five majors in 2008 to 2011, and 27 tour titles by March 2012, but she hasn’t won since and continues to search for the magic that made her World No. 1 for more than 100 weeks. On this date in 2011, the first player from Venezuela, Jhonattan Vegas, to win on the PGA Tour won the Bob Hope Classic. On this date in 1961, Arnold Palmer received the Hickok Belt in Rochester, N.Y., for being named the Pro Athlete of the Year.
The 45th Senior PGA Championship ended on this date in 1984 at PGA National G.C. The oldest senior major was played in January, not in December, to avoid a scheduling conflict. Arnold Palmer won a second Senior PGA, with one of the most unusual set of four rounds for a regular or senior event. His middle rounds had a 16-stroke variance: 63 to 79. The good news was, the 63 had helped him lead by eight (the largest 36-hole lead in 1984 on the senior tour) and the 79 was shot on a blustery day with temperatures in the 40s and the majority of the players scored high. The weather was gusty for the final round, too, but Palmer steadied himself to win by two over Don January. The 63 would be his career low round in his senior tour career. On this date in 1995, Phil Mickelson won the Tucson Open, thus becoming the first player to win the same tour event while an amateur and a professional.
Jack Nicklaus, the greatest golfer of all time, was born on this date in 1940 in Columbus, Ohio. At 86, the Golden Bear is still involved in many business interests and in his vast family activities as well as commenting on the state of the game when warranted. Also, in 1956, Jack’s friend but longtime rival on the course, Arnold Palmer, won the Columbia Open on this date.
The 1957 PGA Championship winner, Lionel Hebert, was born on this date in 1928 in Lafayette, Louisiana. His older brother, Jay, won the PGA in 1960. Also, the 1939 Titleholders Championship of Women's Golf ended on this date at Augusta Country Club with Minnesota’s Patty Berg winning for the third straight time, two shots up on Dorothy Kirby. And on this date in 1963, Arnold Palmer had a rare disqualification at the Crosby Nat’l Pro-Am for a Round-3 offense.
On this date in 1991, British golfer Tommy Fleetwood was born in Southport, England. Fleetwood has been coming into his own; his top major finish was runner-up at the 2018 U.S. Open, but he ended the 2025 season with a win at the Tour Championship, his first win on the PGA Tour, which secured the overall 2025 FedEx Cup. He also won the silver medal at the 2024 Olympic Games. And Ohioan John Cook had to use magic to get a victory on this date in 1992. He holed out twice in a five-way playoff to win the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, winning over Rick Fehr, Tom Kite, Mark O’Meara and Gene Sauers, who were all tied at 336.
On this date in 1959, Arnold Palmer closed out the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am with a 73 to tie for eighth. He had a pattern of hot-cold-hot-cold for four rounds: 69-77-67-73—286. That was not good enough to be in the battle with winner Art Wall (winning score 279), Arnold’s fellow Pennsylvanian and longtime rival. And on this date in 1997, comedian and film star Bob Hope was presented the PGA Tour’s Humanitarian Award during the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic week. His celebrity pro-am had begun in 1960.
A couple of firsts occurred on this date. In 1937, Patty Berg won the inaugural LPGA Titleholders Championship at Augusta Country Club by three shots, and in 1916, department store captain of industry Rodman Wanamaker organized a luncheon meeting at the Martinique Hotel in New York City to discuss the formation of what became the PGA of America. In attendance was an association of golf professionals Also, in 1968, Arnold Palmer shot a 68 to win the Kaiser International individual pro-am. And in 1995, Palmer and fellow Golf Channel co-founder Joe Gibbs saw the channel launch with the first Golf Central segment.
On this date in 1955, Arnold Palmer finished tied for 2nd at the Panama Open. And in 1967, Palmer defeated Billy Casper 70 to 72 in an exhibition at the Presidio G.Club in San Francisco. Also, American pro golfer Jimmy Walker was born on this date in 1979 in Oklahoma City. The 2016 PGA Championship winner at Baltusrol, the six-time tour winner is off from his best game but is always shooting for the stars. He is an astronomy buff and has a hobby of photographing the cosmos as an astrophotography enthusiast and posts his images for Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) as well as on his own website, Jimmy Walker Astroimaging. He has been trying to get back to being a major contender after dealing with lyme disease sickness during most of 2017.
On this date in 1956, Arnold Palmer won the Panama Open in a six-hole playoff, tied for longest playoff pro victory with the 1957 Rubber City Open. Palmer also won a playoff at the San Diego Open on this date in 1961. Also, one of golf history’s most surprising major winners, Y.E. Yang (Yang Yong-eun) of South Korea, was born on this date in 1972. He overcame the pressure of Tiger Woods breathing down his neck to win the 2009 PGA at Hazeltine. And prior to the PGA Senior Championship settling into its now familiar summer date, it was held in January for several years. It finished on this date in consecutive years, 1948 and 1949, won by Charles McKenna and Marshall Crichton, respectively.
On this date in 1949, Ben Hogan played the first round of the Bing Crosby Pro-Am at Cypress Point. Two days later, after playing Monterey Peninsula C.C. and Pebble Beach G. Links, he was the winner, the only time he won Bing’s tournament. Also, one of the PGA Tour’s most notable journeymen golfers in its history was born on this date in 1941 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Although Gibby Gilbert won three times on tour, his frumpy, everyman appearance, common Amana hat and nickname (real name is C.L. Gilbert Jr., just initials), was a high-handicapper’s delight. Plus, Gilbert always seemed to be lingering in contention. His most notable major was finishing second in the 1980 Masters behind Seve Ballesteros.
By 1983, Arnold Palmer was closing in on 30 years on the PGA Tour and was 10 years past his final victory. On this date in '83, he shot what would be his best round of the year, a 66, in the first round of the Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open. He shot 69-68-72 the next three rounds for a 275 total and a tie for 10th. World Golf Hall of Famer Mark O’Meara was born on this date in 1957 in Goldsboro, North Carolina. O’Meara had a special year in 1998 when he won both the Masters and Open Championship. He also won the 1979 U.S. Amateur.
On this date in 1997, Tiger Woods won the Mercedes Championships, his third PGA Tour victory, in a playoff with Tom Lehman. And this date in 1969 marked a big achievement for Charlie Sifford. The pioneering African-American golfer won the Los Angeles Open to go with the 1967 Greater Hartford Open as his two PGA Tour victories. He also won the Long Beach Open, but it was not tour-sanctioned. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004 for his lifetime achievement as a player and fighter for civil rights and equal treatment.
Arnold Palmer was golf's first millionaire, but on this date in 1970, Billy Casper became the second, just edging out Jack Nicklaus. The great Casper, then 38, defeated Hale Irwin in a one-hole playoff at Rancho Park, making a 5-foot birdie putt on the 10th hole at the L.A. Open. Irwin, 24, was trying to win for the first time and led by one with No. 18 to play. But his second shot hit a tree and he made bogey to fall into a tie. Casper started 1970 with $981,938 in 14 years on tour and won $20,000 for first place to go past a million. Also, one of the greatest putters of all-time, Ben Crenshaw, was born on this date in 1952 in Austin, Texas. Crenshaw won the Masters in 1984 and 1995 and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
He’s not well-known today among golf fans but Walter Travis was born on this date in 1862 in Australia. He was a jack of all trades, but his playing accomplishments included winning the 1904 British Amateur and the 1900, 1901 and 1903 U.S. Amateur. He was also a writer and course designer. On this date in 1967, Arnold Palmer was the guest of honor at a Cherry Hills C.C. testimonial dinner, at which he was made a lifetime member primarily because of winning the 1960 U.S. Open at the club.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 46 years since the Spanish boy wonder, Sergio Garcia, was born on this date in Borriol, Castellón, in 1980. At one time seen as a surefire major winner of numerous titles, it took until 2017 for Garcia to break through and win a major at the Masters. Also on this date in 1966, Arnold Palmer won the Los Angeles Open.
On this date in 1962, Jack Nicklaus won his first money as a professional on tour. The Los Angeles Open finished at Rancho Municipal, with Nicklaus in a tie for 50th, earning $33.33, on rounds totaling 289. The winner was Phil Rodgers with 268. Arnold Palmer had 283 for T-18. Whenever Nicklaus would comment in the following years about this first PGA event, he would joke he always wondered where the extra penny went. Because he was one of three players at 50th, with Billy Maxwell and Don Massengale, and they had to share $100 among them, one person got an extra penny. Nicklaus and Massengale each got $33.33; the $33.34 went to Maxwell. Also, on this date in 1966, Arnold Palmer shot a third-round 62 at the L.A. Open, his lowest ever tour round.