On this date in 1932, Joe Kirkwood, a famed world golf traveler and trick-shot expert from Australia, is credited with shooting an 83 using only his putter at an 18-hole course in Bellair, Florida. The stunt was part of an exhibition with Babe Ruth and Kirkwood’s feat beat the 84 Ruth scored with a full set. Also, on this date, it's birthday No. 68 for the Wee Welshman, Ian Woosnam. The 1991 Masters winner is an inductee into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
It is traditionally reported that on this date in 1938, the Federal Trade Commission prohibited the PGA of America and eight manufacturers from price fixing in the golf ball industry. And on this date in 1922, standout lifelong amateur Ed Updegraff was born in Boone, Iowa, Updegraff, a urologist by trade, did not win the U.S. Amateur, but he won several prominent events such as the Western Amateur twice and the U.S. Senior Amateur in 1981. A member of the Iowa and Arizona state golf halls of fame, his greatest honor was receiving the Bob Jones Award in 1999. He tied for 44th in the 1966 Masters.
With the Cognizant Classic being played this weekend at PGA National, on this date in 1971 Jack Nicklaus won the PGA Championship at PGA National, leading wire-to-wire to beat Billy Casper by two shots. With the victory, Nicklaus completed his second career grand slam. Nicklaus won despite shooting a 73 in the final round. The PGA was played in February because of the locale: PGA National Golf Club (not the PGA National known today, but a course now called BallenIsles) in Palm Beach Gardens. Officials wanted to avoid the heat and humidity of August and played it in more comfortable February.
Gene Sarazen, was born on this date in 1902 in Harrison, New York. One of just six winners of all four majors in a career, Sarazen was born less than a month before Bobby Jones. Sarazen, known as the Squire, and the first player to win the career Grand Slam, lived into the Tiger Woods years and died on May 13, 1999, age 97. Also, in 1958, Arnold Palmer shot a first-round 67 at Baton Rouge and would finish T-2.. And in 1969, Arnie shot a first-round 68 at Doral and ended 72 holes tied for 10th.
Today's date in 1957 is traditionally thought of as when the Masters announced it would institute a 36-hole cut with that year's tournament. From 1957 to 1961, it was low 40 and ties. From 1962-2012 it was low 44 and ties and any player within 10 shots of the leader. In 2013 it changed to low 50 and ties and any player within 10 shots of the lead. And the event wasn’t golf per se, but on this date in 1956, Margaret (Peggy) Palmer was born to mom and dad Palmer, Winnie and Arnold. They had two daughters, the second, named Amy, was born on August 8, 1958.
Golf in Texas this time of year wouldn't seem the ideal place to hold a PGA Tour event, but on this date in 1957, Arnold Palmer shot a final-round 69 at Memorial Park to win his fourth PGA Tour victory, taking first at the Houston Open. Football icon Bear Bryant was among those watching during the week as Palmer shot rounds of 67-72-71-69—279, earning the richest prize on the winter tour, $7,500. After getting his check, Arnie said, “As of today I have invested [the money] in a house.” The tour that year left Arizona on February 10, played the Texas Open February 14-17 and went to Houston.
On this date in 1961, Arnold Palmer shot a first-round 65 to take control of the Baton Rouge Open, leading to a victory after scores of 65-67-68-66—266, earning $2,800. Also, Iowa City native Zach Johnson, who was the U.S. Ryder Cup captain in a losing effort in 2023 in Rome, was born on this date in 1976. The two-time major winner is a grinder and has 12 PGA Tour victories including the 2007 Masters and the 2015 Open Championship at the home of golf, The Old Course at St. Andrews.
Steve Stricker was born on this date in 1967 in Edgerton, Wisconsin. The low-key Stricker won 12 times on the PGA Tour and is a seven-time Champions Tour winner, including two majors in 2019, one of them the U.S. Senior Open. He was the winning 2021 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain and is recognized as one of the greatest short-game and putting experts.
Three major championship winners were born on this date. In 1937 Tommy Aaron (1973 Masters) was born in Gainesville, Georgia. Five-time major winner Amy Alcott was born in Kansas City in 1956, and in 1963, three-time major champ Vijay Singh was born in Fiji. And a notorious murder took place on this date in 1831, and a famous golf course got its name from the murder victim. Dutchman Baltus Roll, 61, was murdered on his farm, in his farmhouse on Watchung Mountain, in the area of Springfield, New Jersey. Roll was murdered at night by two would-be robbers who thought he had gold coins in the house--which he did not. Over time, Roll's name remained in local lore, and was adapted when Baltusrol Golf Club came into existence on Baltus Roll's farmland.
On this date in 1960, Arnold Palmer’s breakout year as a major star, he finished tied for fifth at the Tucson Open after shooting rounds of 65-74-69-68—276, good for $872.86. Also for Palmer, Arnold started the Houston Classic off in Round 1 on this date in 1957 with a 67, giving him control of the tournament and he went on to win and take home top prize of $7,500.
On this date in 1955, Arnold Palmer, playing his inaugural season on the PGA Tour, finished playing in the Texas Open for the first time. He had scores of 69-70-64-67—270 to tie for sixth. However, because he was serving a six-month apprenticeship, he wasn’t allowed to collect approximately $460 in prize money. Also, one of the key outsiders who has made an impact on golf majors was born on this date 87 years ago. Herb Kohler, the leader of the bathroom-fixture company, Kohler, was the force behind Blackwolf Run and Whistling Straits, Wisconsin courses that have been the sites of a few major championships, including the PGA, U.S. Senior Open and Women's Open. Kohler also had ownership of the Old Course Hotel in St. Andrews, Scotland. He died in September 2022.
The PGA Tour no longer has Tucson as a stop during the beginning of the calendar schedule, but it was a notable locale before the tour would head to Florida. On this date in 1967, Arnold Palmer won the Tucson Open even though he had a poor final round. His 73 was still good enough to win, thanks to a 66-67-67 start at Tucson National. He led by four with a round to go and barely hung on, winning by one over Chuck Courtney; they both drove into the lake on 18, Palmer making a double bogey and Courtney a triple.
On this date in 1962, Arnold Palmer defeated Sam Snead back to back on February 17/18 in Florida exhibitions. Also, LPGA star and all-time great TV analyst Judy Rankin was born on this date in 1945 in St Louis, Missouri, making her 81. The World Golf Hall of Fame member was a 26-time LPGA Tour winner but became more well-known to today's golf fans for her splendid TV golf commentary.
Before the 58 and 59s shot on the PGA Tour, there were several 60s. One was shot on this date at the Texas Open in 1955 when Mike Souchak had the first-round lead at Brackenridge Park in San Antonio. His 60 tied the then all-time record for 18 holes set in 1951 by Al Brosch in the Texas Open, then tied in 1952 by Bill Nary at El Paso, Tex.; by Ted Kroll in the 1954 Texas Open, and by Tommy Bolt at Hartford, Conn., in 1954. Souchak also had a back-nine score of 27, which broke the previous nine-hole score of 28. And in 1961, Paul Runyan shot a second-round 70 at PGA National in Dunedin, Florida, en route to a victory worth $1,500 in the 22nd Senior PGA Championship.
On this date in 1986, Gary Player won the Senior PGA Championship at PGA National with a score of 281, two ahead of Lee Elder. Also, Marlene Bauer Hagge, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, was born on this date in 1934. She won 26 LPGA events, including the 1956 LPGA Championship. She and sister, Alice, were golf prodigies who appeared on the cover of Golf Digest in the '50s en route to pro careers as founders of the LPGA.
It’s been 7 years already since Gene (The Machine) Littler died on this date at age 88. Born a year after Arnold Palmer, Littler, from San Diego, got a head start on a hall of fame career over Arnie when Palmer spent three years in the Coast Guard. Littler won the 1954 San Diego Open as an amateur. His lone professional major was the 1961 U.S. Open, the year after Arnold won his only U.S. Open. Also, every so often, Chi Chi Rodriguez would show how well he could play as well as entertain. On this date in 1987, he rebounded from a third-round 76 and shot a five-under-par 67 to overtake a faltering Dale Douglass and win the 48th Senior PGA Championship at PGA National's Champion Course.
Mary Kathryn (Mickey) Wright, the greatest woman golfer of all time, was born on this date in San Diego in 1935. A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, she won four U.S. Women’s Opens and 82 LPGA Tour titles. Referred to by many, including Ben Hogan, as having the finest swing, man or woman, the San Diego native won 13 majors. She died in 2020.
On this date in 1969, Arnold Palmer joined Packers QB Bart Starr and Detroit outfielder Al Kaline, at President Nixon’s invite, to the Oval Office as part of the National Press Club’s sports program. In 1972, Arnie shot a final-round 69 at the Hope Desert Cl. to finish 6th. Also, the great Patty Berg was born on this date in 1918 in the great golf hotbed of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The World Golf Hall of Fame player won 15 major titles but was also an excellent ambassador for the game. In her teaching exhibitions she had a great catchphrase at the clinic, which I first saw in the 1980s at Bloomington Country Club in Illinois; she always reminded attendees to "swing to the finish," which she would then do in a flourish with a flamboyant follow-through. Growing up, Berg played football in her neighborhood.
The modern Big Three of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player finished 1-2-3 three times on the PGA Tour. The first was on this date in 1963 at the Phoenix Open at Arizona Country Club, where the finish was twice delayed by near hurricane-force winds and rain. The order was oldest to youngest: Palmer was first with scores of 68-67-68-70—273, a 15-under total, and $5,300 prize money. Player finished one stroke back, and Nicklaus was third at 275. On this date in 1989, the 50th Senior PGA Championship finished at PGA National Golf Club, with late-bloomer Larry Mowry winning by one shot over Miller Barber and Al Geiberger.
With the Phoenix tour stop over this past Sunday, and Pebble Beach this weekend, on this date in 1962, Arnold Palmer won the Phoenix Open after some of the best scoring of his career. He had rounds of 64-68-71-66 for 269, winning by 12 shots at Phoenix Country Club. Also, one of the more obscure pioneering women golfers was born on this date in 1911. Helen Hicks, who won the 1937 Western and 1940 Titleholders, was born in Cedarhurst, New York.