This Day in Golf History: May 29

The riches tour pros reap can somewhat be traced to today’s event. On this date 68 years ago, Arnold Palmer earned his first official money on the PGA circuit. Prior to the Fort Wayne Invitational, Palmer had played 10  tour-run events in 1955, having turned pro at the end of 1954. He  finished "out of the money" in five, missed the cut in one and had to  pass on $1,144.86 he would have gone home with in the other four. The PGA forced new members to go through a six-month apprenticeship before they could accept money. Seems very backward today. (He  was allowed to take home the $695.83 he earned for a T-10 finish at the  Masters in April 1955 because it was not run by the tour.) Three months  later in August, Palmer won the Canadian Open for his first tour title and a top prize of $2,400. The $145 Palmer won for tying for 25th at Fort Wayne on May 29, 1955, was the start of Palmer's launch into  making golf in general -- and the tour specifically -- financially  lucrative. His star power helped the tour grow in popularity, which  in turn increased prize money substantially. The huge tour purses he helped grow came much  after Palmer was capable of winning on tour, but the money he was able  to keep at the Fort Wayne Invitational 64 years ago must have felt like a  fortune at the time, which is what he turned it into.