This Day in Golf History: January 31
On this date in 1957, Arnold Palmer began play in the Phoenix Open at Arizona Country Club, just as the PGA Tour visits Scottsdale for the Phoenix stop next week. Palmer shot a 66 in the first round to share the lead with Billy Maxwell. Palmer didn’t break 70 the next three rounds, and tied Maxwell and two others for fifth at 277. Billy Casper won with 271. And on this date in 2015, New Zealand’s Lydia Ko became the youngest male or female golfer to be ranked No. 1 in the world at age 17.