World Golf Hall of Famer Lanny Wadkins was born on this date in 1949. Wadkins, who won the 1977 PGA, retired from competition to do analyst commentary for Golf Channel.
On this date in 1988, Amy Benz and John Huston won the JCPenney Golf Classic at Bardmoor Golf Club in Largo, Florida. They shot 21 under par to beat Martha Nause and Larry Mize by two shots.
On this date in 1972, Jack Nicklaus won the Walt Disney World Open at Lake Buena Vista, Florida, the final tour event of the season. The $30,000 first-place money made him the first PGA Tour player to earn $300,000 for a season. Nicklaus, 32, was in his 11th year. He shot 68-68-67-6—267 and finished the year with $320,542.26.
On this date in 1937, Jock Hutchison won the inaugural Senior PGA Championship held at the nearly new Augusta National Golf Club. Hutchison won by eight shots over George Gordon.
On this date in 1973, Jack Nicklaus finished at 13-under-par 275 to win by one stroke over Mason Rudolph at the Walt Disney World Open. The $30,000 first-place money made him the first tour player to earn more than $2 million in PGA Tour career earnings. Arnold Palmer had been the first to win $1 million career money.
On this date in 1969, Arnold Palmer won the first Heritage Golf Classic, with four rounds of 68-71-70-74—283, and a first-place prize of $20,000. He won by three shots. The Heritage has long since been played in the spring, but it first was held in the fall.
Payne Stewart won the 1992 Skins Game on this date with $220,000. He beat Greg Norman, Fred Couples and Tom Kite at Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Desert, California.
On this date in 1993, the Skins Game concluded at Bighorn Golf club in Palm Desert, California. The match had been billed as The King versus The Kids. Payne Stewart was a two-time defending champion trying for a three-peat when he squared off with Fred Couples, Paul Azinger and Arnold Palmer, who was making his first appearance since 1987 as a sub for John Daly. Daly had been suspended by the PGA Tour following his disqualification the week before at the Kapalua International in Hawaii. At 64, it was asking a lot of Palmer to get his share of skins against a solid youthful trio, and, unfortunately, that’s how it played out. Payne Stewart won the event when he made a birdie for three skins at the 16th that put him out of reach. Payne Stewart 9 skins, $280,000; Fred Couples 9 skins, $260,000; Paul Azinger 0 skins, $0, Arnold Palmer, 0 skins, $0.
On this date in 1942, Ben Hogan was named the winner of the Vardon Trophy for the third straight time; he finished ahead of his fellow triumvirate players, Byron Nelson and Sam Snead.
This date in 1920 is credited as the day the U.S. Golf Association officially formed its Green Section, the division in the USGA that handles its policy on greenkeeping and course care regarding turfgrass.
On this date in 1973, the ABC Cup ended in Osaka, Japan. It was a match between U.S. and Japanese tour professionals. One of the main combatants was Arnold Palmer, who finished third with rounds of 75-72-74—221, worth $4,326.
In 1960 on this date, Arnold Palmer shot a 68 in the first round of the Mobile Sertoma Open. He would follow that with 67-74-65 to win the tournament and $2,000.
On this date in November 2003, the UBS Warburg Cup ended, with the United States and the Rest of the World teams finishing tied with 12 points. The U.S., however, retained the cup as the previous winner. The event had a Ryder Cup feel for senior players; Arnold Palmer captained the U.S., and the ROW team was led by Tony Jacklin.
The 1936 PGA Championship ended on this date with Denny Shute winning his first of two consecutive PGAs. He defeated long-hitting Jimmy Thomson, 3 and 2, at Pinehurst Country Club. Being outdriven by as much as 60 yards, Shute used his guile with a superb short game and irons to take down Thomson.
On this date in 2004, the UBS Warburg Cup ended, with the U.S. defeating the Rest of the World, 14-10. U.S. captain Arnold Palmer lost his match to Gary Player, ROW captain, 6 and 5, on the final day.
Golf great Bobby Locke, a four-time Open Championship winner, was born on this date in Germiston, South Africa, in 1917. Full name Arthur D’Arcy, Locke went down in history as one of the greatest putters ever, with a style that curved the ball into the cup.
It is usually credited that on this date in 1936, the USGA made its decision to limit the amount of clubs that can be carried to 14.
On this day in 1990, the first Solheim Cup concluded at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club, with the United States beating Europe, 11½-4½. The U.S. captain was Kathy Whitworth and Mickey Walker was the Europe leader. Beth Daniel went 3-0 for the Americans.
The 1883 Open Championship was played at Musselburgh Links and ended on this date with Willie Fernie edging defending champion Bob Ferguson, 158-159, in a 36-hole playoff.
On this date in 1894, Wee Bobby Cruickshank was born in Scotland. He lost the 1923 U.S. Open to Bobby Jones in a playoff, but was a good enough player to be elected to the PGA Hall of Fame. In service during World War I he had been a POW.