On this date in 1964, Arnold Palmer shot a 69 in the first round of the Pensacola Open; he would later add: 68-68-69 for 274 to tie Gary Player and Miller Barber for first. In a playoff, Player would shoot 71 to win while Palmer had 72 and Barber 74.
Historical notes can’t always be happy ones. On this date in 1979, Arnold Palmer shot an 80 in the final round of the Bay Hill Citrus Classic, to complete a 70-74-70-80—294, 59th, $555, week. It was the first year the Orlando tour stop was played at A.P.’s Bay Hill course; Bob Byman was the winner.
On this date in Arnold Palmer’s special year of 1960, he shot a 71 in the first round of the Baton Rouge Open. He would go on to win it as the second of three straight victories and third of the year.
Ian Woosnam was born on this date in 1958. He grew to just 5-4, known as Woosie or the Wee Welshman, and won the 1991 Masters as well as was a part of the European resurgence in the Ryder Cup that involved Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Sandy Lyle and Bernhard Langer.
Forty years ago on this date in 1979, the first round of the Bay Hill Citrus Classic was held. For 13 years, the Orlando tour stop had been held at Rio Pinar Country Club. But Arnold Palmer owned Bay Hill and was able to get the tour stop moved to the course. He shot 70 in the first round and finished 59th with a 294 total. Bob Byman would win with 278. The 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational, at Bay Hill, will be this week, March 2-5.
On this date in 1971, the greatest player of all time, Jack Nicklaus, won the 53rd PGA Championship—at PGA National, where the Honda Classic finished this past weekend—and it made him the first golfer to win the career Grand Slam twice of the Masters, U.S. Open, Open Ch., and PGA.
On this date in 1902, Gene Sarazen was born in Harrison, New York. One of the career Grand Slam achievers, Sarazen famously made a double eagle in the 1935 Masters on No. 15 in the final round and won a playoff with Craig Wood to complete the Slam.
On this date in 1957, Augusta National Golf Club announced it would institute a 36-hole cut for the low 40 and ties. This date is also the birthday of Arnold and Winnie Palmer’s first daughter, Peg, in 1956.
On this day in 1957, Arnold Palmer shot a 69 at Memorial Park Municipal Golf Course to finish off a first-place performance at the Houston Open. He had a 279 score to win by one over Doug Ford and take home $7,500.
On this day in 1976, Zach Johnson was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Drake graduate won the 2007 Masters and 2015 Open Championship, and has been close to a third major several times, including a T-3 at the 2010 PGA. He will be the captain for the U.S. in this year’s Ryder Cup in Italy.
The 2020 U.S. Ryder Cup captain, Steve Stricker, was born on this date in 1967. Stricker was born in Wisconsin and has won a dozen PGA Tour events. His best finish in a major was runner-up in the 1998 PGA. He now plays often on the Champions Tour.
Two winners of major championships have birthdays today. Vijay Singh was born in 1963. He won the 2000 Masters and two PGAs in 1998 and 2004. Tommy Aaron, the 1973 Masters champion, was born in 1937.
On this date in 1971, Ruth Jessen won the then richest prize in women’s golf at the Sear’s Women’s World Classic at Port St. Lucie Country Club/Sinner’s Course. She won by two shots over Sandra Palmer, earning $10,000 of the $60,000 total prize money.
On this date, and on February 27, in 1927, golfers in South Carolina, according to lore, were arrested for playing golf and violating the Sabbath Day.
On this date in 1994 Marta Figueras-Dotti won the Cup o' Noodles Hawaiian Ladies Golf Open at Ko Olina Golf Club, Ewa Beach, Oahu, Hawaii. She shot seven under par to win by one over Jane Geddes.
Alexander (Sandy) Herd was born in April 1868 and died on this day in 1944, age 75. He was born in Scotland and is in the record books for winning the 1902 Open Championship.
On this date in 1955, Mike Souchak shot a 60 at the Texas Open held at Breckenridge Park Golf Course and went on to win the tournament with a record score of 27 under par, 257, which stood for several decades.
Marlene Bauer Hagge, one of the original LPGA founders in 1950 and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, was born on this date in 1934.
On this date in 1950, Bobby Jones was listed as one of the top competitors from the first half of the century in a poll of sportswriters and sportscasters, along with Jim Thorpe, Babe Ruth, George Mikan, Jack Dempsey, Man a ‘ War, Johnny Weismuller, Bill Tilden, Jesse Owens and Babe Zaharias for her track prowess.
The greatest women’s golfer of all-time, Mary Kathryn (Mickey) Wright, was born on this date, Valentine’s Day, in 1935 in San Diego. The World Golf Hall of Famer won four U.S. Women’s Opens and four LPGA championships.