The Arnold Palmer Invitational concludes this weekend, but on today’s date in 1967, the tournament’s earlier incarnation, the Florida Citrus Open, began with the first round. Arnold would shoot 67-69-71-68—275 to tie for second and earn $11,212.50. Also on this date, in 1963, Arnold Palmer shot a third-round 69 in the Pensacola Open. He shot 67 in the final round to win the $3,500 first-place money. It was his third victory of 1963, having already won in Los Angeles and Phoenix.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational goes into a second round today with Shane Lowry leading by one. In 1970 the tournament was called the Florida Citrus Invitational, and on this date Arnold finished the tournament shooting 64-72-64-72—272 to tie for second with Bob Stanton, earning $13,875 each. Bob Lunn won at 17-under 271. However, in 1971, Palmer won the tournament and he got to the figure he needed in 1970, 18 under par, winning by one over Julius Boros. In another Florida tournament on this date, Raymond Floyd won the Doral Open in Miami in 1992, setting up a first on the PGA Tour. After he turned 50 in early September later that year, he won the senior tour's GTE North Classic, becoming the first player to win on both tours in the same year.
On this date in 1963, Arnold Palmer shot a 69 in the first round of the Pensacola Open, a second-tier tour event he played several times as an example of how he supported lesser-known tournaments. He went on to win with four rounds in the 60s. On this date in 1993, Greg Norman wowed the golf world by finishing off a 15-under-par 273 total to win the Doral-Ryder Open on the Blue Monster course in Miami. It set a course record at the time, later to be eclipsed by Tiger Woods' 264 in 2005 prior to the tournament becoming a World Golf Championship event.
On this date in 1955, Arnold Palmer finished a PGA Tour event on a March 6 for the first time when he completed play in the Baton Rouge Open with scores 70-73-73-72—288. Bo Wininger, Billy Maxwell and Jimmy Clark went into a playoff the next day, won by Wininger. Arnold tied for 40th and finished out of the money. It was the era on tour when not everyone who made the cut went home with even a penny. A better result took place on this day in 1960. Palmer shot a final-round 68 in the Baton Rouge Open, to win the first-prize money of $2,000. It was the middle victory of a three-in-a-row stretch in his incredible season of 1960 when he won eight times total, including the Masters and U.S. Open.
The great Mickey Wright got her first LPGA Tour victory on this date in 1956. Her career total of 82 started for the San Diegan when she won the Jacksonville Open at Jacksonville Country Club, shooting 294 to beat Joyce Ziske by one stroke and win the $900 first-place money. The total purse was just $4,500! Also on this date, in 1964, Arnold Palmer was playing well en route to winning his final major at the Masters. He shot a first-round 69 in the Pensacola Open and a few days later would lose a playoff and tie for second.
Today’s events combine Arnold Palmer with someone he likely paired up with in team events more than anyone else: Peter Jacobsen. On this date in 1960, one of the most glorious seasons in golf history, Arnold shot a 71 in the second round of the Baton Rouge Open. Doesn't sound like a big deal, but he had won the Texas Open on Feb. 28, went on to win in Baton Rouge on March 6, then won the Pensacola Open on March 13 for three in a row in a year in which he won eight times, including the Masters and U.S. Open. His cohort Jacobson was born on this date in 1954. The affable and verbally verbose Jacobsen was born in Portland, Oregon. He won seven times on the PGA Tour, the 2004 U.S. Senior Open, and has been doing TV commentary for many years.
One of the most laconic but powerful swingers of the golf club, Julius Boros, was born on this date in 1920 in Fairfield, Connecticut. A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, the 6-foot-2, 215 pound Boros was nicknamed Moose. He won three majors, two U.S. Opens and the PGA, and two of the three came at the expense of Arnold Palmer, who Boros would sometimes call "his pigeon." Boros beat Palmer in the 1963 U.S. Open playoff and then nipped him again in the 1968 PGA to keep Arnie shut out in that major. Boros was known by many nicknames: Moose; Julie; Jay; Old Man River; The Bull; and Jackpot Julius.
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. And getting his kicks at age 66 is Ian Woosnam, the Wee Welshman, who was born on this date. The 1991 Masters winner was a World Golf Hall of Fame inductee in 2017. In the early 1990s he was ranked No. 1 for 50 weeks.
It is traditionally reported that on this date in 1938, with the equipment industry still in its infancy in America, the Federal Trade Commission prohibited the PGA of America and eight manufacturers from price fixing in the golf ball industry. And there is an elite group of American golf stars who can be called a career amateur, players who remained standout amateurs their entire lives while making a living in another profession. The classic example is Bobby Jones. But another, Dr. Ed Updegraff, was born on this date in 1922 in Boone, Iowa. A urologist by trade, Updegraff 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 died at age 100 on December 23, 2022.
On this date in 1948, Lawson Little won the St. Petersburg Open over Bobby Locke, by three shots. He is believed to be the last player to win a tour event on a Leap Day.
One of the transcending figures in golf, Gene Sarazen, was born on this date in 1902, a little less than a month from when Bobby Jones was born on St. Patrick's Day 1902. Sarazen, known as the Squire and the first to win the career Grand Slam, lived into the Tiger Woods years and died on May 13, 1999, age 97.
It’s February but this date in history involves the PGA Championship, which golf fans know traditionally has been held in August and May in recent decades. On this date in 1971, Jack Nicklaus won the PGA by two shots over Billy Casper, 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. The victory made Nicklaus the first golfer to win the Grand Slam twice.
Today's date in 1957 is traditionally thought of as when it was announced the Masters 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. Also on this date in 1956, there was some happy family news for Arnold and Winnie Palmer. Their first daughter was born, Margaret (Peggy) Palmer.
On this date in 1957, Arnold Palmer shot a final-round 69 at Memorial Park to win his fourth PGA Tour victory, 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.”
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 65-67-68-66—266, earning $2,800. Also on this date, Iowa City native Zach Johnson was born 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 University of Illinois alum won 12 times on the PGA Tour and has become a dominant force on the Champions Tour with 17 victories, including seven majors. He has not won a regular tour major. He was the winning U.S. Ryder Cup captain in 2021 when the match was played in his native Wisconsin.
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 adjusted when Baltusrol Golf Club came into existence on Baltus Roll's farmland. Of a less alarming event, on this date in 1960, Arnold Palmer’s breakout year as major star, he finished tied for fifth at the Tucson Open after shooting rounds of 65-74-69-68—276, good for $872.86.
Arnold Palmer 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. For another Palmer anecdote on this date, in 1960, Arnold’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.
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 on this date, one of the key outsiders who made an impact on golf majors would have been 85 today. Herb Kohler, the leader of the bathroom-fixture company, was born in 1939. 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 on September 3, 2022.
Tucson has had a long history as a PGA Tour stop and 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. Top prize was $12,000.