On this date in 1960, Arnold Palmer won the Pensacola Open for his third straight victory and fourth of the year in his first 10 events of the season. He won the Palm Springs Desert Classic then won the Texas Open on February 28, Baton Rouge Open on March 6 and Pensacola on the 13th. With the PGA Tour in its Florida swing, this weekend at The Players Ch. at Ponte Vedra Beach, we recognize a University of Florida golfer, Andy Bean, who was born on this date in 1953 in Lafayette, Georgia. Four of Bean’s 11 PGA Tour victories were won in Florida, including Doral three times.
On this date in 1961, the greatest woman player, Mickey Wright, won the Miami Open by six shots over Louise Suggs. It was part of a unique start to the LPGA season where Suggs and Wright traded off winning the first seven events of the year. Suggs won five times and Wright twice.
Let’s prolong Arnie history one more day beyond the A.P Invitational because on this date in 1971, Arnold Palmer started his march to the only time he won the Orlando PGA Tour stop. He shot a 66 in the first round of the Florida Citrus Invitational at Rio Pinar C.C. and then shot three straight 68s to win. In 1960 on March 11, Palmer shot a second-round 65 at Pensacola, and in 1982, he scored a first-round 69 at the Vintage Sr. Inv., eventually finishing T-2. Also on this date, in 1956, the LPGA Titleholders Championship was won at Augusta Country Club by Louise Suggs by one shot over Patty Berg. It was her third Titleholders victory.
On this date in 1963, Arnold Palmer shot a 67 in the Pensacola Open to take first place. It was part of a great start to the season for him. He won three of the first seven events he played: the Los Angeles Open, Phoenix Open in which Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus finished second and third, and Pensacola. On this date in 1972, Palmer called a penalty on himself in Round 2 of the Florida Citrus Inv. and missed the cut by the extra penalty stroke. And Sandra Palmer, who played during Arnold Palmer’s productive years, was born on this date in 1943 in Fort Worth, Texas. She was often confused with being kin to Arnold but was not. She was slight in height at just 5-2 but was accurate with her fairways clubs and was good enough to win the 1975 U.S. Open, the same year she was LPGA Tour Player of the Year and leading money winner.
On this date in 1989, Arnold Palmer, playing the first round of the Nestle Invitational, shot an 83 en route to missing the cut. The Nestle is now the Arnold Palmer Invitational, being played this week at Bay Hill in Florida. The round in the 80s occurred as Arnie’s time playing the regular PGA Tour was winding down. Also, in 1964, Palmer lost a playoff in Pensacola. Gary Player shot 71, Palmer 72, and Miller Barber 74. In 1970, Florida prep stars Eddie Pearce, Gary Koch played in a benefit match at Longboat Key, Sarasota, Fla.; G.Player-Koch shoot 64 to defeat Palmer-Pearce by two. And a two-time U.S. Open winner who doesn’t get much respect was born on this date in 1950 in Thorp, Wisconsin. Andy North won the National Open in 1978 and 1985, but only won one other tour event. He now does commentary for ESPN.
On this date in 1956, it was one of Arnold Palmer’s least memorable days in golf when he shot a 78 in the first round of the Pensacola Open. Outside of the 79 he was to shoot a few weeks later in the final round of the Masters, it was his worst round of the year. After shooting 66 and 73 in the next two rounds for a 217 score, he withdrew. In 1962, Palmer shot a first-round 66 at Pensacola and this time finished T-5. Also 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, Arnie shot a first-round 69 at the Pensacola Open en route to winning a few days later. On this date in 1955, Arnie shot 72 at Baton Rouge, the first time he shot all four rounds in the 70s on tour. And on this date in 1959, Tom Lehman was born in Austin, Minnesota. After attending the University of Minnesota, Lehman turned pro in 1982. He struggled on the mini tours before becoming a solid performer on the PGA Tour. He won the 1996 Open Championship for his biggest victory.
On this date in 1960, Arnold Palmer shot a 68 to finish off a victory in the Baton Rouge Open. He had shot 279 and won the $2,000 first prize. It was his second of three straight victories in the year in which he won both the Masters and U.S. Open. And on this date in 1972, Jack Nicklaus won the rain-delayed Doral-Eastern Open on the Blue Monster Course at Doral by two over Lee Trevino and Bob Rosburg. Jack, then 32, picked up $30,000, which put him at $1,477,200.86 for his career, going ahead of Arnold Palmer’s total of $1,471,226.83. Palmer, 42, did not play at Doral and had been the all-time leader for about a decade.
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. Also, Dale Douglass was a minor figure on the PGA Tour, no disrespect intended. He was born on this date in 1936 in Wewoka, Oklahoma, and won three PGA events. But Douglass did a major deal as a senior player. He won the 1986 U.S. Senior Open and the lifetime exemption allowed him to take a couple longevity records away from Arnold Palmer. Arnie had played in 25 straight U.S. Senior Opens, with one victory in 1981. When he stopped in 2005 he held all the longevity records but Douglass overtook him when he stopped playing in 2011. Douglass has most appearances with 26 to Arnie’s 25 and most consecutive starts with 26 to 25.
On this week of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today we highlight Peter Jacobsen, who was born on this date in 1954 in Portland, Oregon. Jacobsen won not quite 10 times on the PGA Tour, but he won two senior majors. But in Arnie’s life, he’s known as The King’s most popular partner. The two played as a team 23 times, most of anyone Arnold teamed with. Sadly, they never won in competition. And historical notes aren’t always 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. On this date in 1968, Palmer played an exhibition at Montgomery (Alabama) C.C. in which Palmer-Bear Bryant lost 3 and 2 to Joe Namath-Bob Dickson. And on this day in 1920, Julius Boros was born in Fairfield, Connecticut. He had a wide-ranging career at winning majors, the first in 1952 at the U.S. Open and second at the 1963 U.S. Open. He also won the 1968 PGA. The latter two he won at the expense of Arnold Palmer, who Boros sometimes called “my pigeon.”
Ian Woosnam, one of the main European stars that saw the continent usurp itself in major championships, 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 others faltered around him 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. Also on this date, Arnold Palmer shot a 67 in 1970 at the Lost Tree Pro-Am, and his team shot 59 for 1st. Also, in 1978, Palmer shot a first-round 65 at the Florida Citrus Open to co-lead; he finished T-14.
Forty-six 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 C.C. 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 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational, at Bay Hill, will be next week, March 6-9. Also, on this date in 1976, Jack Nicklaus won the Tournament Players Championship (later years The Players) at Inverrary C.C. in Lauderhill, Florida. Jack was back on his game, a long way from the 82 he had shot earlier in the year at the Bing Crosby Pro-Am. Nicklaus won by three strokes over J.C. Snead, played the par 5s 13 under par and didn't make a bogey in a final-round, seven-under-par 65.
On this date in 1971, the great Jack Nicklaus won the 53rd PGA Championship—at the first PGA National golf course, now known as BallenIsles, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Nicklaus won by two over Billy Casper. The victory made Jack the first golfer to win the career Grand Slam twice of the Masters, U.S. Open, Open Ch., and PGA. This week’s Cognizant Classic is being played at PGA National’s current Champion Course.
On this date in 1902, Gene Sarazen was born in Harrison, New York. One of only five career Grand Slam achievers, Sarazen famously made a double eagle in the 1935 Masters and won a playoff to complete the Slam. Sarazen won seven majors, including the Slam after he won the 1935 Masters. He transcended the game from the Vardon to Woods eras. “The Squire” died in 1999.
On this date in 1957, Augusta National Golf Club announced it would institute a 36-hole cut for the low 40 and ties in the Masters. This date is also the birthday of Arnold and Winnie Palmer’s first daughter, Peg, in 1956. And on this date in 1965, Sam Snead shot a 68 to share the second-round lead in the 26th Senior PGA at five under par with Chick Harbert and Henry Ransom at Fort Lauderdale C.C. Another 68 in the third round gave Sam control and he would win by four shots.
One of the most competitively pugnacious major champions, Zach Johnson, was born on this date in 1976 in Iowa City. The Drake graduate has won two majors, the Masters in 2007 and Open Championship in 2015, and in his 12 PGA Tour victories he’s also won The Colonial twice.
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. Also, Tony Lema, the 1964 Open “champion golfer of the year” on the Old Course, was born on this date in 1934 in Oakland, California. Lema had one of the great personalities in golf history and was known as Champagne Tony for treating the media to a celebratory drink after a victory. Sadly, his full potential was never realized. He died in July 1966 when he and his wife and pilot died in a plane crash on their way from Akron, Ohio, to Illinois.
The 2021 U.S. Ryder Cup captain, Steve Stricker, was born on this date in 1967. Stricker was born in Edgerton, Wisconsin and has won 12 PGA Tour events. His best finish in a major was runner-up in the 1998 PGA. He now plays often on the Champions Tour. Stricker attended the University of Illinois and has gone down in history as one of golf’s all-time best putters. He won the 2019 U.S. Senior Open , as well as The Tradition three times, 2023 Senior PGA, and the Senior Players twice.
Three 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. Amy Alcott, the five-time major winner and World Golf Hall of Fame member, was born on this date in Kansas City in 1956.