Arnold Palmer Revisited

[Legrandfromage]

Seeing a report in today's paper that Arnold is going to Augusta, not to play or officiate, but simply to visit after 50 years of playing in the Masters was reassuring. The Grand Old Master is 75 and has JUST GOT MARRIED AGAIN!! He is the one golfer I have the most respect for in terms of not only golf performance (doesn't his lousy swing look just like ours?) but personal performance on and off the course. He is the model of what the perfect golf player/representative is to me. And the displayed agony when he blows a shot, just like me, the twisted grimace and awkward stance as he follows the flight of the ball!

Ted Williams was the near perfect ball player, as close as they come to the perfect hitter, but he acted like a petulant kid for most of his career. Maybe like 'Oysters' Pat Perez. Joe DiMaggio was exploited and misused because of his reticence. How many controversial football and basketball and hockey players have had personal and professional problems that leaked in to sully their reputations? There are heroes in every sport. Some of them have really visible flaws, if Arnold has them he keeps them well out of sight. The perfect gentleman.

What a guy!! Cheers for Arnold and all that he represents to us golfers.

 

[Slingblade61]

Arnold is the Walter Cronkite of Golf.....the most respected man in America.

I remember watching him play on a little old black and white set, late 60's.

 

[Bravo]

Here is an interesting comparison between Palmer and Nicklaus.

Everyone knows that overall - Nicklaus got the better of Palmer on the course. More Majors, more total wins, better in head-to-head competition. So from that - perhaps - a meaningful number of fans may assume that Nicklaus was smarter - or maybe tougher mentally.

To your point Legrand - Palmer is a much much more successful businessman that Nicklaus. Much tougher businessman. And here you have someone in Palmer who was the ultimate in personal graciousness, in courtesy - who has a 50 year track record of signing autographs for hours at a time - literally until the last person left. And while Nicklaus is not known to be rude per se' he had a much crustier exterior to the world than Arnold.

But when it came to making money and making business deals - the King was the king....The Nice Guy who finished First.

 

[jcj]

Nicklaus was a great player,but Arnold is the man I'd most like to play a round with.The Big Three may have been Palmer,Nicklaus and Player,but I'd go with Palmer,Trevino and Player.More fun per hole,by a lot.