My Favorite Arnold Palmer Stories, Told By Those Who Knew Him

Arnold Palmer, Golf’s Unquestioned King, Dies At Age 87

(Courtesy of Golf Digest Facebook Permissions and with apologies to John Garrity )

by John Garrity ( and Conrad Benitez unoffically)

Everyone remembers the first time they met Arnold Palmer, even Jack Nicklaus. We asked those whose lives have been enriched by Palmer: friends, employees and nodding acquaintances, to share their stories of golf’s most charismatic star. [This story appeared in the September 2009 issue of GOLF Magazine.]

Jack Nicklaus, his greatest rival:

The first time I saw Arnold was in 1954. I was 14 years old and playing in the Ohio Amateur. I came off the golf course in pouring rain, and there was one guy on the practice range hitting 9-irons about 10 feet high, taking big divots. Strong as an ox, just killing the ball. I watched him for a half-hour in the rain because I was interested in his swing and how he was moving the ball, these low draws. Somebody said, “Oh, that’s our defending champion, Arnold Palmer.” He was still hitting when I left.

Conrad Benitez, President, The Orchard Golf

“The King is dead.  Long live the King!” goes the old announcement of a British king’s demise.

But to my mind, Arnold Palmer will always be the KING. 

When we dropped by Bay Hill a few years ago to hopefully ask for a hi-res digital picture of him, we chanced upon him getting out of his golf cart after a round of golf.  Running to greet him and telling him that we were from The Orchard, he greeted us like we were family, brought us up to his office and offered all of us Arnold Palmers, the iced tea and lemonade drink that he made famous.  Needless to say, his staff was also very accommodating and got us the hi-res picture we asked for.

 But even more memorable to me was our caddy recounting a story about Mr. Palmer during our round the next day:

Ben Roethlisberger, the All-Pro Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback, was practicing on the putting green at Bay Hill, when a young boy of about 10 comes up to him and politely asks for an autograph.   The 6’5”, 240 lb quarterback shoos him away, telling him not to disturb him.

Mr. Palmer sees this, and walks up to Roethlisberger and summarily orders him to leave his golf course, telling him that, if he doesn’t have any time for his fans, Bay Hill has no time for him either.

 That short anecdote encapsulates what he meant for me, and the millions of others in Arnie’s Army.

Courtesy and respect are timeless principles, as well as good manners.”

      – Arnold Palmer (from Golf Digest’s Tom Callahan 

 The King with his friends from Manila – Conrad Benitez (CEO), Rene Garrovillo (GM), and Denis Nuevo (Senior Manager for GCM)                                             

 Dow Finsterwald, 1958 PGA champion and longtime friend:

His hands were so large that he looked like he was holding a toothpick. His swing? Well, he hit at it hard and fast. If you filmed Arnold and looked at it frame by frame, he was as solid as any player through the hitting area. His father had taught him well.

Dean Reinmuth, golf teacher:

The first time I saw him was at Tam O’Shanter [in Chicago] when I was a young kid watching the Western Open. Some guy was moving in the crowd, and I remember Arnold’s head popping up and his eyes locking on the guy like a laser. Oh, man, everybody just froze.

Bert Harbin, longtime Palmer friend:

We lived on Aumond Road in old Augusta, and for 19 years we rented our house to Arnie for Masters week. He liked to repair clubs, so I bolted a vise to a big old table and put it in the garage. If Arnie teed off in the afternoon, there’d be 20 of us out in the garage watching him fiddle with his clubs.

Jason Gore, 2005 winner of the 84 Lumber Classic:

When I was 11, my mom and I met Mr. Palmer at Latrobe Country Club. He took a picture with us, signed a scorecard, and then he said, “Son, I’m going to go hit balls. Would you like to watch?” I watched for 45 minutes. And from that point on I knew I wanted to be a professional golfer.

Photo: AP Photo

From left, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player pose during the ceremonial first tee shots prior to the first round of the 2016 Masters.

Bev Norwood, writer and a close Palmer friend for 31 years:

Arnold’s final British Open at Troon—not his final Open, but his final one at Troon—was in 1989. On the 16th hole of a practice round, a photographer asked if he might take a picture of Arnold beside the famous plaque of him hitting the shot that won the Open. Arnold said, “Sure.” So they go look for a few minutes and cannot find the plaque. Finally, Arnold turns to his longtime caddie, Tip Anderson. He says, “Tip, where is that damn plaque?” And Tip says, “Mr. Palmer, it’s 120 miles south of here at Royal Birkdale.”

Jimmy Roberts, NBC Sports interviewer and essayist:

When he said goodbye at Oakmont, we all knew the significance of it. I was working for ESPN at the time, and Arnie lost it. Just totally, totally lost it. I’ve interviewed hundreds of athletes who cried, but this was Arnold Palmer at Oakmont. I remember feeling kind of embarrassed and very unsure of myself. How do you react? Do you try to console Arnold Palmer?

Leonard Kamsler, golf photographer:

It’s hard to take a bad picture of Cypress Point, and it’s hard to take a bad picture of Arnold Palmer.

Bob Goalby, 1968 Masters champion:

I wrote Arnold a letter the other day. Never wrote him one in my life. I just told him that I was honored to have played in the same era as he did. I said, “All of us would have liked to have been like you.” That may not have been adequate, but I wanted him to know how we feel.

Peter Jacobsen, seven-time PGA Tour winner:

I met him while playing a practice round at the Bing Crosby Pro-Am at Pebble Beach. I don’t recall the year. I cut across a hole and looked back, and I saw that it was Arnold Palmer. I was so embarrassed. He walked up on the next tee, stuck his hand out and said, “Hey, do you mind if we join you?” When it was clear that I had cut in front of him! My heart was pounding out of my chest, but he treated me as an equal. That’s the kind of guy he is, and that’s the kind of image he projects—one of inclusion, not exclusion.

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The Best Arnold Palmer Photos

Doc Giffin, Palmer’s business manager and right-hand man:

Probably the most memorable moment for me was the time President Eisenhower surprised him on his birthday in 1966. Winnie set it up, and I was one of the few in on it. She sent Arnie’s plane to Gettysburg on a Saturday morning to pick up the former President. Eisenhower just comes up the walk and knocks on the door. Winnie and Arnie answer the door, and there’s Ike standing there with a little bag in his hands. And Ike says, “Do you happen to have a little room for an old man to spend the night?”

David B. Fay, former USGA executive director:

The first time I saw him was at the 1967 U.S. Open, a practice round. He comes walking up the hill on the fifth hole, wearing a light blue shirt, and I couldn’t believe the size of his forearms. It was a lasting image, like the first time you walk into a big league ballpark and you can’t believe how green it is.

Renton Laidlaw, longtime golf announcer:

I remember when Palmer won the 1975 Spanish Open at La Manga. I went to interview him in his bungalow. He was on the phone to his wife, and he was like a child: “I won again!” I was just so impressed. He was that kind of competitor. You’d have thought he’d won the Open.

Louise Suggs, LPGA founder and Hall of Famer:

I knew Arnold and Winnie before they were married, back when they used to go into a clubhouse and order food at a table for two. Arnold always called me “Patty.” Charlie Mechem [the former LPGA commissioner] was showing him around one day, and Arnold came over to me and said, “Patty, how are you?” And I said, “Arnold, if you keep callin’ me Patty, I’m going to start callin’ you Jack.”

Bob Goalby:

I saw him sign autographs in 100-degree heat after he’d shot 74 or 75. He’d stand there for an hour by the ropes. I wouldn’t stand there for 10 minutes; I’d be churning inside. But he’d just stand there. I think he loved the adulation.

Vinny Giles, winner of both the U.S. and British Amateurs:

I played with him twice in the Masters, as an amateur. Back then they let the galleries get a lot closer to the action, and there would be occasions where you had to wait. I remember my third shot to No. 8—they had to move 10,000 people out of the way so I could hit an 80-yard pitch. [Laughs.] They certainly weren’t there to watch me.

Dow Finsterwald:

Arnold lost a Monday playoff in Wilmington in 1958, so we didn’t get to Augusta until Monday night. On Tuesday I put together a game with Ben Hogan and Jack Burke. It wasn’t one of Arnold’s better days, and afterward, Hogan said something like, “How did this guy get in the tournament with that swing?” Gosh darn, Arnold had won seven tournaments in two years, so I think Hogan must have just been pulling Arnold’s chain a little bit. But it worked out well for Arnold that week. [Palmer won the first of his four Masters titles. Hogan finished seven strokes back in a tie for 14th.]

Gary Player, longtime Palmer rival:

Arnold fell out of bed with charisma. He didn’t need to speak. He just had it.

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