This article was originally published on June 20, 1960, under the headline of “Arnold Palmer starts his own golf era.”
The sight of the nervy, vigorous young man charging up the grassy incline to the 18th green at the Cherry Hills Country Club late last Saturday afternoon, marked the beginning of a new golf era.
It will be known as Arnold Palmer’s.
There never was any doubt that Palmer would par the 468-yard hole that concluded the 60th National Open Golf Championship. And when he signed the card that showed his final round 30-35 — 65 for a 280 total he signed the preface to an illustrious career.
The man Palmer takes over for in the world of golf, the great Ben Hogan, still was scraping mud off his golf shoes in the clubhouse when Palmer stroked home that 2 1/2-foot putt, his 280th shot of the tournament.
The spectre of Palmer making his winning bid Saturday is strikingly similar to the fear Hogan cast when he was in his prime.
Hogan often whipped the field the first time he teed up in a major tournament.
Now the presence of Palmer is beginning to strike that same dread.
It struck Saturday.
When Palmer clicked off that string of four successive birdies in the final round of the National Open, it was like a mighty woodsman felling an entire forest with one blow of his axe.
In a sport like golf where the talent is spread so generously throughout the field, it takes that extra something to be the No. 1 man.
Hogan had it. Palmer has it.
When the 30-year-old Pennsylvania pro made his intentions known Saturday, the field froze.
In baseball you can walk the big hitter, in foot ball you two-time the best runner, in basketball you keep the ball away from the hot shooter. But what do you do in golf when a Hogan or Palmer comes along?
You wait and wonder if he can do it, there’s no defense for desire.
This was Palmer’s big stick last Saturday. He wanted to win.
When Palmer drove the first green — a 346-yard hole — there never was any doubt as to his intentions.
Although he trailed by seven strokes and was buried well in the pack with only 18 holes to go, he still had the desire to get out and give it a try.
When he backed up his move by scoring birdies on six of the first seven holes the finest collection of modern day golfers melted like butter.
It is significant that of all the contenders — and there were many — only Hogan was oblivious to the Palmer surge. When he recounted his own downfall in the mud and water of the moat in front of the 17th green, he was shunned when told that Palmer was THE man.
It’s Hogan’s mantle Palmer now wears.
Three players made up five strokes in the last 18 to win the Open, but nothing compares with Palmer’s courageous climax Saturday.
He gave a brief teaser of things to come earlier this spring when needed two birdies in the last three holes to win the Masters title.
Palmer barely missed on the 16th, then joined a blase golf world ready to offer “nice try” condolences by ramming home a 30-foot putt on the 17th and a tricky six-footer on the 18th for a birdie-birdie finish labeled the greatest in Masters history.
Monday Palmer was in Ireland, preparing to represent the United States in Canada Cup play.
In July he’ll go after his third major golf victory, this year — the oldest prize in the book — the Britis Open.
Only one man, the 47-year-old Hogan, has won these same three awards in the same year. Ben did it in 1953 after the ill-fated auto crash from which many said he never would recover.
Palmer’s Open victory was his sixth win in 19 tournaments since last January. Officially, he has won $62,841.19 in prize money.
But it’s apparent from watching Palmer — that isn’t the cash, it’s prestige and honor he desires.
It’s a cinch to come in wholesale quantities.
