Tired and happy to be heading for bed after work in the wee hours of this morning I was saddened to hear of Mr Palmer's passing from heart complications in his 87th year.
My first thought was that my late Dad and brother would be thrilled at that great bogey free golf course in heaven to have such a celebrity join them in the clubhouse !!
In 1960 I saw Arnie in person for the first time. My mother had made her biannual trip in July on the old B.O.A.C plane back to Scotland with me and my 3 year old brother in tow. Those were long journey's back then, from Malton to Gander NFLD, refuel then across the Atlantic to Shannon in Ireland, then the short hop across the Irish Sea to Prestwick. Then somehow mother would round up our luggage and get us on the train up to Glasgow where her mother and father were waiting.
Now to Arnie. Again mother and I got on the train, this time to visit my dad's parents across to the east coast, in Perth. My uncle Ken was a policeman there, more importantly a scratch golfer and he and two of his pals drove me down the coast to St Andrews where the Open was being played in the middle of the week and all the talk was about Arnold Palmer who had won the Masters and the US Open that year and was actually coming to Scotland !!
There is a huge public putting green just to the right of the first fairway at St Andrews, and uncle Ken talked to 2 local policemen who helped young Bryan through the massive crowd around the green to the front, and there, right there, was Arnold Palmer with his big red and white Wilson bag, practising his putting with his new Scottish caddie Tip. I remember how tanned and handsome he was, and also he was complaining to Tip about the British cigarettes they were smoking.
He of course was magnetic, I watched him and nobody else until after he made three short ones in a row, he announced in a loud voice, playing to the crowd, " lets see if we can remember how to do that on the course Tip"..
Later back in Perth we watched on the BBC, as he made a charge in the last round on Saturday where he lost to an Australian Kel Nagle by a shot, but he won much more than the 900 pounds second prize, he won the hearts of not only everyone in Scotland, but around the world with his go for broke play, his down to earth thumbs up, smiles, winks, firm handshakes..Arnie's Army was being mustered and I was in the rank and file.
I began to play because of Arnold Palmer, I followed every tournament he played in, my dad and I until the day he died gave each other, and others the thumbs up. I watched how great and yet how humble he was, how easily he cried about issues in life, I watched and learned how much he cared about the common man, I watched and learned what a loyal friend he was to those he knew...and I have tried to carry myself the same way.
They next time I saw him in person was at Muirfield in 1980 where Tom Watson beat Lee Trevino in the rain. My pal Ronnie Sinclair was the club accountant and he got me a clubhouse pass and there was Arnie in his blue rain gear and tartan rain hat sleeping in a chair waiting to play a practice round. His big strong hands clasped over his stomach looked like a bunch of banana's, his face at peace, all lined and tanned from all the years in the sun. He was well passed his prime, but still the man everyone wanted to see.
Its hard to explain his immense impact on our lives, not to mention this game of golf to the younger people of today. He arrived just as TV started covering golf which allowed us all to follow him for free, and he along with a chubby young Jack Nicklaus were a godsend for TV networks and the rest is history.
Rory McIlroy just won the Fed Ex Cup, Tour Championship and the $11.6 million that goes with it. Arnold Palmer won 92 times around the world for about $7 million. He of course made all his money off the course with his clothing line, golf course design, and as the most coveted pitchman of his time.
Rory, Tiger and all the rest may be at Hazeltine this week for the Ryder Cup, but I know if they can't make it to the funeral, they will be thanking their lucky stars for the man they will be burying for all their riches.
RIP Arnie, you both thrilled us and put us all at ease with your gracious presence, you will always be the King that wore his crown with great humility, there will never be another like you.
Bryan Angus
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