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Palmer Earns His Jacket
By Sports Illustrated
Issue date: April 14, 1958
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Arnie had to hitch up his pants for four rounds in 1958, but had no trouble with his first green jacket.
photograph by Farrell Grehan |
On the wind-whipped Augusta National course this week a young man named Arnold Palmer celebrated Easter Sunday by winning the Masters golf championship and the dark green jacket which is its exclusive symbol. He finished early with a 284 and then waited in the clubhouse while 10 other serious contenders made their bids and failed.
Palmer, a muscular 28-year-old from Latrobe, Pa., had good scores (70-73) on his first two rounds, but the spotlight was falling on Ken Venturi with his brilliant 68-72 on those days and it wasn't until Saturday that Palmer with his 211 began to look like a possible winner.
On the final day Arnold was given the unenviable assignment of pacing home such fierce contenders as Sam Snead, the splendid amateur Billy Joe Patton, the resolute defending champion Doug Ford and Cary Middlecoff, as well as Venturi and others--all of whom snuggled under a 4-stroke blanket. Under this pressure Palmer hit the ball far and effectively and moreover showed a cool knowledge of the rules that contributed to the final margin of victory. It had been raining for two days, and when Palmer's tee-shot on the par-3 12th hole became deeply embedded in the muddy embankment just back of the green, he hacked out and took a 5. But then, citing a temporary course "bad-weather" rule which permitted a free lift out in such an instance, Palmer played a provisional ball and got a par-3. Even while waiting for his claim to be upheld--which it was--he eagled the par-5 13th, finished with a 73.
Ford and Fred Hawkins, playing together, supplied a final thrill in the late afternoon when each stood on the 18th green needing only longish putts to tie for the lead. But Hawkins missed his from 18 feet, and when Ford's brave try from 12 feet swerved too far left Palmer was the winner.
A diligent fellow, Palmer will take only a few days of rest and vacation. Then he will fold up his brand-new green jacket and get back to the tour.
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