This Day in Golf--Oct. 18

The Lancome Trophy (or Trophée Lancôme) was a limited-field event played in the fall near Paris at Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche, France, which had been a French Open site in 1965 and 1969. It initially was held to attract the world's stars in an unofficial event from 1970 to 1981 to generate interest in French golf, but then they grew the field to an official European Tour stop from 1982 until its demise in 2003. Even though Arnold Palmer was past his main playing powers in 1970, he was still the premier draw and he played 10 times from 1970 to 1982. He did well, too. On this date in the inaugural, Arnie shot 68 and tied for second. He would win in 1971 and finish runner-up in 1976. The Arnie record in the Lancome Trophy: 1970, 68-71-68—207, T-2; 1971, 66-65-71—202, 1st; 1972, 74-68-73-70—285, 4th; 1973, 74-71-73-70—288, 8th; 1974, 73-71-71-77—298, 4th; 1975,  69-74-75-70—288, 5th; 1976, 75-70-69-70—284, 2nd; 1977, 75-73-75-69—292, 8th; 1979,  72-75-73-72—292, 8th; 1982, 73-72-68-68—281, T-4.