This Day in Golf--Oct. 2

On today's PGA Tour, where every tournament has a $6 million to $10 million prize purse, there's nothing obscure or quaint about the event, its title or location. It wasn't always so, of course. The tour was built on small-market, hometown-style tournaments, and a tour player always sought out any regional event he could get into. On this date in 1955, the first full year Arnold Palmer played as a pro, he finished play in the Long Island Rotary Open played in Huntington, L.I. Max Evans was the winner, while Arnie had rounds of 71-70-68-72—279 to tie for sixth. His prize money was$800, and it was the 10th time he cashed in as a pro. Palmer had won the Canadian Open in August 1955 for his first tour victory.