One of the most historical “this day in golf” entries is for March 25, 1934. Horton Smith won the first Masters, shooting an even-par 72 in the final round, beating Craig Wood by a shot thanks to a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-5 17th. The nines were reversed in 1935, so in 1934 the 17th was actually the eighth hole we know it as today.

World Golf Hall of Famer Pat Bradley turns 66 on March 24. One of the greatest winners and mentally tough competitors in golf, Bradley won 31 LPGA Tour events from 1976 to 1995. Her six majors include the 1981 U.S. Women’s Open. Part of golf lore is that her mother would ring a cow bell from the family home in Massachusetts after each Pat victory. (See the Golf Writers from the Heart item on Bradley.)

Amateur champion golfer Dick Chapman was born on March 23, 1911. Not well remembered today, Chapman was an international star, not only winning the U.S. Amateur in 1940 but the British Amateur in 1951 plus the amateur titles of France, Canada and Italy. He played on three U.S. Walker Cup teams in 1947, 1951 and 1953. He died in 1978.

Eventual winner Horton Smith was a coleader with 70 on March 22, 1934, the first round of the inaugural Masters, called the Augusta National Invitation Tournament. Tournament and course creator and huge fan favorite Bobby Jones shot 76.

The first Players Championship held at the TPC Stadium Course concluded 35 years ago on March 21, 1982. Jerry Pate won by two shots with a final-round, five-under 67 and then christened the event during the award ceremony by tossing both Commissioner Deane Beman and course architect Pete Dye into the lake alongside the 18th hole and jumping in himself.

Jerry Pate dives into the 18th-hole lake with Dye and Beman already in it.

Cary Middlecoff won the Jacksonville (Fla.) Open at Hyde Park Golf Club in 1950. He shot a 69 the final day to win the $2,000 first-place money. The World Golf Hall of Fame member won at least one tour event for 10 straight years from 1947 to 1956, and won 36 events overall.

Honor Arnie Week: Today's date holds great meaning for A.P. in Bay Hill history. On March 19, 2004, he played his final round as a competitor, shooting 79 to miss the 36-hole cut. In 1993, he shot 76 but still made the cut for the final time in the event. And, of course, today a champion will be crowned for the first time after his passing in September. Non-Arnie note: The great J.H. Taylor, five-time Open champion, was born on this day in 1871.

Honor Arnie Week: Arnold Palmer began his final time as a player in the Bay Hill Invitational on March 18, 2004. He shot an 88 in Round 1. Another March 18 round, in 1993, was better when he scored 73 in Round 1, made the cut and tied for 71st. That was the last year he made the cut at Bay Hill.

Honor Arnie Week: In March 1948, at age 18, Arnold Palmer played in his first PGA Tour event—as an amateur—at the Greater Greensboro Open, which was held at Sedgefield Country Club on the 19th to 21st. He shot rounds of 78-76—154 to miss the 36-hole cut. Non-Arnie item: Grand Slam champion and Masters founder Bobby Jones was born on this day in 1902.

Honor Arnie Week: March 16 was not a great date for A.P. as a player in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. In 2001 he shot 78, 2000 an 82, and 1995 a 73, missing the cut each year. In 1991 heavy rain played havoc with the third round, in which he shot 70, but the event was rain-shortened to three rounds. And in 1984, he shot 71 and tied for 68th. Non-Arnie note: Three-time U.S. Women’s Open winner and World Golf Hall of Fame member Hollis Stacy turns 63 today.

Honor Arnie Week: Taking the liberty for today’s entry of not being date specific...In March 1968, one of Arnie’s numerous books was published: The Arnold Palmer Method, a 235-page instructional paperback from the Dell Publishing Company. Used copies are rare; alibris.com had a used copy for $3 but it was listed as being in poor condition.

Honor Arnie Week: An earlier version of this week’s Bay Hill tour event was the Florida Citrus Invitational. Arnold Palmer won it on March 14, 1971, at Rio Pinar Country Club, by one shot over Julius Boros. It was the 59th of 62 tour victories for A.P. While in Florida that month, Palmer had played at Bay Hill with Vice President Spiro Agnew. Non-Arnie notes on the 14th: Former major champions Bob Charles (81) and Bob Goalby (88) have birthdays today; legendary teacher John Jacobs, who passed away on January 13, was born on this day in 1925.

Honor Arnie Week: March 13, 1960, culminated a three-week winning stretch for A.P. He won the Texas Open on Feb. 28, Baton Rouge Open March 6, and Pensacola Open on the 13th. The next week out he finished fifth at St. Petersburg Open.

On March 12, 1995, Mark O’Meara shot just even par in the final round of the Honda Classic at Weston Hills Country Club, but it was good enough to hold off Nick Faldo by one shot. Later in ’95 O’Meara won the Canadian Open, and for his career he won two events in the same year six times, notably in 1998 when he won the Masters and Open Championship.

On March 11, 1945, the legendary winning streak of Byron Nelson’s began. His 11 victories in a row started with a victory in the Miami Four-Ball, with partner Harold (Jug) McSpaden, at Miami Springs Golf Course.

March 10 is a day to celebrate Sandra Palmer, who turns 74. One of the mightiest mites in golf history, she was just 5-1, but was a strong competitor who won 19 times on the LPGA Tour, and had two big victories: the 1975 U.S. Women’s Open and the 1972 Titleholders. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, she attended North Texas State University, where she was homecoming queen one year. She was not related to Arnie.

For today, March 9, 2017, two-time U.S. Open winner and ESPN golf analyst Andy North is 67, and amateur legend and first Canadian in the World Golf Hall of Fame Marlene Stewart Streit is 83. She won 76 total amateur events, including 11 Canadian Ladies Open amateurs, the 1956 U.S. Women’s Amateur and Women’s Intercollegiate (NCAA), and the 1985, 1994 and 2003 U.S. Women’s Senior, the latter at age 69 making her the oldest women’s USGA champion.

When Raymond Floyd won the Doral Open in Miami on March 8, 1992, it set up a first on the PGA Tour. After he turned 50 in early September later that year, he won the senior tour's GTE North Classic, becoming the first player to win on both tours in the same year.

Arnold Palmer supported the off-the-beaten-path Pensacola Open quite well on the PGA Tour. His first win there was in 1960. On March 7, 1963, he began that year’s Pensacola with a first-round 69. After subsequent rounds of 68-69-67—273 he had won it again, taking top money of just $3,500. He also won the Los Angeles Open, Phoenix Open, Thunderbird Classic, Cleveland Open, Western Open and Whitemarsh Open in ’63.