The Squire, Gene Sarazen, was born on this date in 1902 in Harrison, New York. One of just five winners of all four majors in a career, Sarazen was born less than a month before Bobby Jones and lived to age 97.
The event wasn’t golf per se, but on this date in 1956, Margaret (Peggy) Palmer was born to mom and dad Palmer, Winnie and Arnold. They had two daughters, the second, named Amy, was born on August 8, 1958.
On this date in 1957, Arnold Palmer shot a final-round 69 at Memorial Park to win his fourth PGA Tour victory in the Houston Open. Football icon Bear Bryant was among those watching during the week as Palmer shot rounds of 67-72-71-69—279, earning the richest prize on the winter tour, $7,500. After getting his check, Arnie said, “As of today I have invested [the money] in a house.”
On this date in 1961, Arnold Palmer shot a first-round 65 to take control of the Baton Rouge Open, leading to a victory after scores 65-67-68-66—266, earning $2,800.
Steve Stricker was born on this date in 1967 in Edgerton, Wisconsin. The low-key Stricker won 12 times on the PGA Tour and is a five-time Champions Tour winner, including two majors in 2019, one of them the U.S. Senior Open.
Three major championship winners were born on this date. In 1937 Tommy Aaron (1973 Masters) was born in Gainesville, Georgia. Five-time major winner Amy Alcott was born in Kansas City in 1956, and in 1963, three-time major champ Vijay Singh was born in Fiji.
On this date in 1960, Arnold Palmer’s breakout year as major star, he finished tied for fifth at the Tucson Open after shooting rounds of 65-74-69-68—276, good for $872.86.
On this date in 1955, Arnold Palmer, playing his inaugural season on the PGA Tour, finished playing in the Texas Open for the first time. He had scores of 69-70-64-67—270 to tie for sixth. However, because he was serving a six-month apprenticeship, he wasn’t allowed to collect approximately $460 in prize money.
On this date in 1967, Arnold Palmer won the Tucson Open, having shot rounds of 66-67-67-73—273, for the top prize of $12,000.
Golf star and current TV analyst Judy Rankin was born on this date in 1945 in St Louis, Missouri, making her, yes, three-quarters of a century old.
In 1961, Paul Runyan shot a second-round 70 at PGA National in Dunedin, Florida, en route to a victory worth $1,500 in the 22nd Senior PGA Championship.
On this date in 1986, Gary Player won the Senior PGA Championship at PGA National with a score of 281, two ahead of Lee Elder.
It’s been a year already since Gene (The Machine) Littler died on this date at age 88. Born a year after Arnold Palmer, Littler, from San Diego, got a head start on a hall of fame career over Arnie when Palmer spent three years in the Coast Guard. Littler won the 1954 San Diego Open as an amateur. His lone professional major was the 1961 U.S. Open, the year after Arnold won his only U.S. Open.
Mary Kathryn (Mickey) Wright, the greatest woman golfer of all time, was born on this date in San Diego in 1935. A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, she won four U.S. Women’s Opens and 82 LPGA Tour titles.
The great Patty Berg was born on this date in 1918 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The World Golf Hall of Fame player won 15 major titles but was also an excellent ambassador for the game. In her teaching exhibitions she would advise players to “swing to the finish” with a flamboyant follow-through.
On this date in 1989, the 50th Senior PGA Championship finished at PGA National Golf Club, with late-bloomer Larry Mowry winning by one shot over Miller Barber and Al Geiberger.
One of the more obscure pioneering woman golfers was born on this date in 1911. Helen Hicks, who won the 1937 Western and 1940 Titleholders, was born in Cedarhurst, New York.
A pair of marquee players born in different eras were born on this date. In 1955, two-time major winner Greg Norman was born in Queensland, Australia. Forty years later, Lexi Thompson, the 2014 ANA Inspiration winner, was born in Coral Springs, Florida. At age 15, she turned professional in June 2010.
On this date in 1958, World Golf Hall of Fame member Sandy Lyle, winner of the 1985 Open Championship and 1988 Masters, was born in Shrewsbury, England.
On this date in 1962, Arnold Palmer shot a first-round 64 in the Phoenix Open, one of his lowest rounds ever on the PGA Tour, to be the leader.