On this date in 1951, unheralded Pat O’Sullivan won the LPGA Titleholders Championship at Augusta C.C. by two shots over Beverly Hanson. Both players were amateurs.
On this date in 1902, the great Bobby Jones was born in Atlanta. The lifetime amateur founded Augusta National and the Masters. What would he have made of today’s pandemic and its affect on the world? He surely would have had wise words about how to go forward. He passed away in December 1971.
World Golf Hall of Fame member Hollis Stacy was born on this date in 1954. A Georgia native, Stacy won three U.S. Women’s Opens and 18 LPGA Tour events.
A pair of Titleholders championships concluded on this date. In 1953, Patty Berg won for the fifth time, at Augusta Country Club, by nine shots over Betsy Rawls with a score of 294. And in 1959, Louise Suggs won for the fourth time, with 297, with Rawls second again, this time one stroke behind.
A pair of one-time major champions were born on this day. In 1929, Bob Goalby, winner of the 1968 Masters, was born in Belleville, Illinois. He is the uncle to Jay Haas. And in 1936, 1963 Open Championship winner Bob Charles was born in Carterton, New Zealand.
On this date in 1878, it is traditionally believed that the first golf match was held between Oxford and Cambridge universities, with Oxford coming out ahead.
On this date in 1971, the Florida Citrus Invitational played a second round, in which Arnold Palmer shot 68. He would shoot two more 68s and win first prize of $30,000.
On this date in 1956, the LPGA Tour’s Titleholders Championship of Women's Golf was won for the third time by Louise Suggs in a great battle with Patty Berg, winning by one shot at Augusta Country Club.
The Pensacola Open ended on this date in 1963, with Arnold Palmer finishing with rounds of 69-68-69-67—273 for first place and $3,500.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational concluded yesterday, but on today’s date in 1967, the tournament’s earlier incarnation, the Florida Citrus Open, began with the first round. Arnold shot 67-69-71-68—275 to tie for second and earn $11,212.50.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational ends today. In 1970 it was called the Florida Citrus Invitational, and on this date Arnold finished the tournament shooting 64-72-64-72—272 to tie for second with Bob Stanton, earning $13,875 each. Bob Lunn won at 17-under 271. However, in 1971, Palmer won the tournament and he got to the figure he needed in 1970, 18 under par, winning by one over Julius Boros.
On this date in 1963, Arnold Palmer shot a 69 in the first round of the Pensacola Open, a second-tier tour event he played several times as an example of how he supported lesser-known tournaments. He went on to win with four rounds in the 60s.
On this date in 1955, Arnold Palmer finished a PGA Tour event on a March 6 for the first time when he completed play in the Baton Rouge Open with scores 70-73-73-72—288. Bo Wininger, Billy Maxwell and Jimmy Clark went into a playoff the next day, won by Wininger. Arnold tied for 40th and finished out of the money. It was the era on tour when not everyone who made the cut went home with any money.
On this date in 1964, Arnold Palmer was playing well en route to winning his final major at the Masters. He shot a first-round 69 in the Pensacola Open and a few days later would lose a playoff and tie for second.
The affable and verbally verbose Peter Jacobsen was born on this date in 1954. The personable Oregonian won seven times on the PGA Tour and has been doing TV commentary for many years.
Today is the Centennial Celebration for three-time major championship winner Julius Boros, who was born on this date in 1920. Boros won the 1968 PGA, 1952 and 1963 U.S. Open and was born in Fairfield, Connecticut. Boros was known by many nicknames: Moose; Julie; Jay; Old Man River; The Bull; and Jackpot Julius.
On this date in 1932, Joe Kirkwood, a famed world golf traveler and trick-shot expert from Australia, is credited with shooting an 83 using only his putter at an 18-hole course in Bellair, Florida. The stunt was part of an exhibition with Babe Ruth and Kirkwood’s feat beat the 84 Ruth scored with a full set.
It is traditionally reported that on this date in 1938, the Federal Trade Commission prohibited the PGA of America and eight manufacturers from price fixing in the golf ball industry.
On this date in 1948, Lawson Little won the St. Petersburg Open over Bobby Locke, by three shots. He is believed to be the last player to win a tour event on a Leap Day.
With the Honda Classic being played this week at PGA National, on this date in 1971 Jack Nicklalus won the PGA Championship at PGA National, leading wire-to-wire to beat Billy Casper by two shots. With the victory, Nicklaus completed his second career grand slam.