Forty-six years ago on this date in 1979, the first round of the Bay Hill Citrus Classic was held. For 13 years, the Orlando tour stop had been held at Rio Pinar C.C. But Arnold Palmer owned Bay Hill and was able to get the tour stop moved to the course. He shot 70 in the first round and finished 59th with a 294 total. Bob Byman would win with 278. The 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational, at Bay Hill, will be next week, March 6-9. Also, on this date in 1976, Jack Nicklaus won the Tournament Players Championship (later years The Players) at Inverrary C.C. in Lauderhill, Florida. Jack was back on his game, a long way from the 82 he had shot earlier in the year at the Bing Crosby Pro-Am. Nicklaus won by three strokes over J.C. Snead, played the par 5s 13 under par and didn't make a bogey in a final-round, seven-under-par 65.
On this date in 1971, the great Jack Nicklaus won the 53rd PGA Championship—at the first PGA National golf course, now known as BallenIsles, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Nicklaus won by two over Billy Casper. The victory made Jack the first golfer to win the career Grand Slam twice of the Masters, U.S. Open, Open Ch., and PGA. This week’s Cognizant Classic is being played at PGA National’s current Champion Course.
On this date in 1902, Gene Sarazen was born in Harrison, New York. One of only five career Grand Slam achievers, Sarazen famously made a double eagle in the 1935 Masters and won a playoff to complete the Slam. Sarazen won seven majors, including the Slam after he won the 1935 Masters. He transcended the game from the Vardon to Woods eras. “The Squire” died in 1999.
On this date in 1957, Augusta National Golf Club announced it would institute a 36-hole cut for the low 40 and ties in the Masters. This date is also the birthday of Arnold and Winnie Palmer’s first daughter, Peg, in 1956. And on this date in 1965, Sam Snead shot a 68 to share the second-round lead in the 26th Senior PGA at five under par with Chick Harbert and Henry Ransom at Fort Lauderdale C.C. Another 68 in the third round gave Sam control and he would win by four shots.
One of the most competitively pugnacious major champions, Zach Johnson, was born on this date in 1976 in Iowa City. The Drake graduate has won two majors, the Masters in 2007 and Open Championship in 2015, and in his 12 PGA Tour victories he’s also won The Colonial twice.
On this day in 1957, Arnold Palmer shot a 69 at Memorial Park Municipal Golf Course to finish off a first-place performance at the Houston Open. He had a 279 score to win by one over Doug Ford and take home $7,500. Also, Tony Lema, the 1964 Open “champion golfer of the year” on the Old Course, was born on this date in 1934 in Oakland, California. Lema had one of the great personalities in golf history and was known as Champagne Tony for treating the media to a celebratory drink after a victory. Sadly, his full potential was never realized. He died in July 1966 when he and his wife and pilot died in a plane crash on their way from Akron, Ohio, to Illinois.
The 2021 U.S. Ryder Cup captain, Steve Stricker, was born on this date in 1967. Stricker was born in Edgerton, Wisconsin and has won 12 PGA Tour events. His best finish in a major was runner-up in the 1998 PGA. He now plays often on the Champions Tour. Stricker attended the University of Illinois and has gone down in history as one of golf’s all-time best putters. He won the 2019 U.S. Senior Open , as well as The Tradition three times, 2023 Senior PGA, and the Senior Players twice.
Three winners of major championships have birthdays today. Vijay Singh was born in 1963. He won the 2000 Masters and two PGAs in 1998 and 2004. Tommy Aaron, the 1973 Masters champion, was born in 1937. Amy Alcott, the five-time major winner and World Golf Hall of Fame member, was born on this date in Kansas City in 1956.
On this date in 1971, Ruth Jessen won the then richest prize in women’s golf at the Sear’s Women’s World Classic at Port St. Lucie C.C./Sinner’s Course. She won by two shots over Sandra Palmer, earning $10,000 of the $60,000 total prize money. Also on this date in 1964, Sam Snead shot a four-under-par 68 at PGA National Golf Club to lead the 25th Senior PGA by three shots after two rounds. He would end up winning the 72-hole championship by three.
On this date, and on February 27, in 1927, golfers in South Carolina, according to lore, were arrested for playing golf and violating the Sabbath Day. And one of the more obscure major golf champions but boasting a cute nickname was born on this date in 1915. Melvin (Chick) Harbert was born in Dayton, Ohio. He won seven times on the PGA Tour but the PGA Championship was his specialty. He won it in 1954 and was also a two-time runner-up, in 1947 and 1952. The event was competed as match play those years. Harbert was 24-10 in the PGA match play from 1946 to 1957.
Paul Runyan had the rare distinction of winning the same senior major on the same date in consecutive years on the same course. In 1961 and 1962 Runyan won the Senior PGA at PGA National in Dunedin, Florida. In 1962, United Press began its wrap-up: “Little Paul Runyan clawed his way around the PGA National golf course two strokes under par today and won his second straight PGA seniors championship with a 72-hole score of 278 equal to the record he set last year and 10 under par. Runyan, never the leader until the last round, broke his way in front of the field with four birdies and a 33 on the front nine.” And on this date in 1994 Marta Figueras-Dotti won the Cup o' Noodles Hawaiian Ladies Golf Open at Ko Olina Golf Club, Ewa Beach, Oahu, Hawaii. She shot seven under par to win by one over Jane Geddes.
Alexander (Sandy) Herd was born in April 1868 and died on this day in 1944, age 75. He was born in Scotland and is credited with winning the 1902 Open Championship. And hall-of-Fame golfer Judy Rankin was born on this date in 1945 in St. Louis. After her playing career, she became one of the finest TV golf analysts and media contributors, including with Golf Digest.
On this date in 1955, Mike Souchak shot a 60 at the Texas Open held at Breckenridge Park Golf Course and went on to win the tournament with a record score of 27 under par, 257. Also, just having celebrated the birthdate of the renowned Mickey Wright three days ago, born in 1935 in San Diego, today is the five-year remembrance of her passing on February 17 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The World Golf Hall of Fame member won four U.S. Women’s Opens among her 82 victories.
South African golf legend Gary Player won the 1986 Senior PGA Championship on this date, winning by two shots over Lee Elder at PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. And Marlene Bauer Hagge, one of the original LPGA founders in 1950 and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, was born on this date in 1934.
On this date in 1987, Chi Chi Rodriguez won the PGA Seniors' Championship at PGA National, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, by one shot over Dale Douglass. Also, on this date in 1950, Bobby Jones was listed as one of the top competitors from the first half of the century in a poll of sportswriters and sportscasters, along with Jim Thorpe, Babe Ruth, George Mikan, Jack Dempsey, Man a ‘ War, Johnny Weismuller, Bill Tilden, Jesse Owens and Babe Zaharias for her track effort.
The greatest women’s golfer of all time, Mary Kathryn (Mickey) Wright, was born on this date in 1935 in San Diego. She would win 13 majors in her 82 LPGA Tour victories. She died in 2020. The World Golf Hall of Famer won four U.S. Women’s Opens and four LPGA championships.
Golfer Patty Berg was born on this date 107 years ago in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, Berg was one of the original LPGA Tour founders. She grew up with future football coach Bud Wilkinson, just two years older, in her neighborhood. The LPGA pioneer was not only a great champion but known as a golf ambassador. She had an infectious personality that was always on display. When she did a teaching clinic, she emphasized you must “swing to the finish” and then did so with a flourish.
On this date in 1989, the 50th PGA Seniors' Championship was played at PGA National GC and was won by Larry Mowry in a one-stroke victory over Al Geiberger and Miller Barber. For all their golf battles, the Big Three of Palmer, Player and Nicklaus didn’t finish 1-2-3 very often in tournaments. But that’s what happened on this date in 1963 in the Phoenix Open when they finished 1-2-3 for Palmer, Player and Nicklaus, in that order, at Arizona Country Club with four-round totals of 273, 274 and 275.
On this date in 1973, Arnold Palmer won his final PGA Tour event, the Bob Hope Classic, with a two-shot victory over Jack Nicklaus. Arnold had scores of 71-66-69-68-69—343, and won $32,000. The courses were Bermuda Dunes/Host course (72, 6,778), Indian Wells (72, 6,500), La Quinta (72, 6,530), Tamarisk (72, 6,863), Palm Springs, California. Arnie’s first victory had been the 1955 Canadian Open. Also, on this date in 1961, Arnold Palmer shot a 66 in the third round of the Phoenix Open, then shot a 70 in Round 4 to tie Doug Sanders for first at 270. In an 18-hole playoff, Palmer defeated Sanders, 67-70, and won first prize of $4,300. Also, Helen Hicks, one of the founding members of the LPGA Tour, was born on this date in 1911 in Cedarhurst, New York. Hicks’ main victories were the 1937 Western Open and 1940 Titleholders Championship. She died in 1974 at age 63.
World Golf Hall of Fame member Greg Norman was born on this date in 1955 in Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia. He won the Open Championship twice but perhaps is just as well known for the majors he didn’t nail down after being in a strong position, the most notable being the 1996 Masters. On this day in 1951, Al Brosch, of Garden City, New York, was the first player to shoot a 60 on the PGA Tour at the Texas Open, third round, on the par-71, 6,400-yard Brackenridge Park Golf Course. He broke the record of 61 shot by amateur Dow Finsterwald in 1950 in the St. Louis Open.