Arnold Palmer’s ties to Las Vegas — and all of Nevada — have been many and significant dating back a half a century.
Three times in the 1960s, Palmer won the Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas. In 1983 he lent his image to the Las Vegas Pro-Celebrity Classic to promote the event that marked the return of professional golf to Las Vegas following a six-year absence. He designed seven courses in Nevada, four of them in Las Vegas.
A Las Vegas street is name Arnold Palmer Way in honor of the man who won four Masters, one U.S. Open, two British Opens and the 1954 U.S. Amateur en route to 62 victories on PGA Tour and 92 tournaments worldwide.
Palmer, who died Sunday in Pittsburgh at age 87, gave Las Vegas sports fans — and Arnie’s Army — the thrill of an exciting and memorable playoff victory at the Tournament of Champions 50 years ago this year.
In 1966, after what had been an arguably mediocre four rounds of golf — a five-under-par effort compared to Palmer’s past double digit subpar rounds in his previous Vegas T of C victories in 1962 and ’65 — Palmer and Gay Brewer were tied at the Desert Inn Country Club course.
Palmer won the 18-hole playoff and collected the $20,000 prize — the highest to that date in the tourney’s history that began in 1953 and continues to this day.
Palmer won his first Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas in 1962 at the DI, shooting a 12-under-par 276 and scoring a one-stroke victory over Billy Casper. Palmer pocketed $11,000 for that victory. Palmer won again in 1965 on the DI course, scoring an 11-under 277, defeating the popular Chi-Chi Rodriguez by two strokes. Palmer collected the $14,000 top prize that year.
Palmer also was twice runner-up in the T of C in Las Vegas — 1963 and 1967 — an event that each year drew not only the world’s top golfers but also the cream of Hollywood celebrities to Las Vegas.
Palmer tied for second with Tony Lema behind his friend and fellow golf legend Jack Nicklaus in the ’63 TofC at the Desert Inn.
In 1967, Palmer, going for three Tournament of Championship victories in a row, lost by one stroke to Frank Beard on the Stardust Country Club course (now called The National golf course).
The significance of the event was that Palmer set the course record 63 at The National that stood for 24 years until Tom Kite shot a 62. Davis Graham later passed Palmer’s mark to tie Kite’s course record.
Palmer also competed in the Sahara Invitational that over the years was contested at Las Vegas Muni, the Paradise Country Club and the Sahara-Nevada (1962-76), but never won it.
Due in part to the success of the Tournament of Champions — and to a lesser degree to the Sahara Invitational — and fueled by Palmer’s tremendous success, the Las Vegas organizers moved the T of C to La Costa, where it flourished for many years. Today, the Tournament of Champions is called the SBS Championship and is played in Hawaii.
When the Professional Golf Association tour returned to Las Vegas in 1983, Palmer lent his likeness to the promotion in hopes of boosting interest and drawing larger crowds, even though he was well past his golfing prime and had little or no chance of winning the event. Fuzzy Zoeller won the tourney that was played on the Showboat, Las Vegas and Dunes Country Club courses.
Palmer’s likeness was featured on an autographed limited-edition (1,000 copies) “Las Vegas Pro-Celebrity Classic ‘83” poster that in its time was one of the most sought-after sports memorabilia items in Las Vegas.
Palmer and his design company built seven courses in Nevada. They are the Angel Park Mountain Course, the Angel Park Palm Course, the Red Rock Country Club Arroyo Course and the Red Rock Country Club Mountain Course, all in Las Vegas; the Oasis Golf Club in Mesquite; the Dayton Valley Country Club in Dayton; and the Arrow Creek Country Club in Reno.
The Dayton course is so challenging it has been used as a PGA Qualifying course since 1995. The Oasis, built in 1995, features challenging elevated tees, rolling greens and several water hazards — a true Arnold Palmer signature golf course.
Also, in Las Vegas, Palmer has done his share to help promote youth golf. In 1983, Palmer came to Las Vegas to view the progress of the construction of the “Little Links” golf course at the old Desert Inn course, then the oldest on the Strip.
Palmer also served as a consultant to the local Little Links program that began in 1979 to make golf more accessible to Las Vegas youngsters, many of whom undoubtedly dreamed of — and strived for — being like their hero, Arnold Palmer; a great golfer, a philanthropic businessman, an endearing advertising spokesman and figure and a successful course designer.
Ed Koch is a former longtime Las Vegas Sun reporter.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy