Video: The King's Augusta National Yardage Book

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I can't think of a better way to kick off Bay Hill week than this great stuff from Amanda Balionis inside Arnold Palmer's office sharing The King's handcrafted, homemade, small batch ANGC yardage book:

 

Consternation Growing Over API's Lack Of Star Power

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It's a strange state of affairs when Billy Horschel is a voice of PGA Tour reason, especially after he said he would have passed on playing in the WGC Mexico had he qualified. Somehow, the event carried on.

But it is fascinating to see Horschel join the likes of Louis Oosthuizen and Henrik Stenson in highlighting the lack of star power likely at next week's Arnold Palmer Invitational, the first without The King.

Even with multiple tributes planned, including a 13-foot tall statue of Palmer, the stars are passing.

Will Gray with some of the other player comments about what is shaping up as a weak field next week in Orlando.

Doug Ferguson considered the convoluted road to Augusta, altered by the location and placement of two World Golf Championship events. He also talked to Rickie Fowler who is contemplating a pass on the easy money and points of the WGC Match Play for the API.

And given Steve Stricker's comments Tuesday at the Valspar Championship, Tiger Woods is not a likely last minute contestant either. Bob Harig reports.

NYT: Sam Saunders Reflects On His Grandfather

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The New York Times' Karen Crouse catches up with Sam Saunders, who had a dreadful fall when he lost both of his grandfathers while also having to withdraw from the Web.com Tour Playoffs to care for his ill child, Ace.

But Saunders is back playing the Web.com Tour and able to reflect with great strength about what must be such a tough topic: his unexpected last call with grandfather Arnold Palmer.

The entire story is excellent and worth your time, but this stood out:

He was caring for Ace on Sept. 25 when Kelly reminded him to check in with Palmer, who was in a hospital in Pittsburgh preparing for surgery.

Saunders knew his grandfather would appreciate hearing from him. Since the death in 2003 of Mark McCormack — Palmer’s friend and business manager, who slipped into a coma after going into cardiac arrest while having minor surgery at a dermatologist’s office — Palmer had stubbornly resisted any medical procedure that required anesthesia, including hip replacement.

“For a guy who seemed so tough, he was scared of that,” Saunders said.

Palmer answered on the first ring, and their brief conversation sounded no alarms with Saunders, who said he was caught completely off guard when his father called a few hours later to relay the news that Palmer, 87, had died.

Palmer's "Sweetest Win Ever" Came At The Hope

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Really fun deep dive read here from Jim McCabe, in a special to PGATour.com, writing about Arnold Palmer's final PGA Tour win.

It came at a special Bob Hope Classic that brought Jack Nicklaus to the desert and one that Palmer would call "the sweetest ever."

A teaser:

Palmer and Nicklaus were together on the tournament’s eve to break ground on a golf course project they were co-designing (now Ironwood Country Club), but they were miles apart in Round 1 at Indian Wells.

In the Los Angeles Times, the great Jim Murray called Palmer and Nicklaus “the prime minister and emperor of golf,” but it didn’t appear as if they were competitors any more, at least not until Palmer outscored Nicklaus, 66-70, in the second round at Tamarisk Country Club.   
     
That left Nicklaus at 134, three ahead of Palmer and a Monday qualifier named Allen Miller. Joked Miller: “What are all those unknowns doing up there with me?”   
     
“The Hope” was competing for space in the L.A. Times with the legendary Steve Prefontaine, who beat Marty Liquori in the mile at the Times Indoor Games.

The King: Doc Giffin's Missing The Beep

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Golf.com is rolling out a story per day from their special tribute issue honoring Arnold Palmer, whose passing will be remembered as golf's defining moment of 2016.

This Q&A with longtime sidekick Doc Giffin suggests, as you'd expect, it's been tough without The King around.

In the days since Arnold's death, what has it been like in the office without him?

It's different. In the past, sometimes he'd beat us in. But in recent years, the staff—myself and three others—we'd be here ahead of him, and always anticipate him coming around the back of the building in his golf cart. He'd drive it down from the house at 10 or 10:30 and beep the horn when he was coming.

You miss the beep.

Yeah, I miss him coming into the office and saying, "Good morning! Well, what do you have for me today?" Miss the beep.

Review And Roundup: Arnold Palmer Memorial Service

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Let's get the predictable headline out of the way: it was a tribute fitting for a king. In this case, The King. 

A nice blend of speakers mostly adhered to family wishes to keep things light, and those who didn't (unintentionally) offered those feeling emotional a few moments to collect themselves before another speaker would have you laughing or crying.

Emcee Charlie Mechum offered comfort, class and humor and gentle ground rules. Lorenzo Reyes of the USA Today explained his this account:

The service spanned two hours and 19 minutes, and allowed guest speakers to share their memories and describe how Palmer impacted their lives and the game of golf.

“I’d like to suggest that the tone and the mood for this service is best exemplified by the image of him striding up the fairway with that iconic smile, hitching up his pants, and giving it a thumbs up,” former LPGA commissioner and close Palmer friend Charlie Mechem said. “That’s what I want you to think about all day today.”

While every speaker brought something special to the proceedings, though Jack Nicklaus, grandson Sam Saunders, Jim Nantz and aviation pal Russ Meyers stood out for capturing the best things about Arnold Palmer, while Vince Gil's memories and rendition of Carole King's You've Got A Friend had attendees like Tom Watson singing along.

Doug Ferguson notes for AP in a short story on the service,

The service at Saint Vincent College in Palmer’s hometown was filled with just as much laughter and warmth from stories of the most significant player in the modern game. The basilica at the college was packed with golf’s biggest names from around the world.

Jaime Diaz was present and wrapped up the service in this GolfDigest.com story.

The scene before his memorial service at the bucolic campus, only two miles from where Palmer learned to play golf at Latrobe C.C., also contained contrasts. The nearly 1,000 who would enter the lovely basilica were somber as they shuffled in, but also carried a palpable energy. It was the power of memory.

Fulfilling the simplest metric for a life well-lived, Palmer, who died on Sept. 25 at age 87, filled up a church. Actually, another 5,000 watched the service via closed circuit at other locations on the campus, making Palmer’s gathering even larger than the 3,000 that attended Payne Stewart’s service at the First Baptist Church of Orlando in 1999. But it was all the stories and moments and images contained in the collective remembrances of Palmer that had trouble fitting under the basilica’s ornately-arched 50-foot ceilings.

Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette live-blogged the service and captured many of the great lines delivered.

Sam Saunders’ touching tribute and final phone call just an hour before his grandfather passed:



Jim Nantz, who knew Palmer well, understandably struggled with his emotions in ways we've never seen, but battled through to tell some epic stories in grand fashion. All 17 minutes of his eulogy:

And here is Jack Nicklaus, who apologized for reading from a script, but as you'll see he did so for practical reasons.
 

Arnold Palmer Funeral Coverage And Golf Digest Special Issue

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Here is the Golf Digest special issue coverage hitting newstands today ($13.99) and digitial subscriber tablets on Tuesday.

Congratulations to all, especially Mike O'Malley, Ken DeLago and Christian Iooss for the quick turnaround and excellent presentation for what is an incredible summary of the best Arnold Palmer writing and images.

Artist Dale Stephanos created the cover illustration.

And here is the plan for Golf Channel's Tuesday coverage of Mr. Palmer's funeral in Latrobe.

IN MEMORY OF ARNOLD PALMER: GOLF CHANNEL TO DEVOTE TUESDAY, OCT. 4 TO LIVE COVERAGE OF MEMORIAL SERVICE
 
ORLANDO, Fla. (Oct 3, 2016) – Golf Channel will devote an entire day to celebrating the life and legacy of the King, including live coverage of Arnold Palmer’s memorial service on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 11 a.m. ET from the St. Vincent College basilica in Latrobe, Pa.
 
Morning Drive and Golf Central will both be onsite throughout the morning prior to the memorial service. Coverage will feature interviews with special guests in attendance, along with live reports throughout the day. Reporting on-site in Latrobe will be Golf Channel’s Kelly Tilghman and Rich Lerner.
 
At 1 p.m. ET following the memorial service, Golf Channel will feature a special airing of Arnie, Golf Channel Films’ four-part documentary on Palmer’s life and career. The celebration of the King continues at 5 p.m. ET, with highlights of Palmer’s 1960 Masters victory. At 6 p.m. ET, a second Golf Central Special show will recap the memorial service from earlier in the day, hosted by Tilghman and Lerner on-site in Latrobe and featuring special guests.
 
Primetime will return to previously scheduled programming, including the season finale of Feherty, premiering at 9 p.m. ET and featuring fellow Western Pennsylvania sports icon, Pittsburgh Steelers’ Hall-of-Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw. Golf Channel’s original series Driver vs. Driver presented by Wilson premieres at 10 p.m. ET, showcasing aspiring golf equipment designers developing the next retail driver for Wilson Golf, Palmer’s original equipment brand.
 
Join the Conversation in Memory of The King

Fans who are unable to attend Tuesday’s memorial service in-person are being encouraged to congregate at their local golf course to watch with fellow fans of The King and post a photo on social media with the hashtag, #ArniesArmy.
 
Tuesday, Oct. 4 (All Times EST)
7-10 a.m.                     Morning Drive
10 a.m.-1 p.m.             Arnold Palmer Memorial Service
1-5 p.m.                       Arnie
5-6 p.m.                       1960 Masters Highlights
6-7:30 p.m.                  Golf Central Special: Arnold Palmer Memorial
7:30-9 p.m.                  Golf Central Special: Arnold Palmer Memorial (Replay)

Somewhere Over The Rainbow: Palmer's Ashes At Latrobe

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Gerry Dulac with an image of this ceremonial flight over Latrobe Country Club for Arnold Palmer. A small family-only service was held. Dave Shedloski reports.

 

 

Dulac says the location of his ashes became known too...


And after the funeral, this stunning rainbow appeared...

 

 

 

"Ultimate gesture players can make is living like Arnie"

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The timing is bold but the topic has been on the minds of many who follow pro golf: too many of today's lavishly paid stars act in sharp contrast to Arnold Palmer in character, actions and passion for the game.

Ryan Lavner at GolfChannel.com says the passing of Mr. Palmer puts the onus "on the players to decide for themselves how to honor his legacy."

That’s why these days, weeks and months ahead are an important period of reflection for the current pros.

There is an ever-widening divide between fans and the stars of our game, the mega-millionaires who are safe in their cocoon, protected by managers and publicists and image specialists. The money has never been greater – Rory McIlroy deposited $11.44 million Sunday; Palmer made $1.86 million in his career – and the lifestyles never more different. Each year, it seems, they only drift further away, the connection becoming more tenuous.

And so, moving forward, will our stars use their fame, their fortune and their status to shield themselves from the public, from the fans that enriched their fabulous lives? Or will they stay grounded and humble and relatable – will they stay connected – the way Palmer did?

The Olympic Zika virus fiasco this summer opened the door to this discussion and while the debate is not something that should overshadow the remembrances of The King, but throwing the point out seems fair as we hear from the players over the next few days about how they view Palmer's legacy and their places in the game.

Roundup: Some Initial Arnold Palmer Reads And Listens

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Just some of the best stuff I've come across so far...

Steve DiMeglio with more extensive thoughts from Tiger Woods on Arnold Palmer, including this about the time he played the Par-3 at the Masters with Nicklaus and Palmer:

“They just said come with us,” Woods said. “So we just walked over there and we didn’t have to wait and we were on the box. … I’ll never forget we all birdied No. 9. That was probably the most nervous I’ve ever been. They had hit it close and now I’m looking out and seeing a lot of water and just a sliver of green. I was lucky enough to take it off the backboard on the green and have it roll back to the hole. So we all made 2.”

Here is Tiger's chat with Golf Channel's Steve Burkowski where he shares some stories and debuts a new facial hair motif which, if it goes uncut, may hurt his cart speed aerodynamics this week.

In lieu of an emergency ShackHouse (recording Wednesday), Joe House and I offer our thoughts on Palmer for The Ringer crowd and athletes who take for granted what Palmer meant to the sports business world.

Jack Nicklaus's phone interview on Golf Channel's non-stop coverage today.

Players and celebs, includng Chris O'Donnell, Mark Wahlberg and Jim Nantz are interviewed in this Golf Digest video.

Brian Wacker with a personal experience involving Palmer and the letters he so famously wrote.

Jaime Diaz joins Sam Weinman to discuss Palmer on the Golf Digest podcast.

From James Corrigan's Telegraph remembrance:

Timing was everything for Arnold Palmer. The player they were to coronate The King came along at the perfect moment to start a golfing and yes, marketing revolution and although his passing, whenever it came, was always going to be classed as premature, nobody could deny that he left the stage just as the spotlight was zooming in.

That was Palmer, for you. Always the idol they were talking about long after he had made his gracious exit.

Rick Reilly on how Palmer liked people, liked life and liked being a star.

Here was Arnold Palmer: When he'd see you, he'd grab your right hand and shake it, your right shoulder and hold it and say, "How the hell are ya?" Then the left hand might move up to behind your neck or maybe he'd pull you sideways and walk with it draped over your right shoulder, as though you were childhood chums. Ben Hogan was an icicle, Jack Nicklaus was a god, but Arnold Palmer was your poker buddy. The man went out of his way to make sure you knew he liked you. Tiger Woods? Just the opposite.

Mr. Palmer somehow kept Carson Wentz off SI's pre-midseason NFL review's preview issue off the cover of this week’s SI.

Unlike that SI cover, so many of the photos and clips I've seen of Mr. Palmer are of him in his older years because (A) he aged incredibly gracefully and (B) he's been captured in so many modern mediums.

But I love this "What's My Line" appearance as he was becoming a national sensation.