The 2010 Masters started with the ceremonial tee shots by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. They're two former great champions and, since Gary Player has stopped playing, I'm really hopeful we'll be seeing him becoming the third member of the ceremonial tee shot. It would be great to have the big three back together.
Staying yesterday's article in terms of bringing out some stories that I have been privileged to be part of, involving DJ, I'd like to bring on a story that involves Arnold Palmer that most people probably don't know about. In his hay day when he was playing and up until about 5 years ago, Mr. Palmer always made it a point on Monday and Tuesday to play his practice round with all of the amateurs.
That was his big thing, to play with the amateurs, pass on some of his wisdom and information about the course as well as what it is to be a player and professional golfer. As you know, most of the amateurs who play in the Masters eventually turn professional.
In 2001, when DJ was playing as an amateur, he was scheduled to play Tuesday morning with Mr. Palmer and the U.S Amateur Champion runner up, James Driscoll. The problem ended up that that Tuesday was rainy, damp, cold, and absolutely miserable. Mr. Palmer chose not to play. I think it was probably wise, considering his age and the conditions.
DJ played early that morning and got a round in. So on Wednesday, which was the par 3 day, DJ had a scheduled tee time and to make that he teed off really early. When we finished we got in and had lunch and, for whatever reason he decided that he would play in the par 3 so he went to the range to practice.
All of a sudden our caddy came up running after me and said, “Where's DJ? He needs to get over to the par 3 course first tee. Mr. Palmer is waiting for him. What had happened was that DJ didn't know that since Mr. Palmer wasn't able to play with him and James Driscoll on Tuesday he had fixed it up so that he would play his nine holes with them in the par 3 tournament.
We ran DJ down, got him over to the first tee in time. He was the next to the last group to play. He was also paired with Jack Nicklaus who was going to play with James Driscoll. How cool is that pairing. DJ with Arnold Palmer and James Driscoll with Jack Nicklaus to play the par three tournament.
The other really unbelievable thing that happened was the last group to play involved Gary Player. So when DJ and James Driscoll got to the first tee, there standing to tee off was the big three: Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.
Great pictures were taken by Howdy Giles. He's actually Dr. Howdy Giles. He's been Arnold Palmer's dentist for years and is a professional photographer. As Mr. Palmer's dentist and personal friend, he got into a lot of the big tournaments for the last 30 or 40 years with Mr. Palmer. He was kind of like his personal photographer and took hundreds and thousands of pictures.
DJ also has a pretty good relationship with Mr. Giles also. Mr. Giles is a rules official for the USGA and is an official at many of the USGA junior amateur championships. I don't know if it happened by chance or he asked for it, but he was DJ's walking rules official for five years in a row when DJ played in the U.S. Junior Amateur and some of the U.S. Amateurs. So they developed a really close relationship.
At this par 3 tournament in 2001, Dr. Giles was there taking pictures and sent us a little portfolio of the ones he took of DJ and Mr. Palmer. I don't know if you know this but Dr. Giles took all those pictures and created a phenomenal pictorial of the life of Arnold Palmer as a professional golfer. It's called “The King and I' by Howdy Giles. You can buy it in any bookstore. It's a great pectoral. Last year at Bay Hill, Dr. Giles came up to me and said he was putting the book together and going through all the pictures he found some great ones of DJ and Mr. Palmer at the par 3.
He selected the best one and blew it up and was going to have Mr. Palmer sign a personal comment to DJ. He did one for DJ and one for me. It's one of the most fabulous keepsakes that DJ and I both have now.
Those are just a few stories about how great the Masters is, and how great a person and professional golfer Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus are. I thought you'd enjoy this little info.
(Note for Golf School. Look for details soon on our California PPGS schools at Talega Golf Club in beautiful San Clemente, May 17 – 19 and 20 – 22. It's going to be one heck of an experience. Call: 1-888-84SWING(79464) or 1-864-525-7336.)
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