MyTurn by JIM DUCIBELLA
Palmer’ s Lasting Mark
I didn’ t realize the sheer power of Arnold Palmer until someone I knew had never paid the least bit of attention to sports pulled me aside at church.
“ Did you know that Arnold Palmer died?” my fellow parishioner asked, breathlessly.
The encounter occurred— literally— seven days after Palmer passed away at age 87, a smidgen too late to receive the potentially life-extending heart surgery he needed. In the tiniest act of Christian charity imaginable, I expressed my appreciation for the information, but added that I was already aware of the news.
Nearly two months have passed since the public memorial service held in his hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Luminary after luminary, celebrity atop of celebrity, spoke of their love and admiration for the man who stuck the silver spoon in many of
Palmer was involved with more than a half their mouths. They marveled at how comfortable he was in the company of kings and Commonwealth.
dozen course designs and re-designs in the queens, presidents and prime ministers.
And while Palmer was most definitely a he could be reminded and reflect on his man of the world, he enjoyed a varied— perhaps peculiar in some ways— relationship In 1963, Palmer founded the Arnold
good friend. with the Commonwealth.
Palmer / Buddy Worsham Scholarship at
Start when he was a high schooler in Wake Forest. Lanny Wadkins of Richmond Latrobe. Wake Forest was recruiting him was its third recipient. Four years later, but he wasn’ t sure he wanted to go. Bud Curtis Strange of Virginia Beach joined the Worsham from Pittsylvania County was the club. And in 2010, it was Evan Beck, also of better player and helped recruit Palmer to the Beach, receiving the honor. Winston-Salem. They became roommates Everything else about Palmer’ s relationship with Virginia was considerably and best friends.
One night in 1950, Worsham tried to brighter. When he’ d drive home from North cajole Palmer into riding with him to a Carolina in the 1950s, he once said, he’ d dance in Durham. Palmer declined and pass the old Hermitage Country Club, then Worsham went instead with Gene Scheer, located at the intersection of U. S. 1 and a teammate and roomie of Jim Flick.
Hilliard Road.
On the way home, Worsham’ s car skidded off a bridge and both men were killed. turned into the parking lot and played,”
“ So many times I wished I could have
Devastated, Palmer finished out the semester then dropped out of Wake Forest and Well, he played Hermitage, all right, just
he said. entered the Coast Guard. not the old version. In 1998, Palmer won the
“ I didn’ t know what to do,” Palmer told Crestar Senior Classic, staged at the“ new” Golf Digest a few years ago.“ I was very Hermitage. It would turn out to be the last dismayed, unsettled. I lost my best buddy.” of his 62 tournament victories.
Worsham’ s passing led Palmer to evaluate what mattered most in his life. In trib- included course design and re-design: The
Palmer’ s mark on Virginia naturally
ute, and perhaps somber gratitude, Palmer Signature at West Neck in Virginia Beach, kept a photo of Worsham in his office, where the Palmer Signature course at Bay Creek
on the Eastern Shore, the Plantation Course at Kingsmill in Williamsburg, Keswick near Charlottesville, Belmont CC in Ashburn, Dominion Valley in Haymarket and Fawn Lake in Spotsylvania all carry his mark.
A mark of a different nature, Mark McCormack, had a profound impact on Palmer, and vice-versa. They met when McCormack was a golfer at William & Mary and they competed in Southern Conference events. Everyone knows that Palmer and McCormack had a long-lasting business partnership forged on a handshake.
You may not know that Palmer’ s daughter, Peggy, graduated from William & Mary, and the story goes that it was McCormack who was instrumental in steering her there. And finally... In 1999, I was completing an anecdotal history of golf in Virginia. I hoped for someone to be affiliated with it who would draw attention to my efforts. Palmer’ s name on the foreword would do it.
A friend and college colleague of Palmer’ s accompanied me to Virginia Beach, where Palmer was scheduled to pay a site visit to The Signature at West Neck course.
The helicopter carrying Palmer landed, my friend explained what I wanted, and Palmer immediately advised that I contact Doc Giffin, his aide-de-camp since 1966.
Giffin, Palmer and I hammered out an acceptable foreword, the book came out and not long after I heard from Giffin. Could I mail Arnold a couple more copies? He had read it, liked it, and wanted to mail one to a friend. I was informed that the man, a Scot, just happened to own one of the largest collections of golf books in the world. Palmer didn’ t send everything, just those things he thought would enhance the man’ s collection.
While that story doesn’ t match the glib, global recollections of those who honored Palmer in Latrobe, it’ s one I’ ll never forget, and is the type of thing that causes church-goers who wouldn’ t know a 9-iron from a nail gun to pause and pay their respects.
Formerly of the Virginian-Pilot, columnist Jim Ducibella is a regular contributor to Virginia Golfer.
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