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Arnold Palmer - To Paint Or Play

Palmer ended up leaving Wake Forest a year early to join the Coast Guard. He fully intended to return to school to earn his degree. He did return to Wake Forest, but he never completed the degree. (Wake Forest would later award him an honorary doctorate in the humanities.)

Chronology

1929 Born September 10 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania
1933 Father gives Arnold his first set of golf clubs when he's three
1938 Playing regularly with the older caddies on Latrobe's nine hole golf course
1941 Becomes a caddy at age 11 on Latrobe's course
1947 Enters Wake Forest University
1950 Leaves Wake Forest and for his military/wartime service joins U.S. Coast Guard
1953 Upon leaving Coast Guard, returns to Wake Forest but doesn't complete his degree (he will be awarded an honorary degree years later)
1954 Wins United States Amateur Championship
1954 Marries Winnifred Walzer on December 20 (they would have two daughters, Peggy and Amy)
1954 Turns professional after signing with Wilson Sporting Goods
1955 Wins his first important professional tournament, the Canadian Open
1958 Wins his first Masters
1960 Wins Masters for a second time; wins first and only U.S. Open
1960 Founds Arnold Palmer Enterprises
1961 Wins his first British Open
1962 Wins third Masters Tournament; wins second British Open
1964 Wins fourth Masters
1968 Becomes first player in PGA Tour History to reach $1 million in official earnings, on July 21, with a tie for 2nd at the PGA Championship
1970 Awarded honorary LL.D. from Wake Forest University
1971 Becomes president and owner of Latrobe Country Club
1974 Becomes president of Arnold Palmer Cadillac in Charlotte, North Carolina
1980 Enters Senior Tour and wins the PGA Seniors Championship
1981 Wins the USGA Senior Open (first player to claim both U.S. and Senior U.S. Open titles)
1984 Wins his second PGA Seniors Championship
1992 Establishes major annual fundraiser for Latrobe Area Hospital
1994 Plays in final U.S. Open
1996 Captains the U.S. team to victory in the President's Cup
1997 Undergoes surgery for prostate cancer
1999 Co-authors his autobiography, A Golfer's Life with James Dodson
1999 Wife Winnie dies of cancer on November 20
2000 Plays in 1000th tour event
2002 Matches his age (73) in the final round of the Napa Valley Championship
2002 Makes record 48th consecutive start at the Masters (his final Masters Tournament)

He was unsure of what to do, and when Palmer left school, he was tempted to turn pro right away. But that was not an easy decision to make. Though being a professional golfer enticed the young Palmer, professional golf promised no financial stability in the 1950s. In fact, Palmer's popularity after his entrance into the world of professional golf, in 1954, brought about the higher winnings and larger purses players are familiar with today. Many professionals still call Palmer "The King" because they realize that were it not for Palmer's decision to turn pro the game would never have taken off.

Arnold Palmer - Chronology [next] [back] Arnold Palmer - Comes Of Age On The Links

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