It's The Bee's Knees When The "Big Three" Finishes 1-2-3 For the First Time

Arnold Palmer wins the 1963 Phoenix Open with Gary Player Finishing Second and Jack Nicklaus Third.

Feb 10, 2022

This week the PGA TOUR is in Phoenix for the traditional Super Bowl week event, the Phoenix Open, a tournament that has been played regularly since 1939 (the tournament was played in 1932 to 1936). We’re drilling down on the 1963 Phoenix Open where the emerging “Big Three” finished 1-2-3 for the first time. The event featured a couple of rules conundrums and a first of its kind weather delay.

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The “Big Three” Go 1-2-3 at the Phoenix Open in 1963

The “Big Three” of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player, along with Billy Casper, were dominating the PGA Tour during the early stages of 1963. Palmer won the inaugural event of the year, the L.A. Open, Player won the San Diego Open the next week, Casper captured the Crosby the following week. Jackie Burke, Jr. broke things up by winning the Lucky International Open before Nicklaus got things back on track with his victory in the Palm Springs Golf Classic the next week. Next up was the Phoenix Open.

The “Big Three”, plus Casper, arrived in Phoenix to fight it out for the Phoenix Open crown to be contested at the Arizona Country Club. Casper gave notice early that he was ready to take on the competition when he shot a sizzling 66 in the pro-am proceeding the official start of the tournament. Palmer, aided by an even par 72 gross score from his celebrity pro-am partner, Bob Hope, won the team portion of the pro-am. It was Hope’s best round in 10 years.

“Man, the guy was great,” Palmer said after the round. Palmer shot 70 on his ball but picked up $200 in prize money for the team win.

Nicklaus eagled the opening par 5 first hole, added birdies on the next two holes but cooled off on the back nine ending up with a 68. Player shot an even-par 72. The stage was set for a clash of titans.

Palmer, Player and Nicklaus all opened with 67s in the first round, as did Jay Hebert. Casper was three strokes back having shot a 70. Palmer followed up with another 67 in the second round and opened a two-stroke lead over Player, who shot a 69, and a three-stroke lead over Nicklaus. Palmer’s lead was just one stroke over both Nicklaus and Player at the conclusion of the third round. Palmer shot a 68, Nicklaus a 67 and Player matched Palmer’s 68. The final round was setting up as an opportunity for the “Big Three” to finish 1-2-3 for the first time.

The sponsors of the Phoenix Open purchased insurance on the off chance that rain would interrupt the proceedings. The insurance policy had an expiration time and much to the chagrin of tournament organizers, a storm hit just 10 minutes after the $7,000 policy expired. It was the first time the event was forced to postpone a round in the tournament’s 28-year history.

Before the rainout, Palmer and Nicklaus, playing together, had both played the first two holes in par while Player had played four holes and was two-under. In line with the rules of the day during this era, all scores were wiped out once the round was postponed.

The weather was no better on Monday, and it was decided that the fourth round would be completed on Tuesday. The weather left the greens at Arizona Country Club in less than perfect conditions. The bumpy greens, along with strong winds could cause a ball to move on the putting surface. On the sixth hole, a bee landed on Palmer’s ball as he was addressing it. Palmer stepped back and waited patiently for the bee to fly away. Once it did, he again addressed his ball. And then the ball moved.

“Ever so slightly,” Palmer said afterward.

He called for a ruling and tournament supervisor, Joe Black, arrived on the scene. Black did not immediately make a ruling electing to consult with Joe Dey, the Executive Director of the USGA. Palmer could have been assessed a one-stroke penalty if it was determined that he had grounded his club and addressed the ball.

Black recently recalled for Tour Backspin that, “He (Joe Dey) never called me back, so I went ahead and made the ruling as I interpreted the rules at the time. The greens were very bumpy because of cold weather in Phoenix and balls cold move on the green after address.”

Palmer wanted a ruling immediately, but it wasn’t until after he holed his last putt that he learned he would not be penalized. Palmer shot a final round 70, as did Gary Player who finished one-stroke back in second place. Nicklaus shot a final round 71 to finish one stroke further back. The “Big Three” kept up their domination of the 1963 PGA TOUR by finishing 1-2-3, for the first time in their careers, at the Phoenix Open.

Jack Nicklaus (l), Arnold Palmer (center) and Gary Player (r) at the 1963 Phoenix Open

Check out the bonus fact below for how things unfolded for Gary Player at the final hole of the 1963 Phoenix Open

The playlist this week is a best of 1963. Listen HERE .

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Tour Backspin Quiz | Phoenix Open Trivia

What is the widest margin of victory in the Phoenix Open, who holds the record, what did they shoot relative to par and what year was it done?

Answer below

Bonus Story

Gary Player, while playing great golf in the opening weeks of the 1963 PGA Tour, still felt a little snakebit after the conclusion of the Phoenix Open. He lost the Palm Springs Golf Classic the week prior in a playoff against Jack Nicklaus. And in Phoenix he was on the wrong side of the ruling that Palmer received concerning a bee making his ball move.

But it was on the last green where Player’s frustration reached a tipping point. He was looking at a four-foot putt for birdie on the final hole that would put him in a tie with Palmer who was playing in the group behind. Player eyed his putt while his playing partner, Don January stroked his putt up towards the hole. January’s ball ended up teetering on the lip of the cup and he was unsure if it had come to a rest or if it was still moving and would fall in the hole. January waited as the rules provided at that time.

January, and Player, waited for nearly seven minutes. Player grew more disturbed as the minutes passed. January finally surrendered to the inevitable and tapped the putt in. Player then missed his 4-footer by six inches.

Player was upset by the wait and sat staring at the leader board while Palmer made a two-foot putt for par on the 18th green for the victory.

“January didn’t have the right to wait seven minutes for that putt to drop,” Player complained to reporters. “It wasn’t going to drop ever, not without hitting it. It was very nerve-wracking, especially knowing I needed a bird to tie Arnie. Imagine, a 4-footer, and I missed it.”