Palmer Cashes Largest Check of His Career
Wins the penultimate individual title of his career
It's the first week of the playoffs on the PGA Tour with The Northern Trust at the Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, NJ. The DNA for this tournament goes back to the Thunderbird Classic which then evolved into the Westchester Classic which featured the largest purse on the PGA Tour. We're tuning the Tour Backspin machine to 1971 and the penultimate individual PGA Tour title for Arnold Palmer.
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The Value of Rest
A rested Arnold Palmer shot a first round 64 and a second round 70 to lead the 1971 Westchester Classic, the richest stop on the PGA Tour. Meanwhile, a tired Lee Trevino, in the midst of a fantastic season that would result in many year-end awards including being named Sport Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, shot a first round 71. He followed it up with a second round 75 that included an 8 on the final hole and missed the cut.
It was the first cut that Trevino missed all season and both he and Palmer knew why. It was the 15th straight tournament that Trevino had played, and those tournaments included victories in the U.S. Open, The Open Championship and the Canadian Open. The three national championships came in a four week stretch. He was dead tired, and Palmer could relate.
“I’m bushed, I’m getting punchy tired,” Trevino admitted after the first round.
“There’s not too much doubt about one thing,” Palmer said after the first round. “I can’t play five, six, seven tournaments in a row like I used to. I tried it earlier this year and it took too much out of me.”
Palmer had skipped The Open Championship and the Western Open prior to the Westchester Classic. The rest paid off. In the first round he recorded five birdies on the front nine and added three more on the back nine for his 64, his best round since a 64 in the 1969 Citrus Open. Despite his second round 70, he increased his lead by two strokes. While Trevino headed to parts unknown to go fishing, Palmer headed into the weekend ready to bring home his third victory of 1971.
In the third round, Palmer holed his sand shot on the 16th hole for birdie to help withstand a charge by young Gibby Gilbert to increase his lead to three. The surprise of the day was the 68 shot by 59-year-old Sam Snead who sat at seven under par 209, just seven strokes behind Palmer.
The only thing that seemed to bother Palmer was the pace of play. It took him three and a quarter hours to play his round.
“I had to wait a half-hour on the ninth hole and another half-hour on the 10th,” Palmer complained. “That wait on the ninth cost me a bogey. I think it’s ridiculous. There should be a little more movement.”
Gilbert and Hale Irwin challenged Palmer in the final round, but Palmer was up to the challenge and held off the younger players to secure the win. He shot a final round 68 and collected the $50,000 first prize check — the largest check of his career.
“I think my play in this tournament proved that when I get enough rest, I can play as well as I ever have,” Palmer said.
After Trevino missed the cut, Palmer said, “I knew this was going to happen to Lee. He’s just finding out what it’s like. Nobody can play at that pace and stay on top. I ought to know. He realizes now what it means to feel obligated to all the people. It takes a toll.”
Like he said, he ought to know. Trevino was on his way to knowing, too.
Arnold Palmer tees off in the 1971 Westchester Classic. (AP | YouTube)
We have two bonus stories for you this week. Check 'em out below.
So much great music was released in 1971 that we had trouble whittling it down to just 18. Listen on Spotify.
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Bonus Story
The 59-year-old Sam Snead might have disagreed with Palmer about the need for rest. He posted four sub-par rounds in the Westchester to finish in a tie for fourth place with Frank Beard.
“Maybe they are saying a guy my age should be home mowing the lawn and raking the yard, but I love the game and I like to play tournaments,” Snead said after the four round. “I won’t stop playing as long as I can tee it up. I know I can’t hit the ball as long as I did when I was younger, and I don’t putt as well. But I also know I am a little mor accurate with my shots.”
Bonus Story II
Arnold Palmer’s wife Winnie did not travel to Rye, NY for the Westchester Classic but she was following the action on television. She was so excited that he won that she wanted to telephone him and tell him how wonderful she felt about it.
Palmer went to the phone in the press room and during the conversation, he did most of the listening, just as every good husband does.
Meanwhile, the phone in the locker room rang and the locker room attendant answered.
“May I speak to Arnold Palmer?” the voice on the other end said. “This is the President of the United States.”
The locker room attendant recognized the voice and asked Richard Nixon to hold on. He rushed downstairs to tell Palmer that the President was holding on the upstairs phone but the cop at the door would not let him in to the press room because he didn’t have the correct credentials. He pleaded with the cop before he was finally allowed in.
Palmer was still speaking, or rather, listening to his wife and the attendant didn’t know what to do. He explained his problem to a newsman nearby who wrote “President Nixon is on the phone” and showed it to Palmer.
Palmer didn’t panic, he just nodded his head in acknowledgement that he got the message. He waited until his wife finished speaking and then said, “I’ve gotta go now. I’ve got another call.”
He walked through the grill room on his way to the upstairs phone and was warmly applauded by the members present. He spoke with Nixon who congratulated him on his win and then asked for a lesson on bunker play so he could “learn how to play out of the sand trap like I did on 16 yesterday.”
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