Arnold Palmer on the Ryder Cup and More

Competitions like the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup are very important for promoting the game all over the world. That’s the example I always tried to set more than anything else.
−Arnold Palmer

ARNOLD PALMER STILL PLAYS golf a couple times a week and hits balls frequently. “I still enjoy the game and my friends,” Palmer told Farrell Evans in a Q&A at Golf.com.

The King played on six Ryder Cup teams, but wasn’t eligible and couldn’t earn Ryder Cup points until five years after he turned pro in 1954. Those were the rules in the old days. Arnie was good in match play, amassing a 22-8-2 Ryder Cup record during a period when America dominated. He also bagged plenty of matches on his way to winning the 1954 U.S. Amateur.

Palmer was also the captain of two U.S. squads, in 1963 and 1975. Asked what Ryder Cup memories stood out, he said, “... Brian Barnes beat Nicklaus twice in the same day, which is a pretty unusual situation.”

About the current state of his game, Arnie said that he is still a good putter. Which helps with those friendly wagers.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Image courtesy of Golf Channel)