Happy 80th - Arnold
Palmer
September 08, 2009
Jeff Rivard, Executive Director
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As the world of golf extends 80th birthday wishes to
Latrobe's Arnold Palmer on September 10, so does the Western
Pennsylvania Golf Association. WPGA competitions were a key
part of Palmer's early record. In 1947, he became the first
golfer to win the WPGA Junior and Amateur in the same
season, a feat duplicated only once since, in 2006 by St.
Clair's William Miller. Palmer followed up his dual wins
with another junior title in 1948, then won four West Penn
Amateurs in a row, 1949-52. His junior wins came at Highland
and South Hills, while his five Amateur titles took place at
Shannopin, Oakmont, Longue Vue, Alcoma and Fox Chapel.
As a high school star, Palmer won the Pennsylvania state
title. He qualified for the 1948 US Amateur at Memphis CC,
reached the third round in 1949 at Oak Hill CC, Rochester,
NY, and the fifth round in 1953 at Oklahoma City G&CC,
beating Ken Venturi 4&3, in the fourth. He also edged
Venturi in 1960 for his most dramatic Masters title. He was
also a collegiate standout at Wake Forest. Among the ironies
in his record is winning the Ohio Amateur while he was
employed as a paint salesman in Cleveland, but he never won
the
Pennsylvania Amateur.
When Arnold Palmer won the 1954 US Amateur at CC of Detroit,
he wasn't very well known around the country. But he was
already a household name in the Western Pennsylvania golf
community. Happy 80th birtday--Arnold Palmer!
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