12/19/2023 0 Comments Arnold palmer one and done![]() ![]() “There were millions that had a chance to and he never let any of them down. “Those things are great and we’ll always be appreciative of that, but it was the interaction and the personal touch that he brought to everybody that came into contact with him,’’ he said. Mickelson acknowledged the cachet Palmer brought to the game as a pioneer in terms of TV coverage, commercialization and large tournament purses. I’m always going to hit driver on this hole and try to make birdie.’ So every time I get onto that tee box, I think of that.’’ “He looks me right in the eye and says, ‘If I’m playing well enough to win this golf tournament, I’m playing well enough to hit driver in this fairway. “To this day, every time I’m on the seventh tee box at Augusta National, I think of him, because we were playing a practice round there and I said, ‘What do you do on this hole? Do you hit driver or do you lay back a little bit?’ ’’ Mickelson said. Mickelson’s aggressive style of play also has been a reflection of Palmer, who was a swashbuckler on the golf course. “We all try, but we all never live up to his standard,’’ Mickelson said. So much of that came from the powerful influence Palmer had on him. Mickelson, to this day, is the most accessible star player in the game - a modern-day Palmer - signing every last autograph after his rounds and looking everyone in the eye as if they are the most important person to him at that moment. “Sometimes we get in this place out here in professional golf where we get in our own little world and we don’t acknowledge those that are around us that allow us to play golf for a living. Always look them in the eye and acknowledge their existence.’ Arnold never walked past anybody. “And then he said something that was so simple, yet I think profound. “He said, ‘Everybody wants to be acknowledged, and I wanted to acknowledge the volunteers and let them know how appreciative I was of them putting forth such a great job so that we can play golf for a living.’ That really resonated with me. “When he went and spent a couple of hours with the volunteers in his final US Open, I remember asking him why he spent so much time, what was he doing, was it friends?’’ Mickelson said. He also recalled seeing how Palmer, playing in his last US Open, in 1994 at Oakmont, interacted with people and how that moment forever shaped him. ![]() Mickelson fondly recalled playing his first practice round at the Masters with Palmer, who invited him along. I celebrate those moments because of what he’s meant to the game of golf and to me.’’ “He is somebody that we all look up to, but I was fortunate enough to have some personal interactions with and I cherish those moments. But I’m very appreciative of the time that I’ve had with him. You can feel it amongst the team, how somber a feel it is. “There’s a hole in the game of golf that can’t be filled with the loss of Arnold Palmer,’’ Mickelson said. Phil Mickelson, for one, modeled himself in many ways after Palmer because of the profound influence “The King’’ had on him at an early age. The common denominator was the somber mood as thoughts of losing Palmer at the age of 87 set in as a sobering reality. ![]() ![]() Later in the afternoon, the European team arrived. Some of the players played some practice holes, some just chipped and putted. The United States players arrived first to Hazeltine National for the 41st Ryder Cup, which begins Friday. On Monday of Ryder Cup week, the day when the two teams arrive to the golf course with their chests puffed, ready for the competition to begin, there was an air of sadness in the wake of Arnold Palmer’s death the night before. Top 10 golfers of all time: The Post's experts make their casesĬHASKA, Minn. Inside story of Masters winners' favorite green jacket moments Pinpointing moment where Tiger Woods became a legend Inside the secretive world of America’s men-only golf clubs ![]()
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