Palmer’s 62nd Win

In any other year it would have been madness to bet against Arnold Palmer, but in 1973 anyone looking for a mid-winter wager could have been forgiven for hesitating to put his money on the champ from Pennsylvania. Going into the 1973 Bob Hope Desert Classic, Palmer had 61 PGA Tour victories behind him. But he was 43 years old, he hadn’t won since July of 1971 (the Westchester Classic) and it seemed that his putting had gotten away from him. Woes on the greens largely were blamed for the fact that 1972 had been Palmer’s first tour year without a professional victory, bringing to a close his streak of 17 consecutive seasons with a win (currently Jack Nicklaus is tied with Palmer for the most; Billy Casper is second with 16, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods are third with 14).

The opening round of “The Hope” wouldn’t have inspired much confidence: Palmer shot 71 to Jack Nicklaus’ 64 and looked set for another frustrating performance. But Arnie regrouped for a second-round 66 and then made 69 in the third, leaving him at 206 and just one shot behind co-leaders Nicklaus and Alan Miller, the former University of Georgia standout then starting his third year on tour and looking for a first pro win.

The fourth round (of a then-five-round tournament) brought more drama with Palmer making 68 to stay one back of Nicklaus, while fireworks came from another Miller—Johnny—who carded 63 to tie Nicklaus for the lead at 273. Miller would go on to win that year’s U.S. Open in June at Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh, not far from Palmer’s hometown of Latrobe.

The stage was set already for a landmark finish but the weather decided to up the ante, dumping heavy rain on the desert on the morning of the fifth round. Rather than dampening spirits the storm seemed to produce vintage form from Palmer, who opened with a birdie. Nicklaus three-putted the sixth, Palmer jumped in front and by No.9 Arnie led by two strokes. At 16 he made a nine-footer to save par while Nicklaus missed his three-footer for birdie, and it seemed the end was in sight. But Jack hit the 18th in two to set up an eagle try and so it went down to the final moments. Having ditched his rain suit, Palmer stood in tinted glasses, his broad collar extending over the neck of his sweater, and watched as Nicklaus fired his putt past the cup. Jack’s valiant attempt done, it was seven feet to victory for Arnie and he made it in fine style, nailing his birdie in the rain and then heaving his visor into the air over an adoring, cheering crowd. His closing 69 was “one of my best finishing rounds,” he would go on to tell the media. Though no one knew it at the time, it would also be his last win on TOUR. Following his 50th birthday, Palmer won 10 PGA TOUR Champions events and his career off-course went on to define the game of golf and so much more, but on a rainy day in the desert in 1973, an era came to a close.