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Arnie returns to stage
Posted: Saturday April 05, 2003 10:08 PM
Updated: Sunday April 06, 2003 1:49 AM
By David Westin
The Augusta Chronicle
In his glory days, Arnold Palmer was the "king of golf." Now the 73-year-old is the "king of encores."
With a decision announced at the 11th hour, the longest-running act in Masters Tournament history will continue to run on golf's greatest stage.
Palmer, who has played in a record 48 consecutive tournaments at Augusta National, has "un-retired" from the Masters. In 2002, Palmer bid an emotional farewell to the tournament he won four times.
Thirteen days before this year's Masters, Palmer's long-time aide, Doc Giffin, confirmed that Palmer would be playing in his 49th Masters, which will tie Doug Ford for the most career starts in the tournament.
It was the second time in 17 days that Palmer decided to play in a tournament from which he'd retired.
In 2002, Palmer said he would not play again in the Bay Hill Invitational, a tournament to which he plays host. But on March 12, eight days before the tournament, Palmer decided to give it a shot when he talked Jack Nicklaus into playing.
He said, "if you play, I'll play," Nicklaus said.
Palmer went on to shoot 87-85-172, which was two shots better than he did in the 2002 Masters (89-85-174).
After the suspension of play in the second round of the 2002 Masters, Palmer announced that once the round was completed, he would not play in the Masters again.
He cited the letter that three former champions received from the club on May 7, 2001, that said, "We believe that your participation as a player in the 2001 Masters should be your final one."
"I don't want to get a letter," Palmer said at the time.
Less than a month after the 2002 Masters, Augusta National announced that starting with the 2004 tournament, only former champions 65 or younger would be allowed to play. Prior to that, Masters champions had lifetime invitations to play in the tournament.
Since that rule would go into effect in 2004, Palmer was still eligible to play in 2003, but most observers thought he wouldn't because he'd already retired from the tournament.
On March 29, the Masters Tournament competition committee Fed-Exed a letter to former champions announcing the lifetime invitation rule was being reinstated. That same day, Palmer's representatives confirmed that he would be returning.
"I am very, very fond of Augusta," Palmer said of the Masters during a news conference before the Bay Hill Invitational. "I think that if there's a place that I had to go, it would be Augusta, and I'm disappointed in a lot of things that have happened. Right now, I continue to be disappointed."
At the time, Palmer said he had "a little problem with (the) exemption program" of the Masters.
The news of Palmer's return was welcomed by former Masters champion Fred Couples, who said Palmer's participation, "Will make the whole event, right? Let's be honest. I'd rather go see him shoot 84 than me 74."
"Good ol' Arnie," said three-time Masters champion Nick Faldo. "Arnold will be there when he's got wheels on his coffin. They'll be pushing him down the fairway with a little putter coming out."
Reach David Westin at (706) 724-0851.
Copyright 2003 The Augusta Chronicle. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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