On the TUNNEYSIDE of SPORTS April 11, 2016 #588 Up next…Staying Steady!
After further review…Once again, the golf legends arose, and the ceremonial first tee shots were taken. But marking the start of the 2016 masters Golf Classic just concluded at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia was a little different this time around. The usual trio of past champions was altered a bit. Arnold Palmer, “The King,” was not among the group that traditionally comprises Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. The formation of that power trio has always been a given; the three of them have amassed a total of 13 Masters championships. But this year, Palmer declined to participate because he felt that his usual competitive self just wasn’t there.
Palmer’s long time agent, the renowned IMG CEO Mark McCormack (now deceased) used to tell this story about the character of The King. Just before Palmer had won the 1960 Masters, his second, in which he had defeated the late Ken Venturi by a single stroke, he had committed to play a free exhibition at a country club. The Monday following Palmer’s Masters victory, McCormack received a call from the organizers of that pre-scheduled country club event saying they assumed Palmer would not be available or that his price would jump from “free” to “fee,” one that the club would be unable to afford.
McCormack, the agent, called his client to ask what to do. “Mark, remind them that they wanted me long before I had won a major championship, Palmer said. “But also tell them I will honor my commitment, and, to show that I appreciate their faith in me, I will do another outing for them next year – at the same price.”
Arnold Palmer, at age 86 today, hasn’t changed as a person despite his enormous wealth and popularity. This story from his early days shows what a firm foundation he started from. The son of a country club groundskeeper who not only taught him to play, but also the importance of being kind and supporting others. His early success – by age 17 he won two state interscholastic championship — earned him a scholarship to Wake Forest University. Palmer was the first to win four Masters, as well as two British Opens and an overall 92 titles. His family values and early understanding of helping others, indeed, earned him the title of “The King” many times over.
you use your success to help others achieve theirs?
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