Texas Children's Houston Open

Memorial Park Golf Course



The Loop

The Palmer Method

__I wish the decorum around our game was better. If we just dressed a little neater, I'd be happy. There's a trend in some circles to not care at all—wear your hat backward, don't tuck your shirt in, don't iron anything. That isn't style, it just not caring.

--Arnold Palmer__

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David Jones of Palm Harbor, Florida writes about our newest Playing Editor, Arnold Palmer and Editor Jerry Tarde's comments about Arnold in the June issue:

__Just finished reading the Editor's Letter in your June issue and would like to add a perspective.  I've witnessed Mr. Palmer signing autographs on numerous occasions.  Not only does he honor every request, he thanks you for asking for it as he hands it back to you.  I have a Masters flag signed by 20 champions.  It's my most prized collectible, because I've met every one of them.  A certain striped animal ranked #1 in the world wouldn't only not sign it, he literally turned his back to me and wouldn't even acknowledge that I'd asked him (no one else was within 30 feet of us).  Class v. classless.  I'd rather watch Mr. Palmer shoot 110 than watch that other guy shoot 59.  I guess some people think everyone wants their autograph for profit. Mr. Palmer's signature might be worthless on eBay, but it's priceless to those who have personally met this great man and icon. __

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Couldn't agree more, David. Arnold's My Shot interview in June underscores your point. In this age of brow-furrowing over "growing" the game, we have a model. Arnold. He was the nutritional supplement under which golf in the U.S. sprouted. It's interesting that as the Open comes to Oakmont, Bloomberg television chooses to interview Palmer in a piece to run this weekend by Pittsburgh native Allan Dodds Frank. Frank says there is a funny bit with Palmer and his dog, Mulligan (right).  Palmer also predicts that 280 will be a "good score" for winning at Oakmont. The piece will air at 5:30, 7:30, 8:30 and 11:30 am EST tomorrow and at 6:30, 9:30 and 12:30 on Sunday.

In the midst of her struggles, Michelle Wie might look to Palmer for inspiration. Ron Sirak uses Tiger as a role model for Wie in his from the McDonald's. But his advice that Wie embrace the LPGA echoes the kind of willing ownership Arnie took of the big tour. Still, Palmer the player had more than charm, he had guts and Wie showed that yesterday. There were many of us following her round who thought it would be "tears in the fairway" as one of our editors said, after she went plus+4 after six. She proved us wrong. Good for her.

--Bob Carney (Photos by Dom Furore)