Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Wednesday 15 March 2017

Memories of Palmer everywhere at Bay Hill

DOUG FERGUSON Textron and Arizona Bever- one cared.
AP Golf Writer ages, which includes the He was 75 when he played
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The famous Arnold Palmer (half the Masters for the last time.
photo was never published iced tea, half lemonade). He played Bay Hill for the
out of respect for Arnold The greater concern is the final time a year earlier,
Palmer. tournament, and whether and capped it off by hit-
Palmer was walking his it will lose any prestige now ting driver off the deck and
dog early one morning that Palmer is gone. onto the green at the 18th.
when he turned down Ma- There have been com- What he left behind are
rina Drive across from the parisons with the AT&T stories, too many too tell,
Bay Hill Club & Lodge, a Byron Nelson outside Dal- because just about every-
tiny lane next to the ten- las, and how it struggled body has one.
nis courts where sunlight to get a strong field after And everyone is smiling
filtered through a canopy Nelson died in 2006, in part when they finish telling
of trees. He was 85, moving because the golf course them.
slower than anyone was wasn’t exactly on anyone’s To complain about which
used to seeing, his shoul- bucket list to play. There’s players are not at the Ar-
ders slightly drooped. a big difference, though. nold Palmer Invitational is a
What made the picture In this March 20, 2016, file photo, Arnold Palmer acknowledges Nelson had his name on a waste of time. Sure, Palm-
so poignant was that he the crowd in the grandstands at the 18th green during the trophy tournament that moved er paid attention to who
looked so real, a man of presentation of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament in from Preston Trail to the TPC played Bay Hill and who
the people, perhaps Palm- Orlando, Fla. Associated Press Four Seasons Las Colinas. didn’t. He once referred to
er’s greatest appeal. Bay Hill had Palmer’s prints Rory McIlroy not playing in
The Bay Hill staff asked ber moments at the Ar- fans, because that’s what from the very start in 1979, 2013 by saying: “What his
the magazine not to use nold Palmer Invitational this Palmer would have done. long before his name be- name? The No. 1 guy?”
the photo simply because week. That 13-foot bronze Golf Channel, the network came the title in 2007. But it was always accom-
Palmer preferred to be statue of Palmer behind Palmer co-founded with He owned the place. He panied by a wink and a
seen in public wearing the first tee at Bay Hill was Joe Gibbs in 1995, is devot- nurtured it. He was every- smile.
slacks and a golf shirt (usu- attracting plenty of atten- ing 50 hours of program- where at the club, play- Palmer, above all, was
ally pink, always with the tion Tuesday. The cart that ming from Bay Hill this week, ing the shootouts with his a golfer. He understood
Bay Hill umbrella logo), Palmer used to drive, with including live coverage of friends, sipping on his Ketel schedules. He understood
sometimes a sweater. The two sets of clubs strapped the opening ceremony on One in the clubhouse, sign- being ready for the Mas-
King was out of uniform. on the back, will be be- Wednesday. ing autographs upstairs in ters. Besides, the Arnold
To look down Marina Drive hind the 16th tree starting But it would be a mistake in his office, and yes, walking Palmer Invitational field is
now is to see the image Wednesday. this week of remembering his dog down Marina Drive. the strongest it has been for
of Palmer walking his dog, Players have put the um- the King to think of this as Ask any of the players who the last decade except for
and to be reminded of his brella on their caps, their the end. have lived in Orlando — Ti- 2013, the year Woods won
presence. shirts or their golf bags for Since his death in Septem- ger Woods, Henrik Stenson, for the eighth and final time
It will not go away anytime the week. They are taking ber, Arnold Palmer Enter- Graeme McDowell — and at Bay Hill.
soon. turns going to his office, sit- prises already has renewed they will be quick to say It has been nearly six
There are sure to be som- ting behind his desk and corporate deals with Mas- their children were born in months since Palmer died.
signing memorabilia for terCard, equipment maker the Winnie Palmer Hospital Bay Hill will be another re-
for Women & Babies. minder that his void will be
Nelson retired from a full hard to fill, if it’s even possi-
schedule in the prime of ble. But the King left behind
his career, wanting to se- too many great moments,
cure enough money to too many great stories, too
buy his ranch. He was a many friends.
stately figure in the game, And that might be the best
and he remained deeply way for players to honor
involved in his tournament. his legacy, to leave be-
Palmer probably stayed in hind more than what they
budgetaruba@setarnet.aw the game too long, and no take.q