GOLF / DAN HAFNER : Even Slightly Tarnished Palmer Is Enough to Save Their Skins

It has been more than 20 years since Arnold Palmer was the best golfer in the world. His last outstanding season on the regular PGA tour was 1971, when he won three tournaments and finished third on the money list.

But if he has lost his touch on the green, the charismatic Pennsylvanian certainly has not lost his fans. Arnie’s Army never dispersed.

Just attend a senior event and see who draws the largest gallery. For further proof, just look at the move promoters of the Skins Game made when they lost their big attraction--long hitting John Daly.

When the PGA’s unruly star was suspended, they quickly tracked down Palmer. No other golfer could have kept interest up the way he can.

The made-for-TV event will be held at Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Desert next Saturday and Sunday and Palmer was able to fit it into his schedule. The winner of three of the last four senior skins games, he joins two-time champion Payne Stewart, Fred Couples and Paul Azinger in the 18-hole, $540,000 event in which one man could conceivably win all the money.

Palmer, who is playing in this weekend’s Shark Shootout at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, was also at Brookside Park earlier in the week at one of his pet projects. He was putting on his 17th annual Arnold Palmer exhibition and clinic at Brookside Golf Course for the benefit of the Methodist Hospital of Arcadia. Palmer brought along PGA Tour pro Steve Pate and two LPGA stars, Brandi Burton and Juli Inkster.

Typical of the way professional golfers think, the first thing each of them said was what an honor it was to play golf with Palmer.

Stewart, Couples and Azinger may have slightly different feelings. Nobody has understood the skins game concept better than Palmer. He has earned $985,000, in skins, $245,000 of that in the first five years the Skins Game was contested.

“I had told them in 1988 that I would not play any more against the youngsters,” Palmer said. “But when the emergency arose, I made some changes and I will play. The big thing was that our entire family was going to get together at Spring Island, N.C., for Thanksgiving. We’ve had to switch that to Palm Springs.

“It is very sad about Daly with his family troubles and other problems. The best hope is that he is young and there’s always a chance he’ll grow up.”

Palmer has not won a tournament since the Crestar Classic on the senior tour in 1988. But he always seems to do well in the skins.

“My problem has been trying to put three rounds together,” he said. “I have had a number of very good rounds this year. I’ll go out and shoot a 67, but I can’t seem to get three of them in the same tournament. If I put three of those together, I would win again. I still feel I can win a senior tournament. It would really be an achievement.

“I have played so many skins games that I have learned how to play differently than in tournament play. . . . Unlike in a tournament, you don’t have to put together a series of outstanding rounds to win. One great shot can win a lot of money.

“It’s possible to not play well, and still win money. You may have only two or three good holes in a round. But if they come on carry-overs, it’s possible to win a lot of money. I have played outstanding golf through 18 holes and not won a penny. On the other hand I have played poorly except for a couple of holes and won money. It’s an entirely different kind of game.”

Palmer, who turned 63 in September, said he is about ready to begin cutting back on his schedule. A winner of 92 tournaments overall, he is just about as busy as any golfer in the world. Besides playing 18-20 senior events each year, he plays numerous benefits. But what keeps him busiest is building golf courses.

“The thing about that is, when I can no longer hit the golf ball, I still can build courses,” he said.

Palmer is building courses in Malaysia and Indonesia and just completed one in Thailand.

“For a couple of years, the recession slowed the building of courses (in the U.S.),” Palmer said. “But we will be building more here soon.

“Right now, though, I need to get down to Palm Springs. Bighorn is a course I’ve never played. I need to get ready for the kids.”

If he could win just one skin against the regular tour players, he would become a skins millionaire even before the Senior Skins Game in January in Hawaii.

Golf Notes

Old-timers Jack Fleck, Bob Rosburg, George Bayer and Tommy Bolt have formed the Seniors Champions Golf School at Indian Palms Golf Club in Indio. The four former champions will hold their first “classes” the weekend of Dec. 4-5. Other players on the Senior PGA Tour are expected to join the group. In January Sam Snead, 81, will be honored and will conduct a clinic at the course. . . . By winning the final tournament in Japan, Betsy King won the player-of-the-year award and the LPGA money title for the third time. King jumped from third place and finished with $595,992. Patty Sheehan was second at $540,547, and 21-year-old Brandi Burton, who led when the U.S. part of the tour ended, was third at $517,741.

Marathon golfer Kevin R. McCandless of Illinois will attempt to play 180 holes in a day at Braemar Country Club beginning at sunrise Monday. Pledges per hole will go to the Red Cross to help the fire victims. . . . Dave Stockton, with $1,115,944, has practically wrapped up the money title and golfer-of-the-year honors on the senior tour. Bob Charles is also over a $1 million and if either Lee Trevino or George Archer wins the final event, the senior championship next month, he, too will pass $1 million.