Arnold Palmer's 1966 U.S. Open Heartbreak Is Still One of Golf's Most Talked-About Stories
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April 3, 2007; Augusta, GA, USA; Four-time Masters champion Arnold Palmer at a press conference announcing that he will be the ceremonial starter for the 2007 Masters Tournament when the competitive rounds begin. Mandatory credit: Eileen Blass-USA TODAY
Legendary golfer Arnold Palmer has had a fair few great showings at the U.S. Open, notably winning in the 1960 edition against an amateur Jack Nicklaus. But his most infamous loss occurred in the 1966 edition, where he blew a seven-stroke lead in the back nine at The Olympic Club (Lake Course) in San Francisco.
Retired sports journalist Bob Robinson of The Oregonian penned a report of his live coverage of ‘The King’s’ collapse at the 1966 U.S. Open against three-time major winner Billy Casper. Robinson’s account of Palmer’s fall is a heartbreaking tale of ‘the bigger they are, the harder they fall’.
“What happened was mind boggling. As Palmer frittered away shots with his go-for-broke style, Casper plugged away conservatively and kept closing the gap,” he wrote.
Dec 06, 2005 Port St. Lucie, FL, USA Golfing legend Arnold Palmer was on hand during the grand opening of the Arnold Palmer designed golf course at Tesoro tuesday. Here, Palmer gives a thumbs up after completing the 7th hole. Mandatory Credit: Photo by David Spencer/Palm Beach Post/ZUMA Press. Copyright 2005 by Palm Beach Post Port St. Lucie FL USA Copyright: xDavidxSpencerx
Dec 06, 2005 Port St. Lucie, FL, USA Golfing legend Arnold Palmer was on hand during the grand opening of the Arnold Palmer designed golf course at Tesoro tuesday. Here, Palmer gives a thumbs up after completing the 7th hole. Mandatory Credit: Photo by David Spencer/Palm Beach Post/ZUMA Press. Copyright 2005 by Palm Beach Post Port St. Lucie FL USA Copyright: xDavidxSpencerx
Palmer seemed to be on fire on the front nine on Sunday, June 19, 1966, notching a 3-under-par score, threatening to run away with the win. Casper sat at 1-over, per Robinson's coverage.
Palmer's front-nine 3-under gave him a 7-stroke cushion—his largest of the day.
But the back nine held something sinister for Palmer.
The notorious collapse saw Palmer play his usual carefree golf, leading to a bogey on hole 10, and two more on 13 and 15. With Casper making birdie after birdie, Palmer bogeyed the 16th and 17th holes as well.
After both players achieved par on Hole 18, they ended tied at 278, yielding an 18-hole playoff on Monday.
The worst was yet to come for Palmer, as The King took a two-stroke lead to the back nine on June 20, only to collapse once again. Bogeys on holes 12, 14, and 15 were followed by a double-bogey on hole 16.
Casper finished one under 69, four strokes ahead of Palmer, coming back from being down seven strokes.
A Pattern of Near-Misses: Arnold Palmer's 10 Second-Place Major Finishes
Palmer has won seven majors in his life, but he has placed second in 10 major events. He is third in the list of golfers with the most second-place major finishes, behind Jack Nicklaus with 19 and Phil Mickelson with 11.
Over the course of his career, Palmer has finished second in the Masters twice. His first was in 1961, when he finished 1 stroke behind Gary Player. The next came in 1965, when he tied with Dan Sikes, 9 strokes behind Jack Nicklaus.
The U.S. Open has seen Palmer come second four times, in 1962, 1963, 1966, and 1967. Nicklaus has been his bane in the U.S. Open, as Palmer has lost to him in both 1962 and 1967, tying with him for second in 1963.
He also finished second in the 1960 Open Championship, behind Kel Nagle.
His PGA Championship second-place finishes came in 1964 (3 strokes behind Bobby Nichols ), 1968 (1 stroke behind Julius Boros), and finally in 1970 (2 strokes behind Dave Stockton).
What do you think of Arnold Palmer’s second-place finishes over the years? Let us know in the comments.
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