Arnold Palmer has had on-course rivalries with a few top-tier golfing legends, including Jack Nicklaus, but one of Ben Hogan's comments disgusted him on a personal level.

Phil Mickelson, who holds Palmer in high regard, shared the incident during one of his media appearances amid LIV Golf Miami 2025. Palmer felt personally insulted by Hogan's comments, but they stemmed from a practice session.

Mickelson revealed that the session between the two took place "prior to the "56' Masters" and after Palmer "won a tournament" and "drove eight hours" to Augusta. As a result, he performed terribly in the session, which had Hogan saying, "How did that kid get into this tournament?" behind his back.

Mickelson also disclosed that Palmer admitted he disliked Hogan's remark. He quoted the Hall Of Famer, saying, "I never liked that comment."

However, what Hogan said about Palmer didn't shake his confidence. Later, he won the 1958 Masters, claimed his first green jacket, and announced himself as a major force in golf.

Arnold Palmer Used Ben Hogan’s Words to Motivate Himself

While the practice round between Hogan and Palmer could have been just another forgotten incident, it became much bigger for the latter. Hogan's "kid" comment made Palmer challenge it, not with words but with results.

And Palmer's Hall of Famer status, along with his notoriety in the golf community, suggests that Hogan wasn't particularly accurate in his assessment.

Mickelson's story testifies that behind every champion lie moments of vulnerability, challenge, and motivation. That's what the path of glory is.

The greats don't ignore criticism; they use it as fuel to make themselves better, just like Palmer did. So, do you know any other similar story where someone's negative remarks fueled another one to greatness?

Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Souvik Roy