Arnold Palmer quit keeping score after four holes in a Champions Tour event Friday, then tearfully said it was time for him to stop playing competitive golf.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time and, first of all, to stand out there and not be able to make something happen is very traumatic in my mind,” Palmer said. “The people, they all want to see a good shot, and you know it and you can’t give them that good shot. That’s when it’s time.”
The 77-year-old Palmer was making only his second appearance on the 50-and-older circuit this year. He hit two balls into the water on the fourth hole, then said he was withdrawing because of a sore lower back. Even so, he finished the round with Lee Trevino and John Mahaffey, entertaining the gallery following him at the Administaff Small Business Classic in Spring, Texas.
Palmer, who won four Masters among his seven major championships and was responsible for golf’s first big boost in popularity, said he would play in some charity events, “but now there are no more thoughts of tournament golf.” He has played in the Father-Son Challenge with his grandson the last couple of years.
Trevino sensed the end of an era and asked Palmer to sign his ball and a glove when they finished the round.
“When he putted out, I grabbed the ball and I had the Sharpie in my back pocket and then while he had the Sharpie, I said, ’’Sign that glove, too,’ ” Trevino said. “We didn’t take his shoes.”
Palmer’s eyes welled with tears as he went through interviews.
“I made every move in the bag today to make a good shot and I wasn’t very successful,” Palmer said. “That’s not surprising. It just didn’t come today. It’s been working its way into my repertoire. It’s tough and it’s emotional for me because it’s my life.”
Tom Purtzer, Jay Haas and Dick Mast shot 7-under 65s to share the first-round lead.
Elsewhere
Annika Sorenstam shot a 1-under 71 and remained atop the leaderboard of the Samsung World Championship with Sophie Gustafson (70) and Paula Creamer (68) in Palm Desert, Calif. They were at 6-under 138. Michelle Wie is eight shots behind. ... D.A. Points trimmed another eight shots off par to open a two-stroke lead midway through the Frys.com Open in Las Vegas. At 14-under 129, he led Todd Fischer, Tom Pernice Jr. and Aaron Baddeley by two strokes. Play was halted because of darkness with 22 players, none near the lead, still on the course. ... Defending champ Retief Goosen shot a 7-under 65 to take a three-stroke lead over Michael Campbell and Lu Wen-teh in the China Masters in Sanya.
TRACKING RYAN MOORE
This week: TODD PGA Tour’s Frys.com Open, through Sunday, TPC Summerlin and TPC The Canyons, Las Vegas.
Second-round score: 6-under 66 at TPC Summerlin.
Position: Moore sits at 6-under 137, and tied for 53rd. D.A. Points leads at 14-under 129. Twenty-two golfers still have not completed their second round, but Moore was a stroke above the cut line.
Recap: The Puyallup golfer birdied the first three holes, then solidified his standing with back-to-back birdies on the par-4 15th and par-5 16th holes.
Tee time today: TBD.
TRACKING MICHAEL PUTNAM
This week: Nationwide Tour’s Permian Basic Charity Golf Classic, Midland CC, Odessa, Texas.
Second-round score: 1-over-par 73.
Position: The Tacoma native’s two-round total of 147 missed the cut by two strokes. Brandt Snedeker leads by three strokes at 11-under 133.
Recap: Putnam had three bogeys to miss his fifth cut in 23 events.
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