Arnold Palmer left us with a lot of wisdom about life and golf.
One of his favorite gems was this one:
“The road to success is always under construction.”
It speaks volumes and it is right on the money if you want to talk about Sam Saunders, one of the focal points this week at Bay Hill.
He’s the 29-year-old grandson of The King, he desperately wants to be a player. He has his moments but as his grandfather’s saying rings true for a lot of us, it is spot on when it comes to Saunders.
Sam had it going for most of the day Thursday at Bay Hill during the first round of his grandfather’s invitational. Conditions weren’t easy — cold and windy although Sam benefitted from an afternoon tee time.
He worked his way to two-under par through 13 holes and threatened to be near the top of the leaderboard at day’s end. But he stumbled coming home with bogeys at 14 and 16 then he committed the ultimate sin at the 18th where his second came up short, hit the rocks and bounded back into the water.
He would finish with 74, disappointing but he tied playing partner Rory McIlroy, the world’s No. 3. He beat Henrik Stenson, the world’s No. 5. But a good round was there for him.
“I felt good out there most of the day,” he said afterward. “It was a little emotional when I saw the cart at 16.” The cart he referred to was his grandfather’s cart, parked to the right of the tee where The King had a spectacular view of the second shots into 18. “I hit a lot of good shots but I had three balls in the water, that’s unacceptable out here. I will clean it up tomorrow,” Saunders said, critiquing his game.
He put the emotion of the tributes to Palmer behind him. “It was regular golf for me,” he said of his first round.
Saunders’ round was perhaps a microcosm of his career. He flashes the kind of talent that made his grandfather smile, but then hit hits shots like the three-wood second that found the water at the par five sixth and the six-iron at 18 that got caught up in the wind, found the rocks and led to a closing double-bogey.
Saunders road to professional golf has always been under construction.
He’s not exactly young at 29 but then he still isn’t old by golf standards and still has time to refine his skills.
He’s labored on the Web.com Tour where he has had modest success. He played well enough to earn a tour card and won a shade over $578,000 in 2015 then a little north of $510,000 last year. He has struggled this season, missing three cuts while getting a T57 at the cross-over RSM and a T49 at the Genesis.
Despite his struggles, Saunders has found the Palmer name as a blessing more than a burden but understands about what it means.
“I think at times it definitely helps. The Nicklaus boys, I’m sure it was even tougher for them, especially Gary,” Saunders said a while back when he was asked to delve into his relationship with his grandfather.
No one wanted success for Saunders more than his grandfather but at the same time, it was Palmer who insisted that Saunders carry the most important Palmer trait.
“Sam is a very polite young man,” his late grandfather said a couple of years ago. “That’s one thing I’m proud of. He has conducted himself very well through the early stages of professional golf and it isn’t easy. It isn’t easy for him to be my grandson and carry on the way he has to do the things he’s done. He’s done them very well.”
Saunders is still a work in progress, under construction, if you will.
And that road to success that his grandfather spoke of is still out there in front of him.
