The late Jim Murray was without a doubt, one of the best sports writers who ever pounded an old typewriter.
The Los Angeles Times sports pages were his — no one could make words flow like Murray.
He once wrote this about Arnold Palmer:
“Palmer on a golf course was Jack Dempsey with his man on the ropes, Henry Aaron with a three-and-two fastball, Laver at set point, Joe Montana with a minute to play, A.J. Foyt with a lap to go and a car to catch.
“He never hit a safe shot. He tried to make two on every hole. Sometimes, he made 12. That was Palmer. They loved him for it. No one ever quite commanded the rapport with a gallery like Palmer did. Players hated to play with him — or in front of him or in back of him. The audience was Palmer’s and they were a legion. Part of it was, he swung like they did. Palmer went after the ball like a guy beating a carpet. It wasn’t pretty but it was effective. He won 62 tournaments but always managed to look like a refugee from the truck drivers’ flight at the local municipal.”
Palmer would earn his nickname — The King. He was all that and more. He was The King on the course and absolute King off it.
A Cleveland lawyer named Mark McCormack had grown tired of being an associate back in 1958, billing $15 an hour for services that didn’t excite him. He played college golf at William and Mary and saw a muscular young guy when his team played Wake Forest. The player he saw was Arnold Palmer, who promptly beat the stuffing out of McCormack’s teammate. That day was in 1950.
McCormack came up with the idea of trying to make money for golfers away from the tournaments, with exhibitions and promotions. He had some lesser names signed up but he couldn’t get his mind off Palmer, who had won the 1958 Masters and was golf’s rising super-star.
“I wasn’t looking for an agent. I had my wife. She was handling everything,” Palmer recalled when he talked about those early days. But with his rising popularity, things were getting a bit too much for Winnie.
In 1959, McCormack had promised some big additional dollars for Palmer off the golf course. Palmer had a slight memory of McCormack from those college golf days.
McCormack was persistent, he knew Palmer was his ticket. McCormack aggressively pressed Arnold to allow him to represent all his marketing and endorsements and to serve as his business manager.
Arnie gave in, but he had a big requirement: “I said if you want to do this, then you go and get rid of all those other players and represent me exclusively,” Palmer recalled when he recounted how he got started with McCormack. “He said he would think about it and get back to me.”
As the Geico commercial says: it was the easiest decision in the history of decisions. A bet on Palmer was a no-brainer.
McCormack, being the lawyer he was, wanted to prepare a contract. Arnold gave him the old school response: ” What you’re going to do is you’re going to tell me what you’re going to do for me, and I’ll tell you what I’m going to do for you, and then we’ll shake hands and go ahead and do what we said.’”
And with a handshake, the genesis of International Management Group happened.
The rest is golf and financial history.
Arnold Palmer kept winning and he became an endorsement juggernaut. Palmer only aligned himself with companies he liked. One of his most famous and lingering memories is his PENNZOIL commercial with the old tractor from Latrobe Country Club.
McCormack developed the Big Three golf matches for television in the 60s featuring Palmer playing against new stars Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. Arnold had a stake in IMG, McCormack persuaded him to have IMG sign Jack and Gary. But McCormack always handled Arnold personally, other IMG reps took care of Nicklaus and Player and they eventually left and did their own things when they got big enough.
IMG’s reach continued to grow over the years. Today it touches every sport on the globe, represents an array of athletes, has IMG Academies, produces television sports and the list goes on and on. For golfers, Arnold was the driving force in the creation of The Golf Channel.
McCormack passed in 2003, Alastair Johnston oversaw Palmer’s extensive portfolio and by the time he passed in 2016, Arnold had earned north of $1 billion and his estate was worth in the neighborhood of $875 million. It has 39 license deals and still generates north of $40 million a year for Palmer’s charitable interests.
Amazing how it all started and where it sits today.
This week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill is run by IMG.
And Palmer’s spirit permeates the grounds.
If you’ve ever been there, you know.
Arnold Palmer Invitational Television Schedule:
Thursday and Friday:
The Golf Channel: 2 p.m. (ET) to 6 p.m. (ET)
Saturday and Sunday:
The Golf Channel: 12:30 p.m. (ET) to 2:30 p.m. (ET)
NBC: 2:30 p.m. (ET) to 6 p.m. (ET)
5 Comments
baxter cepeda
I have not been at Arnie’s Place but have been in Los Angeles as a sports loving teenager reading plenty of Mr Jim Murray.
Murray writing a column was Tiger hunting down a journeyman on Sunday, Jordan hitting a buzzer beater, Brady leading a Super Bowl drive, even Arnold Palmer driving the first at Cherry Hills.
The word Legend gets throws around a bit too much for sports journalism as it does sports but like Palmer, Murray is a true legend; a goat imo.
Now While the magic of Bay Hill is something I’ve not had the pleasure of seeing in person yet, I have been appreciating it more and more.
As you know Tom the tournaments associated with the legends of golf tend to dwindle over time, but I’m not sure that will ever happen to Arnie’s tournament. Mr Palmers legacy—thanks in huge part to McCormack— another true legend of his field—should really stand the test of time.
I should also mention Jack and Tiger as their events like Arnie’s also benefit great causes.
These are the big 3 legend hosts of golf events. These 3 have dwindled the power of other legends events.
But it’s safe to say eventually even Jack and Tigers events —however equally great in their causes to Arnie—and regardless of their on course achievements over the king — may struggle to stay relevant like Arnie’s event.
It’s happened to the legends before and it will happen again.
But if there is one legends tourney which may be immune from never losing steam, it’s The Kings.
The King has done things even Tiger and Jack haven’t done. Those two seem more like beneficiaries from Palmer work than anyone else. Even they owe Arnie more appreciation than to anyone else.
Arnie was/is just special on a whole other level even from even the Tiger and Jacks of the world. This is why his event should remain strong for an especially long time.
Tom Edrington
Plenty of Arnie stuff will go on forever — the clothing line, the Arnold Palmer by Arizona Ice Tea, all sorts of brands…..the Pennzoil ad was my all-time favorite (the one with the tractor still running).
baxter cepeda
On the topic of longevity Did you catch McDowells comments regarding the set up at Bay Hill?
He argued how Bay Hill, one of the few tournaments on the pga tour that is set up properly for the best in the world —as in somewhat challenging — risks losing top
players because it is too challenging.
I must admit when Tiger and pHil were at the height of their powers, i agreed even argued non major set ups should be easier. I was wrong then, that was bias at work, but the problem now is these boys have gotten too used to the pga tour having easy conditions.
And probably the pga tour has gotten used to mostly bombers being the big
stars. It kinda makes sense in a business sense, but in the words of Shooter McGavin: this is golf
People!
It’s not Long drive.
It’s gotten to the point where the tour probably has to cut rough when the best players come to town as opposed to the other way around.
There are so few challenging courses on tour—in part because of technology —bombers and gougers can almost avoid them all together.
Something has to give.
The only real solution is adding more tough courses and setups to the pga tour; which would force more players to play at least some tough set ups. If more Tough set ups were on the menu more pga tour Players would obvio play Bay Hill.
Tougher courses and set ups would most importantly help restore what an actual top player should be on the pga tour: somewhat accurate off the tee.
While most of us lost value for accuracy along the way, Arnie always got that. He prioritized a proper challenge probably knowing it may cost his tournament some top players.
This should not be the case. Arnie’s event should have all the top players for many reasons; but if for no other reason because it is a tough, proper challenge for the best players.
IMO All Arnie’s event really needs is more top players to grow a pair.
Tom Edrington
Hmmmmm….how many times did Tiger win at Bay Hill? Some aren’t there this week, saving themselves for The Players and that Stadium course is a grind. I’m hoping Rory wins again come Sunday.
baxter cepeda
So do I considering rory winning was my one and only prediction for this week. After day 1 t’s the battle of the the commissioners pet in billy and Rory.