 | The Cavalier daily Tuesday, February 16, 1971 |  |
Palmer Rebounds To Grab Desert Classic
Old golf champs never fade
away, they just win $140,000
tournaments when everyone has
written them off. So it was with
everyone's sentimental favorite,
Arnold Palmer, in last weekend's
Bob Hope Desert Classic at Palm
Springs, Calif.
After staying among the top
four golfers throughout the first
four rounds of the multi-course
event in the southern California
oasis, Arnie, leading after 72 holes,
was caught from behind by a Ray
Floyd charge which was three
strokes better than Palmer's 70 on
the Bermuda Dunes course. Floyd
and Palmer, who hadn't won an
individual PGA event in 18 months,
went into a sudden death playoff,
Palmer's second such adventure in
four years in the Hope Tourney,
having defeated Deane Beman on
the second extra hole in 1968.
Both golfers put their tee shots
in the rough on the extra hole, but
Floyd, who was also in the throes
of a long winning drought, hit his
second shot 15 feet from the pin.
Palmer putted first by virtue of his
25 foot position and sank the long
one to win the $28,000 first prize.
Floyd missed his chance to push
the playoff another hole by inches.
| The Cavalier daily Tuesday, February 16, 1971 | |