BOBBY JONES
IN THE EARLY DAYS WHEN I WAS YOUNG AND HAD VERY LITTLE RESPONSIBILITY WITH RESPECT TO GOLF, I . I UH, DIDN'T HAVE ANY NERVES EITHER. I JUST ENJOYED PLAYING.
BUT UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU WIN A FEW AND UH YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'VE GOT A RESPONSIBILITY FOR KEEPING UP A RECORD, IT GETS TO BE PRETTY TOUGH. AND I DID UH BECOME QUITE SUBJECT TO NERVES, YEAH.
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PETER KESSLER
LIKES JONES, WAS IT TOUGHER FOR YOU AFTER 1960 TO WIN WHEN YOU REALIZED THE EXPECTATIONS THAT EVERYBODY HAD FOR YOU TO WIN?
ARNOLD PALMER
OH, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY QUESTION ABOUT THAT, PETER. I THINK THAT UH, THE MORE YOU DO AND THE MORE YOU - MORE THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN, UH,
AS TIME GOES ON, THE MORE YOU ARE AWARE OF UH WHAT PEOPLE EXPECT OF YOU. I THINK THAT UH, IT DEFINITELY AFFECTED ME UH IN LATER YEARS UH,
BECAUSE I FELT A RESPONSIBILITY TO WIN. AND I FELT A RESPONSIBILITY TO PLAY GOOD. UH, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T WANT TO HIT A BAD SHOT EVER.
AND I DIDN'T WANT TO EVER MISS A PUTT THAT WAS IMPORTANT THAT I NEEDED TO MAKE. AND UH, AND THOSE THINGS HAPPEN. MAYBE UH,
MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR UH . UH, STOPPING EARLY, LIKE GARY AND JACK TOLD ME THEY WERE BOTH GONNA DO, IF YOU RECALL.
PETER KESSLER
YEAH, RIGHT, RIGHT.
ARNOLD PALMER
YOU KNOW, THEY WEREN'T GONNA PLAY AFTER THEY WERE 35. I MEAN, JEEZ, I CAN'T IMAGINE, HERE WE ARE STILL OUT HERE PLAYING WITH ALL THIS RESPONSIBILITY ON OUR SHOULDERS.
AND THOSE OLD GUYS, I MEAN, NICKLAUS AND PLAYER, GOD, THEY'RE OLD AND THEY'RE STILL PLAYING.
PETER KESSLER
WHICH SAYS WHAT TO YOU?
ARNOLD PALMER
WELL, IF I WERE AS OLD AS THEY WERE, I'D PROBABLY QUIT.
PETER KESSLER
YOU KNOW, YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT MAKING ALL THE PUTTS IN THOSE DAYS, AND YOU DID. IN 1960 EVERYBODY SAID, 'THE HOLE IS SCARED OF HIM. THE BALL IS SCARED OF HIM.'
WHY WERE YOU SUCH A GREAT PUTTER RIGHT THEN? WHAT WERE DOING RIGHT?
ARNOLD PALMER
OH, I JUST HAD A . A DRIVING DESIRE TO PUTT THE BALL IN THE HOLE. AND UH, IF YOU . YOU'RE TOO YOUNG TO REALLY KNOW THIS OR REMEMBER THIS, PETER. BUT UH,
YOU KNOW, YOU THINK OF HOW MANY PUTTS I EVER LEFT SHORT OF THE HOLE IN 1960. IF I LEFT IT SHORT OF THE HOLE, I CHOKED OR SOMETHING WENT WRONG IN MY STROKE
BECAUSE THERE WAS ONLY ONE THING IN MY MIND AND THAT WAS GETTING IT IN THE HOLE.
I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT KNOCKING IT 3 OR 4 FEET BY THE HOLE. THAT DIDN'T PHASE ME. UH, SO THAT WAS PROBABLY WHY I PUTTED AS WELL AS I DID.
BUT SO - SO IS TRUE OF MOST PLAYERS. THEY DON'T - THEY DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT . PLAYERS THAT ARE - THAT ARE GONNA DO SOMETHING IN THE GAME.
IF YOU START WORRYING ABOUT LEAVING - GETTING THE BALL TOO FAR BY THE HOLE WHEN YOU'RE YOUNG, YOU'VE GOT A PROBLEM.
PETER KESSLER
DON'T LOOK AT ME WHEN YOU SAY THAT. LET'S (CHUCKLE) . LET'S TALK TO BOB IN ILLINOIS WHO'S GOT A QUESTION FOR YOU. HELLO BOB.
BOB FROM ILLINOIS
WELL, NOT A QUESTION AND I DON'T WANT TO TAKE A LOT OF TIME. BUT MR. PALMER, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU.
YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER SPENDING A FEW MINUTES WITH OUR DAUGHTER CINDY WHO WAS A LEUKEMIA PATIENT BACK AT OLYMPIA FIELDS IN '97.
AND IF YOU NEVER HELD ANOTHER GOLF CLUB IN YOUR HAND, SIR, YOU ARE THE EMBODIMENT OF CLASS AND DIGNITY FOR THIS GAME. AND WE, AS A FAMILY, HAVE YOU IN OUR PRAYERS EVERY NIGHT.
ARNOLD PALMER
THANK YOU.
BOB FROM ILLINOIS
THANK YOU, SIR.
PETER KESSLER
SO MANY PEOPLE FEEL THAT WAY ABOUT YOU. HOW DO YOU REACT INSIDE WHEN YOU HEAR THAT?
ARNOLD PALMER
OH PETER, THAT'S A TOUGH THING FOR ME UH, HAVING GONE THROUGH WHAT WE'VE JUST BEEN THROUGH AND . (SIGH) AND SEEING OTHER PEOPLE DO IT. UH .
WE JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH ATTENTION TO CANCER AND CANCER RESEARCH. YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY SAYS, 'BOY, YOU'RE ON THE WHEATIES BOX TOP' AND 'ISN'T IT GREAT?'
AND UNFORTUNATELY, PETER, NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE LOOK AT WHAT THAT STANDS FOR. AND WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT . I'M ON A WHEATIES BOX BUT ON THE SIDE, THERE'S A LITTLE COUPON THERE.
AND IF EVERYONE THAT EVER PURCHASED A BOX OF WHEATIES WOULD LOOK AT THAT SIDE AND PULL THAT COUPON OFF AND SEND IT TO GENERAL MILLS, THEY WILL MAKE A CONTRIBUTION.
AND THEY'RE GONNA DONATE A MILLION DOLLARS TO CANCER RESEARCH. AND THAT'S . THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO SEE.
PETER KESSLER
WE'RE GONNA TAKE A SHORT BREAK, ARNOLD. AND WE WILL BE RIGHT BACK AND LET YOU SEE THE WHEATIES BOX AS WE LEAVE YOU FOR JUST A MOMENT.
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