Palmer reminds Woods of history of golf
By RON SIRAK / AP Golf Writer
CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) -- Arnold Palmer stopped Tiger Woods
in his tracks.
"Wait right there," Palmer said, raising both his
hands and his voice to bring the slightly startled Woods to a
halt. "I have something to say."
Woods froze halfway across the stage on his way to the podium
where he would receive the Arnold Palmer Award for being the leading
money winner on the PGA Tour in 1997.
"You have an enormous responsibility," Palmer said.
"When I think of when I started playing so long ago and think
about how it has changed it is amazing."
Palmer spoke while looking at Woods, golf's $100 million man,
but he was clearly speaking to any of the 30 other pros at the
PGA Tour awards dinner Friday night at the La Costa Resort and
Spa.
"I think we should be thankful," Palmer said. "But
I think we have to be careful. Remember how we got here."
Palmer, who in 1958 led the PGA Tour by winning $42,000, a
year in which the total prize money on tour was barely over $1
million, has truly seen amazing things in golf.
And he also has done amazing things.
His swashbuckling go-for-broke style came along just as television
was discovering sports and Palmer and TV made a perfect marriage
that pushed golf to unprecedented popularity.
Now Woods is doing the same.
His brilliant play, flashy style and youthful good looks have
brought the game to a new market and has helped bring the players
undreamed of riches.
Woods, 22, won twice as much money last year -- $2 million
-- as the entire purse for all the tournaments in 1958. And the
total prize money for this year is $95 million, a figure that
will nearly double over the next four years.
But the 68-year-old Palmer, with some vague references to problems
in team sports, gave a heartfelt warning that dangers come along
with success.
"You guys who are playing for so much money," Palmer
said, shaking his head. "Remember you have an obligation
to protect the integrity and traditions of the game of golf. It
is important. When I see bad conduct ... it truly disturbs me."
With a slight gesture with the massive hands that have held
a golf club for so many years Palmer motioned for Woods to continue
his walk across the stage.
When Woods arrived next to Palmer, Palmer put his hands on
the young man's shoulders and said: "It's all right here.
The responsibility is on your shoulders."
Woods nodded in agreement.
"Protect it," Palmer said about golf. "It's
beautiful."
The long, emotional standing ovation that followed Palmer's
words perhaps more than the words themself should have told Woods
that being a champion is a complicated business that involves
a lot more than just performance on the golf course.
No one has been better at the business of being a true champion
than Arnold Palmer. He proved it again Friday night.
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