Arnold Palmer won his first major championship at The Masters way back in 1958.
Palmer emerged victorious at Augusta National 67 years ago, winning The Masters by a margin of one stroke from Doug Ford and Fred Hawkins and two shots from Ken Venturi.
‘The King’ went on to win three more Masters in 1960, 1962 and 1964 and ended his career with seven major championships to his name.
For two decades, Palmer was part of golf’s ‘Big Three’ along with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.
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The late great Palmer was a real fan favourite due to his gung-ho approach to the game and his working-class upbringing.
His first win at Augusta National was greeted with adulation from ‘Arnie’s Army’.
However, Palmer’s win at the Masters in 1958 did not pass without controversy.
Arnold Palmer accused of breaking rules on his way to winning the 1958 Masters
Palmer earned his first green jacket in 1958 but he was involved in one of the most controversial incidents in the history of the tournament midway through his final round.
Three holes into his back nine on day four, Palmer made a double bogey on the par three 12th hole.
His double bogey came after he requested a ruling due to the fact that he felt his ball was embedded behind the green.
Palmer was not given a free drop, so after tapping in for his five, he returned to the spot of his embedded ball, took a drop without penalty and made a three.
The American debated the fact that he wasn’t handed a free drop, so he played two balls and made two scores on the hole. It was then up to the rules officials to decide what score would go down on his card.
Palmer then made a superb eagle on the par five 13th hole, before being informed on the 15th that he was awarded a par on the 12th, rather than a double bogey.
What a huge turnaround that was for Palmer.
He went on to win the tournament but there have been rumblings of discontent ever since amongst his fellow competitors.
Ken Venturi accused Arnold Palmer of breaking the rules
1964 US Open Champion Ken Venturi, who finished in a tie for fourth at The Masters in 1958, made a strong accusation about Palmer.
In his book – Getting Up & Down: My 60 Years in Golf – Venturi said: “I firmly believe that he did wrong and that he knows that I know he did wrong.”
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Venturi also later claimed that Augusta National co-founders Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts told him that Palmer shouldn’t have received the free drop and instead should have carded a double-bogey on the 12th hole.
Had Palmer made a five on the 12th, Doug Ford and Fred Hawkins would have faced each other in a playoff at the 1958 Masters.
And interestingly, Venturi would have finished in a tie for third, alongside Palmer.
Venturi is a big name within golfing circles in his own right. As a 25-year-old amateur, he finished runner-up at the 1956 Masters, having taken a four-shot lead into the final round.
However, Venturi shot a round of 80 on day four at Augusta, losing out by just one stroke to Jack Burke Jr.
It’s a shame that he never got his hands on a green jacket. Palmer ended up with four of them in his closet but according to Venturi, and many more people it seems, he should have only had three.
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