WOW!!!!! I didn't really get to see him play a lot because of my age, but I had always heard about him. I didn't really think of him as being such an influential person (I always thought of Jack as the man) but I had seen this upcoming documentary of him during the GC coverage of the Masters. I tuned in to it tonight and I was amazed at the impact he had, not only on the sport of golf, but on the international scope as well.

 

If you are a golf fan and you missed it, I suggest you try to catch it if you can. Pretty good stuff.

Watched some of it tonight, but have seen it before and thought it was a great golf bio.  Arnie made golf giant in this country and he's a class act.  The Masters was a great tournament this year too! 

 

FL

I grew up watching Arnold Palmer, he came along at the right time.  His flamboyant style, good looks, and outstanding career made him the marketing poster boy.  Mark McCormack was a genius agent, the man behind the scenes.  Golf on tv was pretty much in it's infancy, as was endorsements, and commercials prior to Arnold Palmer. Then the Big 3 comes along and every thing changed, not only golf but other sports too.  No question about it, Palmer is the most celebrated golfer of all time, he had and still does have that special charisma.  I do believe he started the Golf Channel as well.

I've been a long time member of Arnie's Army.  So much so, that I couldn't enjoy Jack during his prime when he unseated Arnie. 

 

Gentlemen such as Arnie don't come along very often.

I like his half and half Arizona tea lol

Snook,

Just curious, who do you consider the big 3?

Arnie , Jack. &

Player? Rodriguez? Trevino? Miller?

I think there might have been a middle step that started before the big 3. Bobby Jones comes to mind. There was another or 2 that I cannot remember.

Arnie & crew def took it way above and beyond from there.

The Big Three, Palmer, Nicklaus and Player, don't really know who dubbed them that.

There were some really great players before the Big 3, media exposure was not nearly the same.  Hagen, Hogen, Byron Nelson, and Bobby Jones (amateur) were in a class by themselves.  Johnny Miller could have been really great, his knees gave out on him, he hit his yardages to the half yard, pretty amazing.  Trevino and Watson (my favorite player, broke my heart when lost the Open to Cink) were just that step under.  Talking golf, can't leave out TW, the most iconic golfer in the last 2 decades, sensational doesn't quite describe his accomplishments.  IMO had he stayed with his Butch Harmon swing, he just could have been the greatest ever.

 

Not taking any thing away from Bubba but this Masters was boring without TW, Phil or any player rivalry. 

Good call on the Hagen, Hogan & Nelson. I can't figure out how I missed those.

The good thing about Bubba is that he seems like he truly is a class act.

So far he seems to handle himself well.

He's not afraid to say that he eats at Waffle House.

You've gotta like that kind of guy.

He's never going to reach the star power of the big 3, TW or those 70's & early 80's star years though.

The Big Three, Palmer, Nicklaus and Player, don't really know who dubbed them that.

There were some really great players before the Big 3, media exposure was not nearly the same.  Hagen, Hogen, Byron Nelson, and Bobby Jones (amateur) were in a class by themselves.  Johnny Miller could have been really great, his knees gave out on him, he hit his yardages to the half yard, pretty amazing.  Trevino and Watson (my favorite player, broke my heart when lost the Open to Cink) were just that step under.  Talking golf, can't leave out TW, the most iconic golfer in the last 2 decades, sensational doesn't quite describe his accomplishments.  IMO had he stayed with his Butch Harmon swing, he just could have been the greatest ever.

 

Not taking any thing away from Bubba but this Masters was boring without TW, Phil or any player rivalry. 

 

I think the networks did seeing as how these are the three that are currently taking part in the ceremonial tee off each year.  All of them have a long history at Augusta, but wouldn't list them as the top three.