Through the 20th century and now well into the 21st, golf has evolved to become a truly international sport with a huge global participation. The top professionals now enjoy fame that transcends the sport and the biggest events attract massive TV audiences. Golf is a multi-billion-dollar industry. Over the years various figures have been instrumental in changing golf, moving the game forward and altering perceptions of the sport. Two men who did more than most for the professional game were Arnold Palmer and Seve Ballesteros. Here we consider their contribution to the sport and to their fellow professionals who followed them.
Arnold Palmer
Palmer did an enormous amount to boost golf’s popularity as the sport entered the “television age.” With his aggressive play, he caught the public’s attention with hugely memorable wins in The Masters and the US Open.
Palmer gained huge support from the public and his fans “Arnie’s Army” cheered him on to seven Major titles and 62 PGA Tour wins. In 1961 and again in 1962, Palmer travelled to the UK and won the Open Championship. These triumphs were pivotal in reinstating the status of the historic event on a global stage.
Six Americans played in The Open of 1961, eight in 1962, and by the time of the 1970 Open, once again at St Andrews, there were 24 entrants from the USA, Jack Nicklaus was champion and US interest in the historic event was well and truly re-established.
Through the 1960s, Palmer’s rivalry with Nicklaus and South Africa’s Gary Player, which was cleverly marketed by their manager Mark McCormack, further heightened the buzz around golf. By the end of the 60s, millions were watching the big events on TV and prizemoney and sponsorship deals swelled as a result. Arnold Palmer was named the Associated Press Athlete of the Decade.
“The King” went on to establish an incredible golfing business empire and to give back enormously to the sport that made him famous. He was golf’s first global superstar and the sport would not be where it is today without him.
Seve Ballesteros
If professional golfers were forced to find a new job, Seve’s careers adviser would have given him two choices: pirate or magician. No player in the history of the game deserves the label of a swashbuckler as much as the man from Pedrena. It was his unpredictability that was so thrilling. You never knew what was coming next, but you could bet it would be cavalier and courageous. At times he was spellbinding, his Houdini-like escapism defied belief. He entertained golf crowds throughout his career and will always be one of the most popular players in golf history.
The Spaniard was also one of the most charismatic and inspirational figures in the history of professional golf. He revitalised European golfing fortunes in the 1980s and encouraged a new generation of stars from the continent to achieve great things.
Seve first burst on to the scene as a 19-year-old in the 1976 Open at Royal Birkdale, captivating spectators with his attacking and creative golf. He didn’t win that year but he did in 1979, 1984 and 1988. He was the first European to win The Masters in 1980 and he led the European Ryder Cup team to glory both as a player and then as a captain in 1997.
Seve showed European and other international golfers that they could take on the Americans and win. He did a huge amount for the globalisation of the pro game.
The Verdict
Both men played key roles in the development of the professional game, but can we say whose contribution was the more significant? It’s tricky, but I think we have to give it to Palmer. To a certain extent it was a case of right place at the right time – he was the most popular player as golf entered the TV age, but he also drove the game forward through his consummate professionalism, showmanship, generosity and determination. Palmer changed pro golf and brought a huge amount of money into the game. All professionals who followed owe him their thanks.
