Arnold Palmer in 1966: Play the Hole, Not the Record

At the 1966 U.S. Open at The Olympic Club, Arnold Palmer led Billy Casper by seven shots with nine holes to play. The talk turned to whether he could break Ben Hogan's U.S. Open scoring record. Casper caught him, and won an 18-hole playoff the next day. The beginner lesson: play the hole in front of you, not the number in your head.

Even the greats: seven shots, nine holes

Palmer was the biggest star in golf, and he played that Sunday's front nine in 32. With nine holes left, the question wasn't whether he'd win. It was whether he could beat Hogan's record of 276.

Then the back nine changed. Palmer bogeyed the 10th and the par-3 13th. On the par-3 15th, by Golf Channel historian Martin Davis's account, he went for the pin and found the front bunker. He made bogey, Casper made birdie, and the lead was three.

"I never thought I could win until I birdied the 15th hole," Casper said later. Casper birdied 16 while Palmer bogeyed, and Palmer bogeyed 17 too. They tied at 278. In Monday's playoff, Casper shot 69 to Palmer's 73.

It's worth noticing who did the steady work. Casper played that final back nine in 32, according to Davis, and never three-putted all week. And Palmer? A year later he was right back in contention, finishing runner-up at the 1967 U.S. Open. The USGA's archive photo from 1966 shows Casper consoling him after the playoff. Two greats, one hard day.

Your first-nine lesson: play the hole, not the total

When you're new, it's easy to start adding up your score halfway through. "If I par the last three, I'll break my best!" That's the moment the swing gets tight.

Write the score down, then stop counting. Add it up in the parking lot. Our how to keep score guide keeps it simple.
On a par 3, aim for the middle of the green. Not the flag. Our par-3 nine guide explains why the safe target wins more often.
One hole at a time. Each tee box is a fresh start. The next shot is all that matters.

With The First 9 Method (a putter, a 52° and a 56° plus an alignment stick), there's no record to chase on your first nine. Just nine little holes, one at a time.

Arnold Palmer in 1966: Play the Hole, Not the Record

Even the greats: seven shots, nine holes

Your first-nine lesson: play the hole, not the total

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