The 2003 Bay Hill Invitational is remembered as a turning point in golf history, marking the last time Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer shared a PGA Tour event.
Although they would both appear at The Masters in 2003 and 2004, it was the Bay Hill Invitational that stood as their final PGA Tour event together.
Before heading to Florida, several top players took part in a charity event, setting the tone for what would become a memorable week.
Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer’s results from their final PGA Tour event together at Bay Hill
Palmer hadn’t planned to return after pulling out during the second round in 2002. But according to NBC Sports, during a charity event, he found out that playing again in 2003 would mark his 50th straight year on the PGA Tour.
That news helped him persuade Nicklaus to join him for one more appearance. The pair signed up for the event little more than a week before the opening round.
Nicklaus had not played at Bay Hill since 1995. And he hoped it would be good preparation ahead of The Masters.
Unlike Nicklaus, Palmer had actually won the event previously. He had won by one shot in 1971 when the tournament was held at Rio Pinar.
He took over as owner of Bay Hill three years later, and by 1979, the tournament had moved there permanently—a move that ultimately led to it being named after him.
This time around, neither player managed to find any form and both missed the cut. Nicklaus posted rounds of 82 and 76, while Palmer carded an 87 followed by an 85.
“It was fun. I’m happy I did it even though I didn’t play very well,” Palmer said as reported by CBC.
“I may not play in the tournament anymore here, but that isn’t a big thing for me to get sentimental about.”
Who caddied for Arnold Palmer during his last Bay Hill appearance
That same weekend, Tiger Woods added another chapter to golf history by becoming the first player since Gene Sarazen in 1930 to win the same event four years running. Woods finished 11 shots clear of the chasing pack.
Palmer’s caddie that week was his grandson, Sam Saunders. Saunders later made more than 150 starts on the PGA Tour, including 11 appearances at Bay Hill before retiring from professional golf.
Nicklaus’s last made cut on the PGA Tour also came in 2004 when he tied for 63rd at The Memorial Tournament, an event he hosts.
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