Warrior Custom Golf

All golfers strive to be better than the rest

Have you ever wondered how many people have teed off from the first tee in the entire history of the game of golf? To tell you the truth, until I just wrote that, I never really pondered that fact. It's got to be a pretty extravagant number, wouldn't you think? Not only that, think of how many people out of all those are really wretched golfers. What is even more incredible is when you think about how many of those golfers are actually accomplished, which is not that many. With that being said, it is truly remarkable how the following golfers rose up above the best of the best and became legends of golf.

Arnold Palmer

"The King," as he is called, is one of golf's many pioneers; being golf's first popular personality from the onset of its television era and setting the stage for the colossal popularity it sees on television today. Palmer started to swing clubs in an effective manner at a young age. At the age of seven, he broke 70 for the first time. After briefly attending Wake Forest University on a golf scholarship, Palmer enlisted in the United States Coast Guard. While in the Coast Guard, he still found time to hone his golf game. The extra practice paid off; Palmer went on to win his first major championship at the 1959 Masters. This victory sealed his position among the top tier of professional golfers at the time.

Before Palmer came around, very few Americans participated in The Open Championship, due to the small purse, the irregular style of the links courses, and the extensive traveling to the United Kingdom. Palmer threw all the excuses out the window and won back‐to‐back Open Championships in the early 60s, thus convincing many other American professionals to partake in The Open, as well. In 1967, he became the first PGA professional to obtain one million dollars in career earnings. In 2006, his magnificent career came to end when he withdrew from his very last tournament, disgruntled with his poor play. Thanks to his infallible personality and business ventures, Palmer single‐handedly brought golf to the common man. His immense popularity among the masses spawned the creation of "Arnie's Army," the name of his dedicated following. Five key attributes led to Palmer's marketability: his good looks, his modest background, the way he played golf, his involvement in exciting finishes, and his pleasantness.

Annika Sorenstam

Annika Sorenstam, known simply as "Annika," is not only considered to be one of the greatest women's golfers of all time, but one of the greatest golfers of all time, period. Born in Bro, Sweden, Annika excelled at tennis, skiing, and soccer as a young girl. It wasn't until the age of 12 that she discovered her true calling— swinging clubs at a ball and getting paid a lot of money to do it. 1995 proved to be her breakout year, winning her first LPGA Tour title at the U.S. Women's Open and finishing at the top of the money list. On her way to winning the 1998 Player of the Year award and money title, Annika became the first player in LPGA history to finish a season with a sub‐70 scoring average, obtaining a 69.99 average. In 2004, she would one‐up herself by obtaining a 68.69 average. She made history in 2003 by becoming the first female to play in a PGA Tour event since 1945. Her participation had mixed opinions from her male counterparts, as she failed to make the cut. Her many accomplishments earned her a pot in the Hall of Fame, a first for an international player under LPGA criteria. Some of her Hall of Fame credentials include being the only female golfer to shoot a 59 in competition, being the first LPGA player to win a major championship three consecutive years, and winning 72 LPGA tournaments, including 10 major championships and 18 international tournaments. Her 90 wins give her the most of all time for a female golfer. In May of 2008, Annika announced her retirement from the game, effective at the end of the 2008 season.

Jack Nicklaus

The Golden Bear is considered by many to be the greatest golfer of all time. Together with Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, they were considered the "Big Three," and together they captured the imagination of golf fans everywhere, sparking a much elevated interest in the game of golf. This interest has carried over to present time. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Nicklaus attended Ohio State University, where he won the U.S. Amateur Championship twice in 1959 and 1961 and won the NCAA Championship in '61, as well. As an amateur, Nicklaus entered the 1960 U.S. Open and shot a 282, only two shots behind Arnold Palmer, and obtained an amateur record that still stands to this day. In 1962, his first year as a professional, Nicklaus went on to defeat Palmer at the U.S. Open in a playoff, securing his first professional victory and Rookie of the Year honors later on in the year. Nicklaus started his Masters dominance in 1963 by winning his first Green Jacket. Months later, he added his first PGA Championship to the mix. He didn't stop there, winning back-to-back Masters in 1965 and 1966. 1966 proved to be a stellar year for Nicklaus, as we won his first Open Championship, thus becoming the youngest player ever at the age of 26 to win the Career Slam. If winning one Career Slam wasn't enough, Nicklaus went on to win a second one in 1971. A year after winning the PGA Championship in 1973 and capturing his 14th and record‐breaking major championship, Nicklaus was among the original 13 inductees enshrined into the World Golf Hall of Fame. His Hall of Fame career didn't end there. In 1978, Nicklaus won The Open Championship, and with that, he obtained his third Career Slam. Some years later, Nicklaus turned many heads by winning the Masters at the age of 46, making him the oldest Green Jacket winner in the storied history of the Masters. After enjoying some years of success on the Champions Tour and a steady drop off in his playing performance, the Golden Bear called it a career at the 2005 Open Championship. He ended his career with 18 majors, the most in the history of golf. Throughout his playing career, Nicklaus was known for his conservative playing style, which lead to his banner course management skills. He is also widely known as one of the greatest putters of all time and for being one of the longest ball strikers in his prime. He has made a second career out of course design and writing golf instruction books. With the help of his sons, he has designed over 200 golf courses around the world, including the golf course where his very own Memorial Tournament is held annually.

Warrior Custom Golf has been in business since 1999 and has been providing the community with superior quality golf clubs. With our innovative technology, our hybrid clubs will maximize your game. It is our mission to provide you with the best equipment to improve your score. Please visit us at http://www.warriorcustomgolf.com/ for all of your golf equipment needs.