"Boy could we use that now” - Brad Faxon takes a dig at the current state of pro golf with an Arnold Palmer story
Brad Faxon recently discussed how current professional golfers differ from those of the past, highlighting a memorable encounter with the legendary Arnold Palmer during his rookie years.
Faxon recounted a moment at The Players Championship, where he had the privilege of being paired with Palmer. As they approached the first tee during the final round, Palmer offered Faxon some valuable advice: to make eye contact with people when walking off the tee.
Explaining about the moment he shared with Arnold Palmer, Faxon said (as quoted by Golf Magazine writer Sean Zak on his X account):
"My rookie year, I played with Arnold [Palmer] at the Players. My final round, it was such a thrill to get paired with him, to get called out on the 1st tee with him.
"Walking off the 1st green, he said to me, ‘Do you want to have a long career out here, son?’ He put his arm around me. I said ‘Yes, sir.’ He goes, ‘Then you look people in the eye when you walk off the tee. You look them right in the eye.’ I’ll never forget that. He goes, ‘They’re the reason why you have a job.’ Boy could we use that now," he added.
Noticeably, PGA Tour players have been playing at the ongoing Arnold Palmer Invitational this week. The tournament started with its inaugural round on Thursday, March 7, and will have its final on Sunday, March 10.
The prestigious tournament is named after the legendary American golfer Arnold Palmer, who won seven majors among several other titles during his storied career.
This year, the PGA Tour event is a signature event, which only features a limited field of 69 players. Interestingly, 42 of the World's top 50 boast the incredible field of the tournament. Although Brad Faxon is not playing in the event, his story about Palmer grabbed the attention of fans.
A brief look into the professional career of Brad Faxon
American golfer Brad Faxon is one of the most successful PGA Tour golfers, with 21 wins in professional tournaments to his name.
Faxon started his professional journey in 1983 following his stint as an amateur while studying at Furman University. He was awarded the prestigious Haskin Award for a successful collegiate career. Moreover, he also received the NCAA Coaches Award and the Golf Magazine award for his exemplary amateur golf career.
Faxon, 62, enjoyed tremendous success in his professional career as well. He emerged victorious in eight PGA Tour events and played twice at the Ryder Cup.
After turning 50, Faxon joined the Champions Tour in 2011 and plays on the PGA and Senior Tour events. Additionally, he has been pretty active as a broadcaster in recent years and notably worked for NBC in 2010.