An Interview With
Arnold Palmer & Fred Ridley


March 19, 2005

JIMMY ROBERTS: As many of you in golf already know Arnold Palmer has decided in all likelihood he will not be playing any more golf on the regular PGA TOUR. Last year he waved good-bye to the Masters as a player; this year to his beloved Bay Hill. Fifty years, it's been quite a run. The last time there was a PGA TOUR season where Palmer didn't play, Elvis Presley had yet to make a record and not a single player in this field had yet been born. What a long and amazing run.

(Video played.)

JIMMY ROBERTS: Well, Palmer still holds a singular place in this game and he always will. And with that in mind we are now joined by Arnold and our good friend, Fred Ridley, President of the United States Golf Association, and Fred HAS a special announcement to make today.

FRED RIDLEY: Thank you, Jimmy.

The USGA Museum was established in 1936 and has presently been at the site it's now at since 1972 at our headquarters in Golfhouse. For some time, the USGA has been exploring how we can expand that facility to appropriately collect and display thousands of golf artifacts that we have that make up the history of the game and to showcase the great champions of the USGA over the years. And I'm very, very proud and pleased today to announce that that exploration has culminated in the announcement of a project that will be known as the Arnold Palmer Center For Golf History, which will begin construction in early 2006.

JIMMY ROBERTS: We see some pictures now, some artists renderings.

USGA President Fred Ridley and Arnold Palmer

FRED RIDLEY: This facility will more than double the size of our present museum. And you are looking right now at the rotunda, which will showcase the 13 USGA Championships, and we will have a 5,000-square foot exhibition space, which you see now, which will really be a tour through history of the USGA Championships and the people that have been such a special part of the game.

Certainly, one of those people is sitting right here to my left, Arnold Palmer. Arnold, as we all know, has had a long and distinguished history in the game and a long relationship with the USGA. It dates back, I believe, to 1954 or even before, Arnold, when you were U.S. Amateur Champion. And of course, Arnold has been the only National Chairman of our Members Program since 1975 and we expect that program to have over 1 million members by the year 2007.

So we think that this is a fitting tribute to a special, special person who has meant so much to the game of golf and the people who play and love it, and we are just so pleased that are Arnold has agreed to be a part of this exciting project.

JIMMY ROBERTS: A lot of trophies in your trophy case, Arnold. This is a pretty amazing honor.

ARNOLD PALMER: Well, Jimmy, I'm flattered, first of all, by the fact that the USGA, Fred and his associates who have seen fit to do this.

As I say, I'm very flattered, humbled by it, and also very happy to see it happening and to see the expansion that is going to be made in that museum. And of course, I have been on a number of those committees for a number of years. So it's fun to see all of the things they are doing, and it's even more fun to be a part of it.

JIMMY ROBERTS: Arnold, three times a USGA Champion, the Amateur the Open and the Senior Open. Fred, of course, an Amateur Champion as well. We thank both of you for joining us.

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