The 1966 Team Championship was dominated by The King & The Golden Bear
On this day in 1966 arguably the two biggest figures in golf got together to win the PGA National Team Championship. Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus teamed up to win the $50,000 first price by shooting an amazing 32 strokes under par. A record in its own right. It was their first time being teammates in their careers, they would win again in 1970 & 1971. The dynamic duo put together rounds of 63, 66, 63, & 64 for a 72 hole total of 256.
Palmer from a press conference: “I don’t think either Jack or I would have (decided to come and played together) if we didn’t think we had a chance to win. Our plan is to win. If we don’t we’ll just get on with our lives, and try it again somewhere else.”
Palmer and Nicklaus have had outstanding success teaming with one another in the past.
Below is a list of their results together in team play:
1966 PGA National Golf Club, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Past Winners
National Team Championship
1972 Babe Hiskey and Kermit Zarley
1971 Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer
National Four-Ball Championship PGA Players
1970 Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer
PGA National Team Championship
1969 No tournament
1968 George Archer and Bobby Nichols
PGA Team Championship
1967 No tournament
1966 Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer
PGA National Four-ball Championship
1965 Butch Baird and Gay Brewer