Palmer trims par to 70 at Bay Hill

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Arnold Palmer can change the par at his golf course. He can't change what he said 47 years ago.

One of the most famous exchanges with Palmer happened in the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills, when he was seven shots behind going into the final round. Speaking with Pittsburgh sports writer Bob Drum, Palmer wondered what would happen if he drove the green on the first hole and went on to shoot 65.

"It would give me 280," Palmer told him. "Doesn't 280 always win the Open?"

What Palmer would have said today is, "It would give me even par. Doesn't even par always win the Open?"

Par has been a fixation in this country for more than 50 years

It's all about perception.

"We can get caught up too much in numbers," Ben Crenshaw said Monday. "You still add up your score at the end of the round. And they're still going to give the trophy away to the guy with the lowest score."

That's worth noting because twice in the last three weeks on the Florida swing, the courses have played as a par 70. Mark Wilson won the four-man playoff at the Honda Classic after finishing at 5-under 275 at PGA National, which sounds like a more grueling week than if they had finished at 13-under 275.

Now, Palmer has converted Nos. 4 and 16 at Bay Hill into par 4s, and it will play as a par 70 for the first time.

"I did it just to make the golf course a little more competitive to par," Palmer said.

What he really meant was that he was tired of seeing the world's best players reach the green in two with a 5-iron in their hands, and this was the most cost-effective way of restoring the challenge.

Or make it feel like a challenge.

Take two weeks ago at the Honda Classic. The four players had to return Monday morning to resume the playoff on the 10th hole, which had been converted to a par 4 at more than 500 yards, a slight breeze working against them. Wilson isn't a big hitter and had a fairway metal left for his second shot. Camilo Villegas is a power player and hit 4-iron.

If it had been slightly longer as a par 5, Wilson would have laid up and Villegas could have reached in two.

Power always has been an advantage in golf.

"You're more bummed making a 5 on a par 5 than a par 4," Mark Calcavecchia said. "If they change it into a par 4 and you make 5, you figure you're not the only guy making bogey. It's a head game."

Todd Hamilton might have the best solution. The former British Open champion would like to see only one number on the signs at every tee, and that would be to identify the hole you're playing.

"Get rid of the par. Get rid of the yardage," he said. "Go play the course."