The Amateur Public Relations Championship of the United States has been defunct since 2014. But in its day, it qualified as a big deal.
No one knows better than that Ryan Moore.
In 2002, as a 19-year-old sophomore at UNLV, Moore grasped the title of Public Links and the perks that came with it, including a Masters start
Not only did he peg it at Augusta National the following spring, but he also paced the fairways alongside a legend. Moore was paired with King, a four-time Masters champion Arnold Palmer.
Palmer was 73, long past his competitive prime, but still full of competitive fire, as Moore recalled on a recent episode of GOLF. Subpar podcast.
Palmer didn’t hit far enough to reach most of Augusta’s par-4s in two. But Moore said he could tell Palmer was still struggling to make pars, and maybe even steal a birdie.
His best chance came on the par-5 13th, where Palmer reached the back of the green in three, leaving himself a ticklish 12-footer for birdie. The putt lipped out, prompting Palmer to let loose with an expletive, on a green out of earshot of his fans.
“He was so enraged and cursed so loudly,” Moore said. “It was kind of great.”
Another memorable moment came later. Rain had interrupted play that week, forcing players to squeeze in extra holes. Moore said he and Palmer were on the par-5 15th, their 32nd hole of the day, when darkness began to fall. The club sent a van to retrieve Palmer, but an outraged Palmer waved at the driver, insisting he could go on his own.
Moore had a choice, though it wasn’t a hard one.
“I wanted to go in the van, but now I have to walk with him,” Moore said. “I’m 19. I’m going with Arnie. I don’t have bail for him.”
It was Palmer’s last Masters appearance. He returned in 2004 for his 50th and final start.
Moore, meanwhile, would soon have an amateur season for the ages, before going on to a long career on the PGA Tour. In 2004, he won five major amateur titles: the US Amateur, the US Amateur Public Links, the NCAA Championship, the Western Amateur Championship and the Sahalee Players. Back at Augusta in 2005, he finished 13th and earned amateur honors.
Podcast co-host Drew Stoltz asked Moore if he had been able to appreciate the magnitude of these experiences at such a young age. (Courtesy of his Masters spots, Moore even got to play practice rounds with Jack Nicklaus and Seve Ballesteros).
Moore conceded that he was probably too young to understand it all. Then, he added, matching him with Palmer in a tournament round helped put things into perspective. “It’s hard not to appreciate it when you play with the legend,” Moore said.
You can listen to the whole episode here.