Palmer Hopes to Make the Cut One Last Time

Arnold Palmer already knows how he wants Friday to play out at his 50th and final Masters.

“That’s the easiest question,” he said. “I want to see what my starting time is on Saturday.”

Palmer, 74, hasn’t made the cut at the Masters since 1983, but he said he is going to give it his best shot.

“I will be playing like hell. I’ll be doing everything I can to make the cut, and that’s very important to me. And I will make that effort stronger than maybe I have in the last few years.”

Palmer said there is no question that he isn’t playing the Masters after this year, but still ...

“You know, lightning hasn’t struck lately, and I’m not sure that it’s going to this year. But I hit the ball pretty good today. Didn’t play particularly well, but I was encouraged. I reached all the fairways off the tees.

“I’m going to miss coming and playing in the Masters, as I have for 50 years. You do anything that long, it’s like getting married. You get married and have a great time and then things go, sort of cool down, and you start up again.

“It’s been 50 great years, and I think that’s enough. I think that’s it.”

Vijay Singh, asked whether he could imagine playing in 50 Masters as Palmer will: “No, I’d be 81.”

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Phil Mickelson, who has had seven top-10 finishes in his 11 trips to the Masters, worked with coaches Dave Pelz and Rick Smith two days last week at Augusta National.

Mickelson said he was confident. “This year, I certainly feel like I have a very good chance.” He started his year by winning the Bob Hope and has six other top 10s in eight stroke-play events. He leads the money list for the first time in six years, with $2.3 million.

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The weather forecast for today is for sunny skies and highs near 75, but a cold front is expected Thursday, which means there is a chance of scattered showers and a thunderstorm.