Palmer Says His Career Is Over

Arnold Palmer quit keeping score after four holes in a Champions Tour event Friday at Spring, Texas, then tearfully said it was time for him to stop playing competitive golf.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time and, first of all, to stand out there and not be able to make something happen is very traumatic in my mind,” Palmer said. “The people, they all want to see a good shot, and you know it and you can’t give them that good shot. That’s when it’s time.”

The 77-year-old Palmer was making only his second appearance on the 50-and-older circuit this year. He hit two balls into the water on the fourth hole, then said he was withdrawing because of a sore lower back. Even so, he finished the round with Lee Trevino and John Mahaffey, entertaining the gallery following him at the Administaff Small Business Classic.

Palmer, who won four Masters among his seven major championships and was responsible for golf’s first big boost in popularity, said he would play in some charity events, “but now there are no more thoughts of tournament golf.” He has played in the Father-Son Challenge with his grandson the last couple of years.

Palmer’s eyes welled with tears as he went through interviews after the round with a large delegation of “Arnie’s Army” huddled around him at Augusta Pines Golf Course.

“I made every move in the bag today to make a good shot and I wasn’t very successful,” Palmer said. “That’s not surprising. It just didn’t come today. It’s been working its way into my repertoire. It’s tough and it’s emotional for me because it’s my life.”

Tom Purtzer, Jay Haas and Dick Mast shot seven-under-par 65s to share the first-round lead.

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D.A. Points trimmed another eight shots off par to open a two-stroke lead midway through the Frys.com Open at Las Vegas.

Points shot a second-round 64 at TPC Summerlin to go with his opening 65 at the par-71 TPC Canyons course. At 14-under 129, he led Todd Fischer, Tom Pernice Jr. and Aaron Baddeley by two strokes.

Fischer and Pernice shot seven-under 65s at Summerlin, and Baddeley had a six-under 65 at the Canyons.

The players alternated between the two courses for the first two days of the tournament, with the final two rounds at Summerlin.

Baddeley was among the last to finish the round, which was delayed an hour and eight minutes by lightning during a light shower in the afternoon.

Play was halted because of darkness with 22 players still on the course. They will complete their rounds this morning.