06/09/2026
From City of Champions: The History of Professional Golf book
Don Welch, former head pro at the Dunes C.C., had an interesting memory of the final round of the 1967 Tournament of Champions played at Stardust C.C.
Frank Beard held a 6-stroke lead on the field and 8-over Arnold Palmer after fifty-four holes. But as Beard was hitting practice shots to loosen up before Sunday’s round, Palmer was devouring the Stardust’s front nine.
Arnie eagled the first hole, parred the second, and made birdies on 3 and 4. Cheers kept erupting from various points on the front nine each time “the General” would post another birdie.
By the time Beard reached the first tee, Palmer was 6-under par through eight holes and Frank’s once comfortable lead had been trimmed to two strokes. Welch, who was then head pro in charge of both the Desert Inn and Stardust courses, remembered Beard just shaking his head each time the roars went up. He was helpless against Arnie’s flurry … until he teed off.
Palmer eventually shot the course record of 64 with, believe it or not, a 4-putt on the 15th hole! To Beard’s credit, he endured by shooting a last round 71. An eight-foot birdie putt on the final hole, which did a 360-degree circle of the hole and fell in, nipped Arnie by a shot, and gave Beard the $20,000 first prize.
