A letter to Arnold Palmer

Yesterday I wrote about trying to get Phil Mickelson's attention so he could make twice as many five-foot putts or shorter and move into the world's Number One spot. Today I want you to read a letter I just mailed to Arnold Palmer at his home on a similar subject:


Arnie,

I hope you and your family are all healthy and doing well.

Do you remember in September of 1992 at the GTE Western Classic in Seattle, WA when I showed you how to use my PROBE 20/20 inverted-shafted putter to take the break out of short breaking putts? You used it that week and finished seventh, your best finish of the year! You used it the next Monday and Tuesday when you teamed up with Peter Jacobson in the Fred Meyer in Portland.

Could I ask a favor of you? I'd like to convince Phil Mickelson to let me make a PROBE 20/20 putter for him, and teach him how to use the toe and heel marks to control the break. I think I can make a much better putter out of Phil if he would try my putter.

We sold over 120,000 PROBES until I retired from making them in 1996, but I'm getting the itch to reintroduce a new model, the PROBE 2010.

Arnie, what I like about the game of golf is that it teaches us honesty, integrity, patience, perseverance, courtesy, and other fine qualities. Unfortunately, I have found the golf equipment industry anything but honest.

I tried to find out on the internet how to contact Phil, and offer to make him a PROBE putter. I sent such a message to one website, and three hours later a T.R. Reinman replied. He did not identify himself, so I have no idea if "T.R." is Phil's agent, attorney, boyfriend, or what! He said in his email to me, "Peter, Thanks for your interest in helping Phil. I'll tell him about your offer tomorrow but I can tell you he's happy with Dave Stockton and will be working with him in the run-up to the Open."

I replied, and asked "T.R." if he knew what length putter Phil preferred, so I could make a demo for Phil. But then the truth came out. T.R. replied to my question about putter length with this, "Pete, Again, thanks, but Phil's working with Stockton and has a contract with Callaway. The Probe will not fit in his bag." T.R.

Fans of Phil Mickelson, what does that mean, "The Probe will not fit in his bag?"

To me, that means that Phil can't play anything but Callaway. Is that what it means to you? Obviously it does not mean that the Probe is too big to physically "fit" in Phil's bag, right?

In this day of competitive golf, every player has to have his head clear of other problems to play well. Tiger can't play well right now because his head is on his soon-to-be-ex wife, and his mistresses, what the fans think of him, and........!

Phil has had to suffer through Amy's breast cancer. He has struggled with is putting, and has seen Dave Stockton for how many months now, with little improvement?

I think I can spend one hour with Phil and make him the best putter from inside five feet on tour by showing him how my Probe 20/20 putter can "take out the break" on short breaking putts.

So I tried to offer to do just that for Phil, and what does "T.R." Reinman do? He just sent me an email threatening me if I do not retract what I said about Phil having to play Callaway in his bag! That's just great, T.R. Give Phil one more thing to worry about, his agent, or attorney, or whatever you are! Now his fans may think Phil's own agent is interfering with his ability to make a tricky, breaking, four-footer!

A NOTE TO PHIL MICKELSON FANS: CONTACT GAYLORD SPORTS MANAGEMENT, ATTENTION: T.R. REINMAN (treinman@gaylordssports.com) and ask him if he'd like to see Phil putt better and become Number One in the world, or ask him if his commission from Phil's contract with Callaway means more to him.

Arnie, when I was a tour rep in the 1990's, the players under contract usually had to play the set of irons, but the more important clubs such as the wedges, the driver, and the putter could be anything the player wanted to play.

What has happened to honesty in advertising golf equipment, Arnie? You played my PROBE 20/20 putter, and had all three weights we made, but then signed with Callaway and you had to change to a Callaway putter.

Chi Chi won four tournaments in three months in 1991 after adding 30 yards to his drives with my PROBE driver, and was the leading money-winner in June, 1991, on the Senior Tour. Then his agent, Eddie Elias, faxed me and demanded that I pay Chi Chi $150,000 to play the driver for the rest of the year. I refused, so he switched to Callaway's Big Bertha, lost 30 yards in distance, and dropped to eleventh on the money list!

Larry Laoretti won the 1992 Senior United States Open Championship using a PROBE driver I had just made for him the week before. He also played the PROBE 20/20 putter. Then another manufacturer paid him a lot of money to switch drivers, and he never won another tournament!

Do you know T.R. Reinman? I wonder what T.R. stands for. Is he hiding something by using T.R. instead of a first name? I can't find anything about him online. Does anyone know for sure if the blade Phil uses is a Callaway?

Maybe I'm just too naive to be in the golf equipment business, because honesty does not seem to be the norm. I'm now in the golf services business, making it easier for golfers to play private country clubs when they travel than ever before.

I'd love to hear your comments on this subject, Arnie. And if you have any influence with Phil Mickelson, and can get him to try my PROBE 20/20 putter, that would be great for Phil, and it would be great for the game of golf. This weekend would be perfect for him to try it out. After all, he missed the cut with his present putter!

Personally, I'd like to see Phil take over the Number One player in the world position, and keep it. After all, how many private jets does he need? But being the Number One golfer in the world?.....Priceless!