Arnold Palmer

At his peak in 1960, Arnold Palmer rates 91 overall (grade A-) in the legends pool — a World No. 1 Material build headlined by power at A+, the standout of the nine zones on this card.

• Power sits at A+ for Palmer, a clear strength across the legends pool: 6 of the other 25 players in the pool rate higher. How far the ball goes off the tee — long hitters shorten every hole.
• Accuracy sits at B+ for Palmer, a step below the pool average across the legends pool: 17 of the other 25 players in the pool rate higher. How often the ball finds the fairway and stays out of trouble.
• Iron Play sits at A for Palmer, a step below the pool average across the legends pool: 17 of the other 25 players in the pool rate higher. Precision from the fairway into the green — the single biggest driver of low scores.
• Short Game sits at A for Palmer, a shade above the pool average across the legends pool: 9 of the other 25 players in the pool rate higher. Scrambling around the green — chips, pitches, and bunker shots that save par.
• At A, Palmer's putting rating is a shade above the pool average (68th percentile of the legends pool) — 8 of the other 25 players in the pool rate higher. Holing putts, especially the ones inside ten feet that turn pars into birdies.
• At A-, Palmer's course iq rating is a genuine liability (20th percentile of the legends pool) — 20 of the other 25 players in the pool rate higher. Course management and shot selection — playing the smart shot, not just the bold one.
• At A+, Palmer's nerve rating is modestly above average (56th percentile of the legends pool) — 11 of the other 25 players in the pool rate higher. Composure in contention — how a golfer performs with the tournament on the line.
• Consistency sits at A for Palmer, modestly above average across the legends pool: 12 of the other 25 players in the pool rate higher. How tightly a golfer's scores cluster around their average, round after round.
• Engine A+ — a clear strength in the legends pool; 5 of the other 25 players in the pool rate higher. Stamina and durability across a long season — fewer withdrawals, less late-year fade.

World No. 1 Material. World No. 1 material — a top-of-the-pool overall rating without leaning on any single signature strength; the game simply holds up everywhere.

On raw attribute shape, nobody in the legends pool matches this card more closely than Ernie Els, Dustin Johnson and Gene Sarazen, in that order of similarity.

• Ernie Els,
• Dustin Johnson,
• Gene Sarazen

Of the 24 events on the schedule, Masters Tournament, PGA Championship and the Memorial Tournament suit this build's attribute mix the best, based on how each course's demands line up with the card's strengths.

• Masters Tournament — Major
• PGA Championship — Major
• the Memorial Tournament — Marquee

Legends aren't priced for Salary Cap — Arnold Palmer unlocks wholesale, gold-accented, alongside the rest of the Peak: 1960 pool inside Legends mode, where every build gets the same nine zones and no budget to manage.

1960: Masters + U.S. Open (Cherry Hills 65 charge), 8 wins, PGA POY. Attacking, wristy, hit it hard and hunted flags; charging closer with a swashbuckling wedge — accuracy and IQ were never the point. Ratings on this card are editorial judgment, not official statistics — see the methodology page for how they are derived.

Every rating on this page is a 1–11 editorial judgment, not a live statistic — see how ratings and the season simulation work.