Jim Dodson, thank you for sharing an inside story with all of us so-called golfers (June 25). It brought tears to my eyes, as I am a big follower of Arnie Palmer to this day.

I don't care what he shoots or how he plays. I hope he never quits the game in public or private. Golf will never be the same without him.

I have only one quick personal Arnold Palmer story. When I was a teenager, my brother took me to the GGO. We followed Arnie all day. On a par 5 he duck-hooked his drive, and it landed right beside me in the front row of the left-side gallery.

He and his caddy approached his ball. He looked around, pulled a long iron, took a half swing testing out the distance, then turned to me and said, "Young man, you'd better move -- I just might hit you in the head with this iron." I quickly backed, he hit the ball magnificently, turned around and said, "Thank you, young man," and walked off briskly. I'll never forget that moment.

God bless you, Jim Dodson, and welcome back to my home state. The boy can leave North Carolina, but North Carolina will never leave the boy.

Roger W. Wiggs