▁extensive ▁travel ▁requirements , ▁relatively ▁small ▁pur se , ▁and ▁the ▁style ▁of ▁its ▁links ▁courses ▁( rad ically ▁different ▁from ▁most ▁American ▁courses ). ▁Pal mer ▁wanted ▁to ▁em ulate ▁the ▁fe ats ▁of ▁his ▁prede cess ors ▁Bobby ▁Jones , ▁Sam ▁S ne ad ▁and ▁Hog an ▁in ▁his ▁quest ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁leading ▁American ▁gol fer . ▁ ▁In ▁particular , ▁Pal mer ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁Scotland ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁to ▁comp ete ▁in ▁the ▁British ▁Open ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time . ▁He ▁had ▁already ▁won ▁both ▁the ▁Masters ▁and ▁U . S . ▁Open ▁and ▁was ▁trying ▁to ▁em ulate ▁Hog an ' s ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁fe at ▁of ▁winning ▁all ▁three ▁tournament s ▁in ▁a ▁single ▁year . ▁Pal mer ▁played ▁what ▁he ▁himself ▁said ▁were ▁the ▁four ▁best ▁r ounds ▁of ▁his ▁career , ▁shooting ▁ 7 1 - 6 9 - 6 7 - 6 9 . ▁His ▁scores ▁had ▁the ▁English ▁excited ly ▁claim ing ▁that ▁Pal mer ▁may ▁well ▁be ▁the ▁greatest ▁gol fer ▁ever ▁to ▁play ▁the ▁game . ▁British ▁fans ▁were ▁excited ▁about ▁Pal mer ' s ▁playing ▁in ▁the ▁Open . ▁Although ▁he ▁failed ▁to ▁win , ▁losing ▁out ▁to ▁Kel ▁Nag le ▁by ▁a ▁single ▁shot , ▁his ▁subsequent ▁Open ▁wins ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁convinced ▁many ▁American ▁pros ▁that ▁a ▁trip ▁to ▁Britain ▁would ▁be ▁worth ▁the ▁effort , ▁and ▁certainly ▁secured ▁Pal mer ' s ▁popular