Golfing great Arnold Palmer, who led
'Arnie's Army,' dies at 87
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[September 26, 2016]
By Eric Beech and Mark Lamport-Stokes
(Reuters) - Arnold Palmer, one of golf's
greatest players whose immense popularity drew a legion of fans to the
game at the dawn of the age of televised sport, died of heart
complications on Sunday. He was 87.
Palmer, a charismatic figure popularly known as 'The King' who
accumulated 62 career victories on the PGA Tour including seven major
championships, died at UPMC Hospital in Pittsburgh, near his hometown of
Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
"Today marks the passing of an era," Alastair Johnston, his long-time
agent, said in a statement.
"Arnold Palmer's influence, profile and achievements spread far beyond
the game of golf. He was an iconic American who treated people with
respect and warmth, and built a unique legacy through his ability to
engage with fans."
Fellow golfing great Jack Nicklaus, who with Palmer and Gary Player
formed the fabled 'Big Three', said in a statement: "He was one of my
best friends, closest friends, and he was for a long, long time. I will
miss him greatly.
"Arnold transcended the game of golf. He was more than a golfer or even
great golfer. He was an icon. He was a legend. Arnold was someone who
was a pioneer in his sport. He took the game from one level to a higher
level, virtually by himself.
"Along the way, he had millions of adoring fans ... we were great
competitors, who loved competing against each other, but we were always
great friends along the way ... he was the king of our sport and always
will be."
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There were also tributes from U.S. Presidents present and past as well
as anybody who is anybody in the world of golf.
With his swashbuckling style, prodigious length off the tee, bold
putting and affection for the galleries, Palmer had no peer as a fan
favorite.
"PHILANTHROPY AND HUMILITY"
He always went to great lengths to ensure that every person waiting in
line ended up with a cherished autograph, an approach today's players
try to emulate.
"Thanks Arnold for your friendship, counsel and a lot of laughs," former
world number one Tiger Woods, a 14-times major winner, tweeted late on
Sunday.
"Your philanthropy and humility are part of your legend. It's hard to
imagine golf without you or anyone more important to the game than the
King."
At his death, Palmer ranked fifth on the PGA Tour's list of all-time
tournament victories.
His biggest win may have come at the 1960 U.S. Open, when he trailed by
seven shots in the final round at Cherry Hills Country Club before
pulling off the greatest comeback in the tournament's history.
He beat Nicklaus, a then 20-year-old amateur, by two shots, prefacing a
rivalry between the two that lasted throughout the 1960s.
Palmer was especially dominant from 1960 to 1963, winning 29 PGA Tour
events. He was named Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the
Year" in 1960.
Palmer had an unorthodox swing and go-for-broke style that added to his
appeal among his loyal fans, who became known as "Arnie's Army".
"I enjoy the crowds, and I enjoyed playing to them. I suppose that was
one thing that helped me as much as anything," Palmer told Golf.com in
2011.
Palmer's affable demeanor, telegenic looks and success on the course all
helped boost television ratings for golf, making it a staple of weekend
TV sports.
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![](../images/092616pics/news_o25.jpg)
Arnold Palmer of the U.S. waves to the crowd as he stands on the
18th green during the Champion Golfers' Challenge tournament ahead
of the British Open golf championship on the Old Course in St.
Andrews, Scotland, July 15, 2015. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2016/Sep/26/images/ads/current/ccaonline_lda050208.png)
In 1967, he became the first golfer to reach $1 million in career
earnings. His last PGA Tour win came in 1973.
SPORTS MARKETING PIONEER
He joined the Senior PGA Tour for players 50 and older in its
inaugural season in 1980 and won 10 tournaments, including five
majors, before retiring for good in 2006.
A successful businessman, Palmer owned a golf course design firm and
a golf resort in Orlando, Florida, and was considered a pioneer in
sports marketing.
He was an avid pilot who continued to fly until he was 81. He has a
regional airport named after him in Pennsylvania.
Palmer was also a noted philanthropist, founding the Arnold Palmer
Hospital for Children in Orlando and a number of other charities.
President George W. Bush awarded Palmer the Presidential Medal of
Freedom, the United States' highest civilian honor, in 2004.
"For all who love the game of golf and love to see it played, there
has never been a sight quite like Arnold Palmer walking down the
fairway toward the 18th green," Bush said in a tribute on Sunday.
GREENSKEEPER'S SON
Palmer was born on Sept. 10, 1929, in Latrobe, a small industrial
town east of Pittsburgh. He was the son of a greenskeeper and later
club pro at the Latrobe Country Club.
He started golfing at the age of four on clubs cut down to size by
his father and began caddying at Latrobe as an 11-year-old. He
purchased the country club in 1971.
He attended Wake Forest University in North Carolina on a golf
scholarship but left during his senior year after the death of a
close friend in a car accident.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2016/Aug/26/images/ads/current/pacesetter_lda_041116.png)
Palmer returned to competitive golf after a three-year enlistment in
the Coast Guard and turned pro in 1954.
He met his first wife, Winifred Walzer, at a golf tournament in
Pennsylvania. They married in 1954 and had two daughters. She died
in 1999. Palmer married Kathleen Gawthrop, who survived him, in
2005.
(Reporting by Eric Beech in Washington and Mark Lamport-Stokes in
Chaska, Minnesota; Additional reporting by Sharon Bernstein in
Sacramento, Calif. and Mary Milliken in Los Angeles; Additional
writing by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by Bill Trott, Peter Cooney,
Frank Pingue and Greg Stutchbury)
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