Alastair Johnson, CEO of Arnold Palmer Enterprises, confirmed Palmer’s death.
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“Today marks the passing of an era”, said Johnston, Palmer’s longtime agent at IMG. He enlisted in the United States Coast Guard, spent three years in the service, and continued to work on his golf game.
But, despite being one of the most recognizable figures in the history of golf, that won’t be all he’s remembered for. He was more than a golfer or even great golfer.
His fan base began as a dedicated band of men from a nearby military base, hence the nickname “Army”, and they made a decision to cheer him on at the year’s first major, the Masters at Augusta National.
Woods posted on Twitter, “Thanks Arnold for your friendship, counsel and a lot of laughs”.
“Your philanthropy and humility are part of your legend”. He came off as an “everyman”, as he hitched up his trousers, flicked away a cigarette and attack the flags.
Palmer’s 50th and last appearance at the Masters came in 2004.
“When he hits the ball, the earth shakes”, Gene Littler once said. His last PGA Tour win came in 1973. The only major to elude him was the PGA Championship, where he was runner-up three times.
Palmer’s name had been attached to the concoction since the late 1960s, but through a partnership with a company called Innovative Flavors and Arizona Beverage Co., he capitalized on the drink. Palmer’s health has been in decline for some time.
“If it wasn’t for Arnold, golf wouldn’t be as popular as it is now”, said Tiger Woods during a TV interview in 2004.
A victor of seven major championships, including four Masters, Palmer had no peers as a fan favorite and always went to great lengths to ensure that every person waiting in line ended up with a cherished autograph, Reuters said. After a horrendous round in a Champions Tour event, some 10 years ago, the then-76-year-old icon tearfully announced he had played his last competitive round. Just like on the golf course.
He won more than 90 golf tournaments, including the Masters four times, the U.S. Open in 1960, and the British Open in 1961 and 1962. Palmer erased a seven-stroke deficit on the final day, shooting a final-round 65 to defeat Nicklaus by two shots. Six years later, he blew a seven-shot lead on the back nine to lose the U.S. Open to Billy Casper. He meant so much to the game and to me personally.
The USGA tweeted that “we are deeply saddened” by Palmer’s death, calling him “golf’s greatest ambassador”. He piloted his first aircraft in 1956, and 10 years later had a license to fly jets that now are the standard mode of transportation for so many top players, even though the majority of them are merely passengers.
“What he has been able to do for the game, the players, I think everyone realizes that, respects that, I think that is why you see so many guys go to play (the Arnold Palmer Invitational) every year because they want to pay their respects to the man that paved the way for us”.
He drew thousands of fans to the game in the 1950s and ’60s and his keen fan base earned the moniker “Arnie’s Army”.
But then, the standard he set went beyond trophies. He smiled that smile with that twinkle in his eye. He signed every autograph, making sure it was legible. “You made every fan feel special”. Palmer trademarked his name, and that umbrella, in 1968.
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.
Palmer was born September 10, 1929, in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, the oldest of four children.
He turned pro in 1955 and his first tour victory was the Canadian Open at Weston Golf Club in Toronto. I Love you as did everyone. They had two daughters, and his grandson Sam Saunders plays on the PGA Tour.
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Palmer married Kathleen Gawthrop in 2005.
