The golf world is mourning the loss of one of the sport’s true pioneers. He also served as the longtime national spokesperson for the USGA’s member program, and was an original investor and frequent guest on Golf Channel.
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Truly, he was The King.
“Sad news Mr Arnold Palmer past away”. Near the end, he had hard with balance, and had suffered some injuries from falls.
Much of his success behind the scenes was credited to his business partner, Mark McCormack, whom Palmer had played against in college. He birdied the next three holes, shot 65 and outlasted Ben Hogan and 20-year-old amateur Jack Nicklaus. And it helped that he arrived about the same time as television moved into most households, a flawless fit that sent golf to unprecedented popularity.
Palmer, a native of Latrobe, Pa., won seven major titles during his incredible career.
“Everyone got hooked to the game of golf via TV because of Arnold”. Palmer lost five strokes on the final three holes of the 1966 U.S. Open at San Francisco’s Olympic Club, falling into a tie with Billy Casper, and then blew a two-stroke lead on the final eight holes of a playoff the next day, losing by four.
His legion of fans were known as “Arnie’s Army” and they would flock to the course in their thousands any time their hero teed up. “I had to stand up to turn the wheel”.
“We loved him with a mythic American joy”, said Palmer biographer James Dodson.
Palmer was born on September 10, 1929, in Latrobe, a small industrial town east of Pittsburgh.
A few months later, Palmer made his Masters debut, his first of a record 50 consecutive appearances at the event. The inspiration we drew from Arnold Palmer, however, is what we celebrate now and forever.
Palmer’s first wife, Winnie, died in 1999. Palmer remarried in 2005 to Kathleen Gawthrop.
Palmer’s first PGA Tour win came at the 1955 Canadian Open at Toronto’s Weston Golf and Country Club, where victory was worth $2,400.
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. That’s about what Cameron Tringale, No. 48 on the 2015 money list, earned a year ago.
Palmer, who was a long shot to begin with, won the tournament by a shot over Robert Sweeny.
Palmer also won 10 times on the Champions tour.
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Palmer, who celebrated his 87th birthday two weeks ago, was widely regarded as one of the best professional golfers of all time. “No one has had a greater impact on those who play our great sport or who are touched by it”.
