Arnold Palmer brought a country-club sport to the masses with a hard-charging style, charisma and a commoner's touch, At ease with both presidents and the golfing public, and on a first-name basis with both, "The King," died yesterday in Pittsburgh.
He was 87.
Alastair Johnson, CEO of Arnold Palmer Enterprises, confirmed that Palmer died last afternoon of complications from heart problems. Johnson said Palmer was admitted to the hospital Thursday for some cardiovascular work and weakened over the last few days.
Palmer ranked among the most important figures in golf history, and it went well beyond his seven major championships and 62 PGA Tour wins. His good looks, devilish grin and go-for-broke manner made the elite sport appealing to one and all. And it helped that he arrived about the same time as television moved into most households, a perfect fit that sent golf to unprecedented popularity.
"If it wasn't for Arnold, golf wouldn't be as popular as it is now," Tiger Woods said in 2004 when Palmer played in his last Masters. "He's the one who basically brought it to the forefront on TV. If it wasn't for him and his excitement, his flair, the way he played, golf probably would not have had that type of excitement.
Beyond his golf, Palmer was a pioneer in sports marketing, paving the way for scores of other athletes to reap in millions from endorsements. Some four decades after his last PGA Tour win, he ranked among the highest-earners in golf.
"Thanks Arnold for your friendship, counsel and a lot of laughs," Woods tweeted last night. "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."
On the golf course, Palmer was an icon not for how often he won, but the way he did it.
He would hitch up his pants, drop a cigarette and attack the flags. With powerful hands wrapped around the golf club, Palmer would slash at the ball with all of his might, then twist that muscular neck and squint to see where it went.
"When he hits the ball, the earth shakes," Gene Littler once said.
Palmer rallied from seven shots behind to win a US Open. He blew a seven-shot lead on the back nine to lose a US Open.
"I'm pleased that I was able to do what I did from a golfing standpoint," Palmer said in 2008, two years after he played in his last official tournament. "I would like to think that I left them more than just that.
- 'Made golf sexy' -
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Although Palmer's presence around the game had become less regular in recent years, today's young stars were aware of the iconic player's impact on their sport.
"Let's be honest, it's kind of a nerdy sport," Australia's Jason Day said this year. "Arnold Palmer made golf sexy."
Palmer, born September 10, 1929, was the son of the club professional and greens superintendent at Latrobe Country Club. Palmer started caddying at 11 and went on to work almost every job at the club.
Fans identified with his blue-collar background, and he never forgot his roots even as he piloted his own jet to charity functions and business meetings and became a friend of presidents and corporate big-wigs.
Palmer attended Wake Forest University on a golf scholarship. At age 24, he won the 1954 US Amateur at the Country Club of Detroit.
Later that year, Palmer turned pro. In a career that spanned more than six decades, he won 62 PGA Tour titles, putting him at fifth on the Tour's all-time victory rankings.
He led the PGA Tour money list four times, and was the first player to win more than $100,000 in a season.
He played on six Ryder Cup teams and was the winning captain twice.
In 1974, Palmer was one of the original inductees into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
"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," said former president George W. Bush, who awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004.
In 2012, Palmer was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, giving him both of the highest honors the United States can give to a civilian.
