American · Latrobe, Pennsylvania · Born 10 September 1929 · Died 2016-09-25Charismatic American golfer whose popularity helped grow golf as a TV sport in the 1960s.
Arnold Daniel Palmer was born on 10 September 1929 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, a working-class steel mill town, to Milfred "Deacon" Palmer, who had suffered from polio as a young man and served as head professional and greenskeeper at Latrobe Country Club, allowing young Arnold to accompany him as he maintained the course. Palmer attended Wake Forest College and turned professional in 1954, developing into the most charismatic and commercially significant golfer of his generation, nicknamed "The King" for the passionate galleries, dubbed "Arnie's Army," that followed his every round. Palmer won seven major championships, including four Masters titles between 1958 and 1964, and his rivalry with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, dubbed the "Big Three," helped transform golf into a major televised sport during the 1960s, with Palmer's aggressive, go-for-broke playing style capturing the public imagination. Palmer finished his career with 62 PGA Tour victories, fifth all-time, and was inducted into the inaugural World Golf Hall of Fame class in 1974. He died on 25 September 2016, at age 87, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, remembered as one of the most beloved and transformative figures in the sport's history, having done more than any player to popularise golf for a mainstream American audience.
'The King'; helped popularize golf on television; 7 major titles
How They Played
Aggressive, go-for-broke approach with magnetic personality
Lasting Impact
The King - transformed golf into a popular spectator sport
Career Honours
- 7 Major Championships
- Presidential Medal of Freedom
- World Golf Hall of Fame founding member
American Athletes