Golf legend Arnold Palmer, nicknamed "The King" for bringing his discipline into another dimension with his impressive track record and magnetic personality in the 1960s, died Sunday at the age of 87.

Arnold Palmer next to his statue, sculpted by Zenos Frudakis (center) - © Wikimedia Commons

Arnold Palmer next to his statue, sculpted by Zenos Frudakis (center) - © Wikimedia Commons

"Arnold Palmer will forever remain a champion in every sense of the word (...) Golf has changed thanks to him and will not be the same, in many ways, without him", communicated the USPGA, which did not specify the cause of his death.

According to Doc Giffin, his friend and longtime spokesperson interviewed by ESPN, Palmer died shortly before surgery at University Hospital in Pittsburgh, where he had been hospitalized since Thursday with heart problems.

Golf legend Arnold Palmer, nicknamed "The King" for bringing his discipline into another dimension with his impressive track record and magnetic personality in the 1960s, died Sunday at the age of 87.

"We are saddened by the announcement of the death of Arnold Palmer, the greatest ambassador that golf has known"said the American Golf Federation (USPGA) on its Twitter account.

"Arnold Palmer will forever remain a champion in every sense of the word (…) Golf has changed thanks to him and will not be the same, in many ways, without him", continued the USPGA, which did not specify the cause of his death.

According to Doc Giffin, his friend and longtime spokesperson interviewed by ESPN, Palmer died shortly before surgery at University Hospital in Pittsburgh, where he had been hospitalized since Thursday with heart problems.

Palmer has marked the history of golf with his record of 95 titles including seven Grand Slam tournaments, the Masters four times (1958, 1960, 1962 and 1964), two editions of the British Open (1961, 1962) and the US Open 1960.

First golf star

The son of a steel worker who became a steward, then a golf instructor on the Latrobe course, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is the fifth most successful player in PGA Tour history with his 62 titles.

In the 1960s, his rivalry with another American Jack Nicklaus and with the South African Gary Player, with whom he formed the “Big Three”, contributed to the media coverage of golf on television, to the explosion in the number of players. in the United States and its expansion outside the American market.

Palmer, the handsome kid with a bewitching smile, a game full of panache, always fair play, is the first star of golf, followed in every tournament by an army of supporters, the "Arnie's Army".

His impact was not limited to golf: he was the first professional athlete to acquire, like film actors, an agent, in this case Mark McCormack, a lawyer who created IMG, a juggernaut and benchmark of sector.

Although his golden period was limited to the 1960s, Palmer never gave up golf and competition: from the 1980s, he took part in the Senior Tour, reserved for legends of the discipline, while doing forays on the PGA Tour to play in particular his favorite tournament, the Masters, where he last lined up in 2004 at the age of 75.

https://twitter.com/HistoryInPix/status/780269206579376128

300 routes designed around the world

He was also the owner of the Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Florida, which hosts the Arnold Palmer Invitational each year, one of the most important tournaments on the PGA Tour.

Palmer, an avid flyer and pilot himself, also launched his line of clothing and golf clubs. He increased his fortune by designing golf courses around the world, more than 300 including the first course in China.

Palmer made his last public appearance last April to kick off the Augusta Masters: he was accompanied in particular by his former great rival Jack Nicklaus.

"I am in shock because I lost a great friend and golf has also lost a great friend", Nicklaus, winner of 18 Grand Slam titles, said in a statement.

Former world No. 1 Tiger Woods, to whom he was very close, also paid him a vibrant tribute: “Thank you Arnold for your friendship, your advice and so much shared laughter. Your philanthropy and your humility are part of your legend. It's hard to imagine golf without you or think of someone more important to our sport than The King"

Barack Obama posted a photo on his Twitter account of him playing golf in the Oval Office before Palmer's eyes: "In remembrance of the King as extraordinary on the courses as he was generous in life, thank you for all these memories, Arnold"wrote the President.

Source: AFP