The Legacy of Arnold Palmer

Recently, a big inspiration in the game of golf passed away on September 25, 2016 at the age of 87. Arnold Palmer is one of the most known golfers in the world. “The King” made a huge impact on the game of golf and also on the people who played the game. For people who don’t play golf may know Arnold Palmer as a golfer or for his drink the “Arnold Palmer”, but he is much more than that. In an article written about Palmer on the PGA says, “ Golf will never be the same for two reasons. First, that Arnold Palmer lived. Second, that Arnold Palmer has died.” (Michaux, 2016). Arnold was born on September 10, 1929 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. His father, Milfred Palmer, who was a golf professional, got him started with golf at a very young age after he shortened a set of clubs so that Arnold could use them. Golf came very easy to Arnold and he earned a scholarship to Wake Forest University. The days at Wake Forest were some of Palmer's fondest memories. This was until 1950 when his best friend and teammate, Buddy Worsham, had been killed in a car accident. The tragedy didn’t sit well with Arnie and his life changed drastically because of it. Palmer decided to quit going to college his senior year and joined the U.S. Coast Guard, which meant a three year break from golf. By 1954, Palmer returned and started playing golf again like he never even left. By the fall of 1954, Palmer had turned pro.

                                                    
A lot of golfers like Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan and Gary Player were very accomplished any won tournament after tournament, but none of them are known as “The King” like Arnold Palmer is. The 1958 Masters tournament in Augusta, Georgia was what really launched Palmer’s career and made him known to the rest of the world. He won the tournament and became the youngest player at that time to ever win the championship. By the early 1960’s Palmer was the world’s best and most successful golfer. Palmer was the one who grew and shaped golf to what it is now. Because of him, people across the world can watch golf at home which helped to grow the game. The LA Times’ Pulitzer Prize-winning sports columnist, Jim Murray once said, “Television and Palmer took over golf simultaneously.” (Dufresne, 2016).  In 1995, Palmer co-founded America’s golf channel because he wanted more people to get interested in the sport he loved to play. When people started to see Arnold on TV, they fell in love with his charisma and chiseled looks because he didn't resemble a typical golfer. Palmer didn’t have a typical textbook swing that many other professional golfers are made out to have and that appealed him to weekend hackers and even women who didn’t have the perfect swing. He made the game exciting and was unpredictable which made fans want to keep watching until the end. Another thing Palmer did was start revolutionizing sports marketing and his success made it able for athletes in all sports to get their incomes increased. So not only does he have an impact on the golf world but other things as well. Tim Finchem, PGA Tour Commissioner said,  “It is not an exaggeration to say that there would be no modern day PGA Tour without Arnold Palmer. There would be no PGA Tour Champions without Arnold Palmer. There would be no Golf Channel without Arnold Palmer.” Palmer made all these things possible today which made a positive impact on the game of golf that would not have been possible had they not been done.

Not only did Palmer do things just with sports, he also started fund-raising and put on tournaments to raise money and eventually the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Women and Children and also Arnold Palmer Medical Center opened in Orlando. In 2004, Palmer was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom presented by President Bush and he also received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2009, passed by Congress and signed by President Obama. He is also in both the American golf Hall of Fame and the World Golf Hall of Fame. He has also won almost every national golf award there is. As if he didn’t do enough, he was also the chairman of the USGA members program and served as honorary national chairman of the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation for 20 years.

Arnold may not have been on the leaderboard every week or have won the most amount of tournaments or been at the top of the money list every year , but he definitely the most talked about and the most respected. He did not ask or expect to be such an inspiration to people, but he was. No matter if someone knew Palmer his whole life or just met him that day, Arnold treated everyone the same no matter who you were. He always knew what to say that made people feel welcomed and comfortable and people just wanted to be in his presence. Everything that professional golfers do today, from their courtesy, to taking off their hat before an interview and even being

involved with fans is all because of the leadership shown by Mr. Palmer. He is a figure that everyone in the sports world aspires to be because of how he presents himself. “He was a trend-setter in terms of sports endorsements on TV.” He not only inspired golfers but athletes as a whole. Palmer did things no one else thought to do which made him very successful and he created a path that all different athletes could follow so they could be better off financially. Before Palmer, there were many athletes who could barely afford to take care of their families and Arnold saw that and decided to make a change.

Palmer loved the Orlando area and he wanted to move a tournament that used to be called the Citrus Open to Bay Hill and in 1979, the Arnold Palmer Invitational was born. Arnie has done so much for the game and this tournament has made it able for professionals to go and pay tribute to him each year. All players want a chance to win the tournament to get a “handshake and a hug” from the one and only Arnold Palmer and to also have a celebratory drink with him after the round. Palmer himself picks players to attend the tournament which is an honor in itself. Players have said that there is a certain energy when playing in this tournament that motivates them to want to win for The King. This year was a little different though. So many players wanted to pay tribute to Mr. Palmer such as putting his name on their clubs and shoes and even dressing like him. Something special that the players did was go into Palmer’s Office and signed their names on memorabilia in honor of him.

Today, and for many years to come, Arnold Palmer will always be remembered. His legacy of respect and compassion of the game will continue to grow and keep changing and inspiring people’s lives.

Arnold Palmer's Legacy 

Works Cited 

Michaux, Scott. "Arnold Palmer Changed the Game of Golf and Won the Hearts of Many." PGA.com. N.p., 26 Sept. 2016. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.

"Arnold Palmer." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 26 Sept. 2016. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.

Arnold Palmer's Remarkable Legacy. Perf. Arnold Palmer. Youtube. N.p., 25 Sept. 2016. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.

"Arnold Palmer: Godfather of Today's Sports Business." Newsmax. Newsmax Wires, 27 Sept. 2016. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.

Carter, Lain. "Arnold Palmer: 'The King' of Golf Who Changed the Game - BBC Sport." BBC News. BBC, 26 Sept. 2016. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.

Dufresne, Chris. "'Arnold Palmer Invented Pro Golf as It Exists Today': The Sport's Greatest Ambassador Dies at 87." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 2016. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.

"Personal Biography." Arnold Palmer. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.