In this April 12, 1964 file photo, Arnold Palmer, right, slips into his green jacket with help from Jack Nicklaus after winning the Masters golf championship, in Augusta, Ga. | AP Photo Obama: 'Arnold Palmer had swagger before we had a name for it'

President Barack Obama mourned the death of golf legend Arnold Palmer in a statement released Monday, celebrating him as “the American dream come to life.”

Palmer, widely regarded as one of golf’s greatest stars, died Sunday in Pittsburgh at the age of 87. He won seven major tournaments over the course of his career, including four Masters Tournaments, and 65 wins on the PGA Tour rank him 5th all-time on that list. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004 by President George W. Bush and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2009.


“With his homemade swing and homespun charm, Arnold Palmer had swagger before we had a name for it,” the president said in a statement released by the White House. “From a humble start working at the local club in his beloved Latrobe, Pennsylvania, to superstardom as the face of golf around the globe, Arnold was the American Dream come to life.”

"Along the way he racked up win after win – but it wasn’t his success that made him King. Arnold’s freewheeling, fearless approach to the game inspired a generation of golfers and, for the first time on TV, enthralled an audience across the world. Sure, we liked that he won seven majors, but we loved that he went for it when he probably should have laid up,” Obama, himself an avid golfer, continued. “That spirit extended beyond the links where he gave freely of himself and poured everything he had into everything he did: from building hospitals to personally responding to countless letters from his fans. And he did it all with a grin that hinted maybe he had one more shot up his sleeve."