

By T. Rees Shapiro, The Washington Post

Arnold Palmer, a Pennsylvania greenskeeper’s son who became one of golf’s most charismatic champions and made millions of dollars by turning his popular “everyman” image into one of the most lucrative sports brands in the world, died Sunday at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh, according to his longtime assistant Doc Griffin. Palmer was hospitalized in preparation for heart surgery, but Griffin said he did not know the exact cause of death. He was 87.

Palmer rose from a blue-collar background to become part of the sport’s royalty – he was colloquially known on the PGA tour as “The King” – and frequent playing partner of U.S. presidents. He left an indelible mark on the world of golf in the form of nearly 300 signature-designed courses, and Arnold Palmer Enterprises, which handled his endorsements and other ventures, helped make Palmer the first golfer to make his name a worldwide franchise.

Many credit Palmer with inventing golf as a televised sport, becoming the game’s first well-known star by helping to put a name and face to the game. Palmer’s vitality and boyishly handsome looks helped attract many new fans to the sport who watched on television. “I’ve got sex written all over my face,” Palmer once said.

Emerging as a superstar athlete in the 1950s, Palmer did not play golf courses; he attacked them. Armed with a brutish swing that more resembled a hockey slap shot than a daisy cutter, Palmer brought energy and zest to the staid game that men before him such as Bobby Jones and Sam Snead played wearing tweed coats and knickers.

Standing 6-feet-2, with broad shoulders, beefy arms and massive hands, Palmer was known for bombing drives off the tee and then stalking his ball down the fairway, striding long bounds while dangling a thin cigarette between his fingers.

Frequently, though, Palmer’s heavy swing would lead him to find his ball beached in sand traps and buried in thick rough. When his options were either to play it safe by taking a stroke and punching out for a cleaner shot, or zinging it between trees and through bushes for the narrow chance to save for par, Palmer knew what to do.

“There always were conservative players, fairways-and-greens types,” he told the Wall Street Journal. “The spectators get a kick out of seeing a player take a shot, take a risk.”

Surrounded by the gallery, Palmer would flick his cigarette, hitch up his pants, and then blast his ball for often mesmerizing results.

Between 1958 and 1964, he won seven major titles, including the Masters four times, the U.S. Open once, and the British Open twice, two years in a row. Throughout a career spanning five decades, Palmer won 62 tournaments on the U.S. tour, and accrued nearly $7 million in prize money. He was the first golfer earn $1 million in purses.

Perhaps Palmer’s most memorable tournament, and one of the greatest golf showdowns of all time, occurred at the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills Country Club near Denver.

On the final day of the event, Palmer was seven shots behind the leader – an otherwise insurmountable lead.

“What’ll happen if I shoot 65?” Palmer asked a friend before he teed off for the final round.

“Nothing,” said Pittsburgh sportswriter Bob Drum, “You blew your chance.”

“Like hell I did,” Palmer replied. “A 65 gives me 280 and 280 wins the Open.”

That day, Palmer drove the green on the 346-yard first hole. He birdied six of the seven opening holes. He shot a 65 – edging out an amateur prodigy by two shots named Jack Nicklaus – to win his only Open title.

The Associated Press This June 19, 1960, file photo shows Arnold Palmer pointing to his name on the press tent scoreboard showing his four-under-par total, for 72 holes, during the National Open golf tournament at the Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver, Colo. The most famous U.S. Open comeback began with a question from Arnold Palmer in 1960 at Cherry Hills in explaining how he could rally from a big deficit.

The Associated Press Arnold Palmer rips off his hat as he drops the final putt that gave him the National Open championship in Denver, Colo. in this June 18, 1960 photo. "I was seven strokes back and really pumped up, ready to go," Palmer recalled. Palmer was voted 33rd of the top 100 athletes of the century by a selected panel assembled by The Associated Press.

Rick Collier, Associated Press file Arnold Palmer tosses his cap on the 18th green after winning the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver, Colorado.



The Associated Press President of the USGA John Clock presents the U.S. Open trophy to Arnold Palmer, left, at the Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver, Colorado on June 18, 1960.

Paul Vathis, The Associated Press In this Sept. 9, 1960, file photo, President Dwight Eisenhower, right, enjoys a laugh with Arnold Palmer before they played a round of golf together in a foursome at the Gettysburg Country Club, Gettysburg, Penn. Former president Dwight D. Eisenhower, whose passion for golf helped to boost its popularity after World War II, was selected Friday, June 26, 2009, to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. He will be the first U.S. president in the Hall of Fame when he is inducted posthumously Nov. 2 at the World Golf Village.

The Associated Press FILE - In this June 17, 1962, file photo, Jack Nicklaus right, and Arnold Palmer turn to leave the 18th green at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa., after Nicklaus won the U.S. Open golf tournament in a playoff. The epic 1962 U.S. Open, a pivotal moment in one of golf's most celebrated rivalries, is what the USGA delivered producer Ross Greenburg to create a one-hour documentary. This is the 50-year anniversary of Nicklaus' playoff win for the first of his record 18 major championships. "Jack's First Major" will be the first USGA film shown on network television, broadcast by NBC Sports on June 17 before its final-round coverage of the U.S. Open.



The Associated Press Arnold Palmer, left, U.S. Open and Masters champion, chats with his wife Winnie and father, Milford "Deke" Palmer at the first tee before starting second round play in the British Open Golf Tourney at St. Andrews, Scotland, in this July 7, 1960 photo. A two-hour documentary by The Golf Channel titled ``Arnold Palmer: Golf's Heart and Soul,'' premieres Oct. 28.

The Associated press Popular veteran golfer Arnold Palmer is shown at Cherry Hills Country Club following a lengthy press conference, Tuesday, June 14, 1978, Denver, Colo. He is a sentimental favorite in this years U.S. Open, scheduled to start on Thursday having won that title in 1960, the last time the Open was held at Cherry Hills.

Brian Brained, The Denver Post Arnold Palmer tees off from the second hole during the opening round of PGA golf championship at Cherry Hills Country Club & Golf Course in 1985.



Curtis Compton Arnold Palmer hits the first shot to begin the 75th Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on Thursday, April 8, 2011.

Scott Audette, The Associated Press Tiger Woods, left, is helped into the his jacket for winning the Bay Hill Invitational by tournament host Arnold Palmer in this March 18, 2001 in Orlando, Fla. The Bay Hill Invitational has become a boon for Woods, who can make history this week by becoming the first player on any tour to win the same tournament five straight years. From the time his streak began in 2000, Woods is 65 under par at Bay Hill and has won his four titles by a combined 20 strokes.

Gene J. Puskar, The Associated Press Golf legend Arnold Palmer starts his round at the 66th Semiro PGA Championship at Laurel Valley Golf Club, in Ligonier, Pa., Thursday, May 26, 2005.



Phelan M. Ebenhack, The Associated Press Tiger Woods, left, and Arnold Palmer share a laugh during the trophy presentation after Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament in Orlando, Fla., Monday, March 25, 2013.

John Leyba, The Denver Post Arnold Palmer interview and a Q&A to kick off the 2009 Palmer Cup to be held at Cherry Hills Country Club. The tournament will offer up the the best collegiate golfers from Europe to play against the best golfers from the United States.

Stew Milne, The Associated Press Golf legend Arnold Palmer tees off at the 15th hole of the Rhode Island Country Club during the first round of the CVS Pharmacy Charity Classic in Barrington, R.I., Monday, July 9, 2001.



Matthew Thayer, The Associated Press Arnold Palmer reacts after his drive off the Wailea Gold Course's third hole finds a bunker Sunday, Jan. 5, 2006, during pro-am play of the Champions Skins golf tournament in Wailea, Hawaii.

Chris O'Meara, The Associated Press In this March 23, 2014, file photo, Arnold Palmer talks during a news conference before the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament at Bay Hill in Orlando, Fla. Golf Channel has spent more than a year producing what might be the most important project in its 20-year history  a three-part documentary on golf's most endearing figure. "Arnie" will be shown on three consecutive nights beginning April 13, the night after the final round of the Masters.

Ben Stansall, AFP/Getty Images Winner of The Open in 1961 and 1962, US golfer Arnold Palmer plays from the 1st tee during the Champion Golfers' Challenge on The Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland, on July 15, 2015, ahead of The 2015 Open Golf Championship which runs July 16-19. 28 Seven groups of four Champion golfers with a combined 46 victories in golfs oldest Championship, compete in a four hole challenge, the winnings going to the charity of the winning team's choice.



Amy Sancetta, The Associated Press Arnold Palmer, winner of four Masters championships and making his 50th appearance, gives the thumbs up to spectators at the third green during practice for the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, GA., Tuesday, April 6, 2004. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

Palmer was already an established champion on the tour when Nicklaus rose from obscurity to become golf’s golden boy. In nearly every tournament they entered, Palmer and Nicklaus battled in what is known as one of golf’s fiercest rivalries.

At the 1962 U.S. Open, Nicklaus won his first major championship by beating Palmer in a playoff. In 1964, Palmer finished first at the Masters, while Nicklaus was second. The next year, the order was reversed. In 1967, Nicklaus won the U.S. Open again, this time with a score of five under par. The only other player in the top 10 who played below par was Palmer, who finished second, four shots behind Nicklaus.

Their rivalry extended off the course to the business world. Palmer was known to call Nicklaus’ marketing symbol – a golden bear – a “golden pig,” reflecting Nicklaus’s pudgy physique.

In their later years, however, Palmer and Nicklaus became great friends. In 2010, Palmer and Nicklaus were the ceremonial starters of the Masters golf tournament and both hit an honorary first drive.

“In terms of fan recognition, he lifted the game to another level,” Nicklaus told USA Today in 2004. “He grabbed the imagination of the public. From 1958 to 1964 it would be hard to find a golfer who played better.”

Of Palmer’s mass appeal, golf writer Dan Jenkins once noted, “Arnold Palmer did not play golf, we thought. He nailed up beams, reupholstered sofas, repaired air conditioning units. He was the most immeasurable of all golf champions.”

His fans made themselves known one year at the Masters in Augusta, Georgia, parading behind him and holding up signs that read “Arnie’s Army.” Many of them were soldiers from nearby Fort Gordon who had come to the tournament just to watch Palmer.

In all of his tournament appearances, Palmer was followed by throngs of fans who would stack themselves 15 rows deep. They’d climb trees, stand on shoulders, and even employ cardboard periscopes – anything to catch a glimpse of “The King.”

Palmer capitalized on his popularity to wide success as a businessman, notably in 1961 when he started Arnold Palmer Enterprises with the marketing symbol of a colored golf umbrella.

Much of his success behind the scenes was credited to his business partner, Mark McCormack, whom Palmer had played against in college. McCormack, who died in 2004, founded IMG, an athlete management business, in 1960 and signed Palmer as his first client. Their deal, which was sealed with a handshake, immediately proved fruitful. In the first two years, Palmer’s endorsements soared from $6,000 a year to more than $500,000.

Throughout his career, Palmer maintained contracts with a wide variety of companies, including Rayovac batteries, Rolex watches, Starkey hearing aids, Pennzoil engine fluids, Ketel One vodka, Cadillac luxury cars, Callaway golfing products and E-Z-Go golf carts.

Palmer is also credited with creating a blended drink, an iced tea splashed with lemonade.

“A guy came up to the bar and he ordered an Arnold Palmer, and the barman knew what that drink was,” said Irishman Padraig Harrington, a three-time majors champion. “That’s in a league of your own.”

Always the businessman, in 2002 Palmer had his company license “Arnold Palmer Tee,” a bottled version of the drink, to the AriZona Beverage Co.

Palmer was also one of the first professionals to design golf courses and make millions of dollars doing it. Nearly 300 golf courses around the globe bear his name, including two that Palmer owned: the Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, home to the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a PGA tour event, and the Latrobe Country Club in Pennsylvania, the course where his father maintained the greens.

In 1994, Forbes estimated Palmer’s personal fortune to be worth more than $175 million. In Asia alone, the Arnold Palmer brand sells more than $100 million in products that range from car air fresheners to bed linens.

Palmer owned an exclusive magazine that catered to clubs where he had designed a golf course. He named the signature publication, which is distributed worldwide, “Kingdom.”

Arnold Daniel Palmer was born Sept. 10, 1929, in Youngstown, Pennsylvania, and raised in nearby Latrobe. He learned the game of golf from his father, Milfred Jerome “Deke” Palmer, a strict taskmaster who worked every day on the grounds of the Latrobe Country Club.

Palmer recalled in his book, “A Golfer’s Life” (1999), that he was 3 years old when his father placed a cut-down women’s golf club in his hands and instructed him simply to “hit it hard, boy.”

The rest Palmer did himself. He grew up to become a prodigious player and in high school lost only four matches.

During a junior tournament one summer, he met Marvin “Bud” Worsham, a golfer from the Washington area who would change Palmer’s life.

Worsham, who was also known as Bubby, was the youngest brother to the 1947 U.S. Open champion Lew Worsham. Bud Worsham became Palmer’s best friend, and the two became roommates at what is now Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where they both played golf on scholarship.

One night in Palmer’s senior year, Worsham was in a car that caromed off a road and slammed into a tree. Palmer, who was supposed to have been in the vehicle that night with Worsham, drove to the coroner the following morning to identify his best friend’s body.

The most prestigious junior tournament played in Washington, the Bubby Worsham Memorial, was renamed in his honor.

Shortly after the accident, MPalmer left school and served three years in the Coast Guard. In 1954, seven months out of Coast Guard service and long out of the elite level of golf, Palmer as entered the U.S. Amateur tournament, then one of the premier events for golf talent.

Palmer, who was a long shot to begin with, won the tournament by a shot over Robert Sweeny. He often said he considered the win one of his greatest victories and the turning point in his career. Days later Palmer became a professional golfer by signing a sponsorship deal with Wilson Sporting Goods.

In his later years, Palmer took on the role of golf’s godfather, dispensing advice to fellow players on anything from business, their swing, to their private lives. In 2010, Palmer was outspoken during the aftermath of the news that Tiger Woods had been an unfaithful husband, and said Woods could have handled the controversy better by being more open with the public.

Among his many charitable donations, Palmer endowed a scholarship at Wake Forest in honor of Bud Worsham. In 2006, the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies opened in Orlando, largely funded by Palmer, which he named in memory of his wife of 45 years, the former Winnie Walzer, who died in 1999.

Survivors include his second wife, the former Kathleen Gawthrop, whom he married in 2005.

In 2004, President George W. Bush awarded Palmer the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Over the years, Palmer played golf with a number of presidents, and was frequent a partner of Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Palmer often told a story about the first Masters he played in as a professional in 1955.

He and his wife, Winnie, drove up Magnolia Lane, the storied entrance to the grand white clubhouse of Augusta National, in a coral pink Ford towing a cramped 19-foot trailer they would live out of for the week of the event.

He came in 10th that year and won the considerable sum of $695.83, “and we never pulled the trailer again.”