R.I.P. Arnold Palmer

[DrvFrShow]

Arnold Palmer.... my old golf hero. RIP. 

[GolfLug]

RIP... Honored to have met him this year..

[Groucho Valentine]

I hope his passing was comfortable. He looked really sickly last couple times he appeared in public. 

[ScouseJohnny]

When golf was cool.

Thank you for your incredible contribution to this game, Mr. Palmer.

 

 

[gogolfing]

Such sad news....all pro athletes, not just golfers, gained a lot from him in what he and Mark McCormack were able to do. A game changer. Heavy hearts today. 

[RussUK]

Very sad to learn of Arnies passing. Did so much for the whole of golf. Arnold may be gone but his memory and legacy will live on for gernerations to come.

R.I.P Arnold

[Database Head]

What a great legacy..........  Hats off to you Mr. Palmer.

[Wally Fairway]

Nice article on ESPN.com - mentions his dislike for Hogan and Roger Maris

http://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/17640876/the-force-drove-arnold-palmer

my favorite anecdote, that shows a little bit about him

Quote

Florio had seen Palmer last week for a fundraiser outing. He rode in a cart with Palmer for two and a half hours, visiting this foursome and that foursome, before they retreated to the King's office.

"Before Arnold fell asleep," Florio recalled, "and this is a perfect Palmer line, he asked me what time he needed to be at our reception. I told him he didn't need to go and he said, 'Goddamnit, I didn't ask you if I needed to go or not. I asked you when I needed to be there.'

 

RIP Mr. Palmer - all courses should have their pins flying flags at half-mast today.

[Fourputt]

He was the face of Golf for as long as I've known the game existed.  Mr. Palmer is hugely responsible for the game being what it is today.  Go with grace, Arnold Palmer. 

[phan52]

Arnold Palmer was the first face of professional golf for me when I was a kid. My Dad played with him in the Pro-Am in 1963 at the initial Whitemarsh Open (which became the IVB Golf Classic after a couple of years) at Whitemarsh Valley CC outside of Philadelphia.

Arnold was very gracious to everybody in my family and tried to make my Dad comfortable (although he was a basket case, afraid he would kill somebody in the huge gallery). I became a lifelong fan and have been very fortunate to have met him on multiple occasions. He was always gracious and generous with his time. He had no problem giving back because he knew what he meant to people and I am very saddened by his passing. R.I.P. King.

Arnie, Chuck Bednarik and my Dad (in red).

 

Edited September 26, 2016 by phan52

[Aflighter]

I could tell at the masters he looked frail and had lost weight. Could see that he may be in trouble. Sad day to lose someone that was a great man all around.

[Grinde6]

What Arnold Palmer did for the game of golf and sports in general was outstanding.  The endorsements golfers get started with Arnie.  Great ambassador for the game and a true gentleman.  It seems like golf is in good hands, but he will be missed dearly!

[cipher]

RIP to the King.

[Archie Bunker]

The perfect combination of Hero and Human Being.

A true golfing legend.

[rehmwa]

Perfect timing to rename it the "Palmer Cup"

[The Recreational Golfer]

I got his autograph in 1959 at the Portland Open when I was 10 years old. There was no crowd, just him and me. Even at that young age I knew this was the nicest person I had ever met. That's why he was The King.

[nevets88]

Tributes to Arnold Palmer below.  Also, I forgot he was a pilot. Pilots paying tribute.

Quote

Palmer's fly-bys when departing from tournaments were a distinctive signature throughout the 1960s and '70s, and his skill as a pilot was matched by several notable achievements. In 1969, Palmer piloted a Boeing 747 before the airplane had gone into commercial service. In 1976, he set a round-the-world speed record that still stands. Taking off from Denver in a Learjet 36 and heading east, Palmer circumnavigated the globe in 57 hours, 25 minutes and 42 seconds, stopping in Boston, Paris, Tehran, Sri Lanka, Jakarta, Manila, Wake Island and Honolulu.

 

 

 

 

 

[nevets88]