Golf icon Arnold Palmer died September 25th in a Pittsburgh hospital while awaiting cardiac surgery. The King dominated the sport of golf for decades with his consistent will to win. This will to win brought him four Masters victories and over ninety tournament wins through his PGA career. He joins Mohammad Ali and Gordie Howe on the list of legendary athletes to pass away this year.
Palmer will be forever remembered for more than just tea and lemonade. He popularized golf before the days of Twitter, bringing a band of die hard fans along with him. His charisma and style was admired by all, making him impossible not to like.
“[I’ll miss] our friendship. It meant a lot. He’s been one of those people I could always turn to. There’s not a lot of people where you can pick up the phone and talk to and they can change your life. He’s one of those guys,” says Tiger Woods. Woods discussed his particularly close relationship with Palmer as a mentor throughout his career. Jack Nicklaus recalled his historic rivalry with Palmer: “Arnold was always a friend, we always loved going out and trying to beat each other. It was a rivalry, I think, we both enjoyed. It was competitive, it was fantastic.”
Palmer’s legacy will live on for ages.