Every sport has its ultimate legend. Baseball has Babe Ruth, basketball has Michael Jordan and golf has Arnold Palmer. Arnold Palmer is golf.
Palmer is synonymous with the sport and with the ideals of how the greatest champions carry themselves: joyous and humble in victory, gracious and good-natured in defeat. He was the game's most exciting personality and for fans everywhere, their first golf hero. He set off a nationwide golf revolution, and 35 years later, he is still considered by many as the #1 All-American sportsman.
Arnold Palmer endeared himself to fans through his charismatic and down-to-earth style that led him to 92 championships to date. He scored seven of those wins in three of golf's Grand Slam tournaments: the British Open, the U.S. Open and the Masters Tournament. When the game first flickered over television sets everywhere, Palmer was the first to stir audiences with his come-from-behind wins. He helped start a nationwide love of golf that has turned it into one of the most popular sports.
Palmer has been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, the American Golf Hall of Fame and the PGA Hall of Fame. For 20 years, he has lent his celebrity to charitable causes including his work as Honorary National Chairman of the March of Dimes. He recently authored A Golfer's Life with Jim Dodson.
With his universal appeal that transcends sports, Palmer's no-nonsense insights into success and challenges are tremendously effective. His "everyman" style in life and in sports makes Arnold Palmer one of the most engaging and accessible public figures in sports.
1960's Athlete of the Decade
