The right man at the right time, Arnold Palmer transformed an entire sport and, along the way, became an American legend. Palmer, one of the most famous athletes on the planet and a friend to presidents, kings, and movie stars, died Sunday at the age of 87.

Palmer, the son of a Pennsylvania country club greenskeeper, learned the sport of golf as a youth and perfected his game while at Wake Forest. He turned pro in 1955, winning a tournament in his first year as a professional, and three years later won the Masters.

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Six of Palmer’s seven major wins came in a short period, from 1960 to 1964, but that happened to be the exact moment when televised sports first became a national obsession. Palmer’s good looks, humble origins, cheerful demeanor and on-course success combined to make him an early favorite of viewing audiences, and “Arnie’s Army” turned out in force wherever he played.

Palmer’s battles with Jack Nicklaus were instant legend, a rivalry that blossomed into a friendship lasting more than half a century. Along with Gary Player, the men created the foundation for modern golf, and remained connected, visible and vibrant long after their playing days were done.

Palmer was one of the first sports figures to create a vibrant off-course empire. In addition to the products he endorsed – everything from tractors to the famous “Arnold Palmer” drink – Palmer oversaw a thriving course design business and helped found The Golf Channel.

Generations of golfers, from world-class pros to weekend hackers, owe Palmer a debt of gratitude. He was a singular force in American sports, and he’ll be deeply missed.

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.</s>Arnold Palmer, a seven-time major winner who brought golf to the masses and became the most beloved figure in the game, died Sunday in Pittsburgh from heart complications. He was 87.

Palmer, a native of Latrobe, Pa., had been admitted to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where he was scheduled to have heart surgery Monday, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Reaction poured in from “Arnie’s Army” of admirers in the world of golf.

“We loved him with a mythic American joy,” said Palmer biographer James Dodson. “He represented everything that is great about golf. The friendship, the fellowship, the laughter, the impossibility of golf, the sudden rapture moment that brings you back, a moment that you never forget, that’s Arnold Palmer in spades. He’s the defining figure in golf.”

Related Arnold Palmer captivated audiences for decades

No one did more to popularize the sport than Palmer. His dashing presence singlehandedly took golf out of the country clubs and into the mainstream. Quite simply, he made golf cool.

“I used to hear cheers go up from the crowd around Palmer,” Lee Trevino said. “And I never knew whether he’d made a birdie or just hitched up his pants.”

Golfweek subscriber Bob Conn of Guilford, Conn., in a letter to the editor, captured the loyalty and devotion that the public felt for Palmer.

“If Arnold Palmer sent me a personal letter asking me to join the cleanup crew at Bay Hill, I would buy a green jumpsuit, stick a nail in a broom handle, grab some Hefty garbage bags and shake his hand when I arrived.”

It wasn’t just the fans. His fellow competitors revered him, and the next generation and the generation after that worshipped him. When reporters at the 1954 U.S. Amateur asked Gene Littler to identify the golfer as slender as wire and as strong as cable cracking balls on the practice tee, Littler said: “That’s Arnold Palmer. He’s going to be a great player some day. When he hits the ball, the earth shakes.”

Palmer attended Wake Forest on a golf scholarship. At age 24, he was selling paint and living in Cleveland, just seven months removed from a three-year stint in the Coast Guard, when he entered the national sporting consciousness by winning the 1954 U.S. Amateur at the Country Club of Detroit.

“That victory was the turning point in my life,” he said. “It gave me confidence I could compete at the highest level of the game.”

Palmer’s victory set in motion a chain of events. Instead of returning to selling paint, Palmer played the next week in the Waite Memorial in Shawnee-on-Delaware, Pa., where he met Winifred Walzer, who would become his wife of 45 years until her death in 1999. On Nov. 17, 1954, Palmer announced his intentions to turn pro, and golf would never be the same.

In his heyday, Palmer famously swung as if he were coming out of his shoes.

“What other people find in poetry, I find in the flight of a good drive,” Palmer said.

He unleashed his corkscrew-swing motion, which produced a piercing draw, with the ferocity of a summer squall. In his inimitable swashbuckling style, Palmer succeeded with both power and putter. In a career that spanned more than six decades, he won 62 PGA Tour titles from 1955 to 1973, placing him fifth on the Tour’s all-time victory list. He collected seven major titles in a six-plus-year explosion, from the 1958 Masters to the 1964 Masters.

Palmer didn’t lay up or leave putts short. His go-for-broke style meant he played out of the woods and ditches with equal abandon, and resulted in a string of memorable charges. At the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills near Denver, Palmer drove the first green and with his trademark knock-kneed, pigeon-toed putting stance went out and birdied six of the first seven holes en route to shooting 65 and winning the title in a furious comeback.

“Palmer on a golf course was Jack Dempsey with his man on the ropes, Henry Aaron with a three-and-two fastball, Rod Laver at set point, Joe Montana with a minute to play, A.J. Foyt with a lap to go and a car to catch,” wrote Los Angeles Times columnist Jim Murray.

Even Palmer’s setbacks were epic. He double-bogeyed the 18th hole at Augusta in the 1961 Masters after accepting congratulations from a spectator whom he knew in the gallery. Palmer lost playoffs in three U.S. Opens, the first to Jack Nicklaus in 1962; the second to Julius Boros in 1963; and the third to Billy Casper in 1966 in heart-breaking fashion. Palmer blew a seven-stroke lead with nine holes to go in regulation at Olympic Club and lost to Casper in an 18-hole playoff the next day.

Arnold Daniel Palmer, born Sept. 10, 1929, grew up in the working-class mill town of Latrobe, in a two-story frame house off the sixth tee of Latrobe Country Club, where his father, Milfred “Deacon” Palmer, was the greenskeeper and professional.

Though for decades Palmer made his winter home in Orlando, Fla., he never lost touch with his western Pennsylvania roots in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains.

“Of all the places I’ve been, there isn’t any place that I’m more comfortable than I am right here,” he told Golfweek in 2009 in Latrobe ahead of his 80th birthday.

Palmer was 3 years old when his father wrapped his hands around a cut-down women’s golf club in the classic overlapping Vardon grip, and instructed him to, “Hit it hard, boy. Go find it and hit it hard again.”

Palmer’s combination of matinee-idol looks, charisma and blue-collar background made him a superstar just as golf ushered in the television era. He became Madison Avenue’s favorite pitchman, accepting an array of endorsement deals that generated millions of dollars in income on everything from licensed sportswear to tractors to motor oil and even Japanese tearooms. Credit goes to agent Mark McCormack, who sold the Palmer personality and the values he represented rather than his status as a tournament winner. Palmer’s business empire grew to include a course-design company, a chain of dry cleaners, car dealerships, as well as ownership of Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando. He even bought Latrobe Country Club, which his father helped build with his own hands and where as a youth Palmer was permitted only before the members arrived in the morning or after they had gone home in the evening. Palmer designed more than 300 golf courses in 37 states, 25 countries and five continents (all except Africa and Antarctica), including the first modern course built in China, in 1988.

Palmer led the PGA Tour money list four times, and was the first player to win more than $100,000 in a season. He played on six Ryder Cup teams, and was the winning captain twice. He is credited with conceiving the modern Grand Slam of the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship during a conversation with golf writer Bob Drum on a flight to Ireland for the 1960 Canada Cup. Palmer won the Masters four times, the British Open twice and the U.S. Open once.

It was Palmer who convinced his colleagues that they could never consider themselves champions unless they had won the Claret Jug. Nick Faldo, during Palmer’s farewell at St. Andrews in 1995, may have put it best when he said, “If Arnold hadn’t come here in 1960, we’d probably all be in a shed on the beach.” Mark O’Meara went a step further. “He made it possible for all of us to make a living in this game,” he said.

In 1974, Palmer was one of the original inductees into the World Golf Hall of Fame. As he grew older, Palmer was let down by a shaky putter, but his popularity never waned. The nascent Senior PGA Tour hitched its star to golf’s first telegenic personality when Palmer turned 50. He relished winning again and became a regular on the senior circuit, remaining active until 2006.

Palmer maintained a high profile in the game, presiding over the Arnold Palmer Invitational every March, the only living player with his name attached to a PGA Tour event. He also served as the longtime national spokesperson for the USGA’s member program, and was an original investor and frequent guest on Golf Channel. To countless others, he became known for his eponymous drink consisting of equal parts iced tea and lemonade.

On Sept. 12, 2012, Palmer was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. He became just the sixth athlete to receive the honor. Coupled with the Presidential Medal of Freedom that he was awarded in 2004, Palmer held both of the highest honors that the U.S. can give to a civilian.

Palmer, who gave up his pilot’s license in 2011, had been in deteriorating health since late 2015. A ceremonial tee shot at the 2015 British Open was his last public golf shot. Palmer looked increasingly frail in public appearances at the API in March and as an onlooker instead of an active participant during the opening tee shot at the 2016 Masters in April.

“Winnie once said to me, ‘When Arnold Palmer gives up flying his airplane and his ability to hit a golf ball, he won’t be with us long,’ ” said Dodson, the biographer.

Palmer is survived by his second wife, Kit, daughters Amy Saunders and Peggy Wears, six grandchildren, including Sam Saunders, who plays on the PGA Tour, and nine great-grandchildren.

As a measure of his popularity, Palmer, like Elvis Presley before him, was known simply as “The King.” But in a life bursting from the seams with success, Palmer never lost his common touch. He was a man of the people, willing to sign every autograph, shake every hand, and tried to look every person in his gallery in the eye.</s>That Masters title was his last victory in a major, but he won on the PGA Tour as late as 1973, at the Bob Hope Desert Classic. After he turned 50 in 1979, his mere presence on the Senior PGA Tour, then just formed, helped popularize it while lifting his total prize money on both tours to more than $3.5 million. Even when he struggled on the Senior PGA Tour after surgery for prostate cancer in 1998, his galleries were often the largest, just as they had been four decades earlier.

“I feel the strength of the gallery, especially on a critical shot,” he said in his prime. “Silence is louder than any noise on a golf course — the deathly silence that I sometimes feel and hear when I’m out there. That will tell you how powerful the galleries really are. They have an appreciation of what you’re going through, of what’s happening, and they understand.”

He had a shelf full of honors, and then some. He won the Vardon Trophy for lowest average score on the PGA Tour in 1961, 1962, 1964 and 1967. He was a member of six United States Ryder Cup teams; he was twice the captain, in 1963 and 1975. He was the Presidents Cup team captain in 1996. He was on six victorious World Cup teams, four with Nicklaus as his partner and two with Snead.

Palmer is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Fla.; the P.G.A. of America Hall of Fame; and the American Golf Hall of Fame. He also won 10 Senior PGA Tour events, including the 1981 United States Senior Open and two Senior P.G.A. Championships. President George W. Bush presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a White House ceremony in 2004.

But perhaps no pro golfer enjoyed the simple pleasure of playing the game as much as Palmer did. Including friendly matches and tournaments, he estimated at age 70 that he had played 260 rounds a year. And even though he was hardly the Arnold Palmer who won those seven majors over seven seasons, he still identified with the galleries.

“I did that naturally,” he once said, “because my father told me, ‘Those people in the gallery are all the same as you.’”</s>Arnold Palmer brought a country club sport to the masses with a hard-charging style, charisma and a commoner’s touch. At ease with both presidents and the golfing public, and on a first-name basis with both, “The King” died Sunday in Pittsburgh. He was 87.

Alastair Johnston, CEO of Arnold Palmer Enterprises, confirmed that Palmer died Sunday afternoon of complications from heart problems. Johnston said Palmer was admitted to the UPMC Hospital on Thursday for some cardiovascular work and weakened over the last few days.

“Today marks the passing of an era,” said Johnston, Palmer’s longtime agent at IMG. “Arnold Palmer’s influence, profile and achievements spread far beyond the game of golf. He was an iconic American who treated people with respect and warmth, and built a unique legacy through his ability to engage with fans.”

Palmer ranked among the most important figures in golf history, and it went well beyond his seven major championships and 62 PGA Tour wins. His good looks, devilish grin and go-for-broke manner made the elite sport appealing to one and all. And it helped that he arrived about the same time as television moved into most households, a perfect fit that sent golf to unprecedented popularity.

“If it wasn’t for Arnold, golf wouldn’t be as popular as it is now,” Tiger Woods said in 2004 when Palmer played in his last Masters. “He’s the one who basically brought it to the forefront on TV. If it wasn’t for him and his excitement, his flair, the way he played, golf probably would not have had that type of excitement.

Beyond his golf, Palmer was a pioneer in sports marketing, paving the way for scores of other athletes to reap in millions from endorsements. Some four decades after his last PGA Tour win, he ranked among the highest-earners in golf.

“Thanks Arnold for your friendship, counsel and a lot of laughs,” Woods tweeted Sunday night. “Your philanthropy and humility are part of your legend. It’s hard to imagine golf without you or anyone more important to the game than the King.”

On the golf course, Palmer was an icon not for how often he won, but the way he did it.

He would hitch up his pants, drop a cigarette and attack the flags. With powerful hands wrapped around the golf club, Palmer would slash at the ball with all of his might, then twist that muscular neck and squint to see where it went.

“When he hits the ball, the earth shakes,” Gene Littler once said.

Palmer rallied from seven shots behind to win a U.S. Open. He blew a seven-shot lead on the back nine to lose a U.S. Open.

He was never dull.

“I’m pleased that I was able to do what I did from a golfing standpoint,” Palmer said in 2008, two years after he played in his last official tournament. “I would like to think that I left them more than just that.”

He left behind a gallery known as “Arnie’s Army,” which began at Augusta National with a small group of soldiers from nearby Fort Gordon, and grew to include a legion of fans from every corner of the globe.

Palmer stopped playing the Masters in 2004 and hit the ceremonial tee shot every year until 2016, when age began to take a toll and he struggled with his balance.

It was Palmer who gave golf the modern version of the Grand Slam — winning all four professional majors in one year. He came up with the idea after winning the Masters and U.S. Open in 1960. Palmer was runner-up at the British Open, later calling it one of the biggest disappointments of his career. But his appearance alone invigorated the British Open, which Americans had been ignoring for years.

Palmer never won the PGA Championship, one major short of capturing a career Grand Slam.

But then, standard he set went beyond trophies. It was the way he treated people, looking everyone in the eye with a smile and a wink. He signed every autograph, making sure it was legible. He made every fan feel like an old friend.

Palmer never like being referred to as “The King,” but the name stuck.

“It was back in the early ’60s. I was playing pretty good, winning a lot of tournaments, and someone gave a speech and referred to me as ‘The King,’” Palmer said in a November 2011 interview with The Associated Press.

“I don’t bask in it. I don’t relish it. I tried for a long time to stop that and,” he said, pausing to shrug, “there was no point.”

Palmer played at least one PGA Tour event every season for 52 consecutive years, ending with the 2004 Masters. He spearheaded the growth of the 50-and-older Champions Tour, winning 10 times and drawing some of the biggest crowds.

He was equally successful off with golf course design, a wine collection, and apparel that included his famous logo of an umbrella. He bought the Bay Hill Club & Lodge upon making his winter home in Orlando, Florida, and in 2007 the PGA Tour changed the name of the tournament to the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The combination of iced tea and lemonade is known as an “Arnold Palmer.” Padraig Harrington recalls eating in an Italian restaurant in Miami when he heard a customer order one.

“Think about it,” Harrington said. “You don’t go up there and order a ‘Tiger Woods’ at the bar. You can go up there and order an ‘Arnold Palmer’ in this country and the barman — he was a young man — knew what the drink was. That’s in a league of your own.”

Only four other players won more PGA Tour events than Palmer — Sam Snead, Nicklaus and Woods.</s>LOS ANGELES -- Golfer Arnold Palmer, whose skill and swashbuckling style made him one of the biggest stars in the sport and helped him became a beloved figure to the general public, died Sunday. He was 87.

The United States Golf Association tweeted the news on Sunday, after Golf Digest first reported Palmer's death. His longtime assistant told the Washington Post that Palmer died at a Pittsburgh hospital ahead of a planned heart surgery.

"We are deeply saddened by the death of Arnold Palmer, golf's greatest ambassador, at age 87," wrote the USGA.

A talented athlete who garnered generations of fans, becoming a star just as TV was able to document it, Palmer remained involved in the golf world up until his death. Along with winning seven majors and playing the Masters for 50 consecutive years, Palmer also co-founded the Golf Channel, the first cable network devoted a single sport.

Palmer was notably the first client of Mark McCormack's sports management firm IMG. The Latrobe, Pa., native remains regarded as one of the greatest athletes in professional golf history.

Between 1958 and 1962 alone, Palmer took the Masters four times, the British Open twice and the U.S. Open once. He also racked up 62 wins on the PGA tour.

Though he never won the PGA Championship, he finished as runner-up three times. All in all, the Wake Forest alum nabbed 95 professional golf titles over his long career, and was inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.

A friend to fellow athletes and presidents alike, he received a Congressional Gold Medal in 2009, after receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004 from President George W. Bush. He appeared at the Masters for his 50th time, his last, in 2004, and retired from professional golf two years later.

Aside from his athlete prowess, Palmer, with his charm and style, became a businessman and million-dollar brand name. Many will remember him for the eponymous drink, a mixture of tea and lemonade.

Palmer is survived by two daughters, as well as a grandson, Sam Saunders, who plays on the PGA tour.</s>Arnold Palmer The King Of Golf Dies At 87

This morning British golf fans woke up to the very sad news of the passing of one its true greats, Arnold Palmer, ‘The King’.

At the age of 87, the man from Pensylvannia, who alongside Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player transformed golf into the global game we know today, died in hospital near his home in Pennsylvania.

The tributes have already come flooding in – notably from Nicklaus himself who said, “He was one of my best friends, closest friends and he was for a long, long time. I will miss him greatly. Arnold transcended the game of golf. He was more than a golfer or even a great golfer. He was an icon.”

A look at his list of achievements only tells part of the story.

Palmer won seven major Championships, four of them at Augusta National.

He also won two Open Championships where his commitment to the event during a time when many top Americans refused to travel to the UK, prevented the importance of the Claret Jug from waning.

Arnold Palmer however was about far more than the results on the scorecard.

He arrived in the winner’s circle at just the right time, winning his first Masters in 1958.

Before this, golf’s major super power was Ben Hogan but his last

If the game was to grow it needed a new spearhead, a character capable of engaging people from different backgrounds and with different interests.

Palmer, with his swashbuckling brand of golf, was that man.

Aggressive and exciting, Palmer played golf on a knife-edge, carefully tip-toeing his way between triumph and disaster.

Indeed his fallibility, his capacity for mistakes when some the biggest moments arrived allowed the golfing public to connect with Palmer. He wasn’t perfect and the public loved him for it.

Throw in his flowing swing and movie star good looks and you had a talisman for the game, the likes of which we have rarely seen since.

Of course the press responded too and Palmer appeared on the front cover of Sports Illustrated 12 times and became one of the few sportsmen to make it onto the front cover of Time Magazine.

That his passing should come on the final day of the Fed-Ex Cup play-offs, when today’s greats fight for a $10 million bonus prize, is in many ways rather fitting.

Palmer forged a rivalry with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player that captivated the world.

‘The Big Three’ as they were known travelled the world having signed up for a sports agent by the name of Mark McCormack.

The founder of IMG, marketed golf’s three biggest stars in an age when television had the ability to connect them with the audience. This was golf’s version of the Beatles.

All of us working in golf, but particularly those earning millions competing on the world stage owe a huge debt of gratitude to ‘The King’.

His unique brand of ‘go-for-it’ golf and willingness to travel, opened the game to a new audience, revealing a glamorous, high octane side to the game.

It is quite possible that nobody will ever do more for the game than Arnold Palmer.</s>AT the peak of his awesome powers, Arnold Palmer was more than the greatest in golf. He WAS golf.

He was global sport’s first modern superstar and remains golf’s best-loved champion, even though his heyday was more than half a century ago.

Palmer, who has died aged 87, transformed golf with the thrilling power and daring of his game, saving The Open Championship along the way.

And the humble hero from Latrobe, Pennsylvania, charmed millions with 

 his twinkling smile, homespun charisma, sportsmanship and kindness.

Golf has always been a people’s game in Scotland. Palmer brought it out of 

 the country clubs and made it a people’s game around the world.

He was far too modest ever to like his nickname, The King. But he deserved it.

Jack Nicklaus, his great friend and former rival, said: “Arnold transcended golf. He was more than a golfer or even a great golfer. He was an icon, he was a legend, a pioneer in his sport.

“He was the king of our sport – and always will be.”

Palmer passed away in his home state but his loss was felt just as deeply in the home of golf. Scotland’s Ryder Cup hero Colin Montgomerie said: “Every other golfer was respected but Arnold Palmer was loved.”

Open and Masters champion Sandy Lyle added: “RIP Mr Palmer. You were a true gentle-man, fierce competitor, a legend and a friend.”

Former Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance wrote: “What a life, what a hero, what a legend. RIP to The King.”

And Open champ Paul Lawrie told Palmer: “Golf was lucky to have you.”

Palmer was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, on September 10, 1929, of Irish-German farming stock.

Dad Deacon was a greenkeeper and club pro. Palmer believed that steering a steel-wheeled tractor and pushing heavy mowers when he was six gave him his legendary strength.

Little Arnold was swinging cut-down clubs by the age of three, and was still a boy when he properly lost his temper over golf for the first and last time.

His father told him that if he ever did it again, he would never play again.

Palmer was the biggest star for miles around in his teens, easily beating grown men in the top local tournaments. But he didn’t have the smooth path to stardom of today’s best young players.

He served three years in the US Coast Guard and worked as a travelling paint salesman before he turned pro in 1954 after winning the US Amateur title.

Palmer went on to win 73 tournaments including 62 on the PGA Tour in America – a mark bettered only by Sam Snead, Tiger Woods, Nicklaus and Ben Hogan.

But all seven of his Major championships came in a glittering seven-year spell from 1958 to 1964.

He won four Masters titles, one US Open and two Opens, but he did more for The Open than it ever did for him.

At the start of the 1960s, golf’s original Major was fading and failing to attract the greatest US stars. Palmer, true student of the game that he was, changed all that.

He believed he had to win The Open to be a truly great champion. So he came over to St Andrews in 1960 and thrilled the crowds in the hellish weather – which he loved.

Palmer came second to Kel Nagle that year but he won at Birkdale in 1961 and Troon in 1962.

He led the way back to The Open and his countrymen followed, returning the championship to its rightful place at the pinnacle of golf.

R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said yesterday: “His contribution to The Open was, and remains, immeasurable.”

Palmer’s fearsome, power-packed swing was no thing of beauty, more brute force than elegance. The purists turned up their noses at it.

But he hit the ball hard and far. He attacked every flag. He got into trouble often and escaped it in amazing ways.

“Trouble is bad to get into,” he once said. “But it’s fun to get out of.”

Golf was often derided back then as a stuffy sport for fuddy-duddies, but Palmer made it exciting.

His inspired “charges” – seemingly impossible runs of birdies to snatch victory in the biggest events – won him an adoring legion of fans dubbed Arnie’s Army.

His charge to the top also coincided with the advent of golf on TV, making him an even bigger star. He was such a hero that the young Nicklaus was hated for daring to challenge his dominance.

Palmer’s reign at the very top was relatively short, thanks largely to Nicklaus. But his legend and earning power continued to grow.

He was the first top athlete ever to hire an agent and he chose a visionary, 

 Mark McCormack.

Before their partnership, even the best golfers often had to take second jobs. Palmer and McCormack led them into a different world.

Arnie endorsed everything from Cadillac cars to Callaway golf clubs and the cash flooded in. He was the first golfer ever to make $1million from the sport, and many more millions followed.

In 2011, almost 40 years after he last won on the PGA tour, Palmer was still the third-highest earner in golf. He raked in almost £28million that year – only Woods and Phil Mickelson made more.

As well as his many endorsements, Palmer designed 300 courses and put his name to ranges of clothing and wine.

He also ran his own PGA tournament at Bay Hill, one of the two country clubs he owned, and gave many millions to charity.

Today’s top pros have a lot to thank him for, and they know it. But they revere him far more for the man he was than for what he did for their bank balances.

Woods paid tribute with the message: “Thanks Arnold for your friendship, counsel and a lot of laughs. Your philanthropy and humility are part of your legend.”

Rory McIlroy tweeted: “Remembering the special times I spent with Mr Palmer at Bay Hill. A true pioneer for our sport. Forever remembered.”

Palmer played on for decades after he stopped being competitive in the Majors. He loved golf, and playing mattered far more to him than winning.

He teed off in his last Open, at his beloved St Andrews, in 1995. He played in the Masters for 50 straight years and hit the ceremonial first tee shot at Augusta until 2015. His health failed him for this year’s event.

Palmer spent much of his latter years drinking Rolling Rock beer with his buddies and sitting in his den tinkering with old clubs, using the skills Deacon taught him as a boy.

He died on Sunday at the UPMC Shadyside Hospital in Pittsburgh, of complications from heart problems.

Palmer’s first wife Winnie died of cancer in 1999 after a 45-year marriage. He is survived by wife Kit, his daughters Peggy and Amy and his grandchildren.</s>Beloved Orlando celebrity Arnold Palmer, known as "The King," died Sunday while awaiting cardiac surgery at a Pittsburgh hospital. He was 87.An influential sports figure, Palmer brought golf to the masses, and in his lifetime, he won more than 90 golf tournaments, including the Masters four times and the U.S. Open in 1960. Dedicated to philanthropy, he raised funds to open the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in downtown Orlando. Palmer also became the namesake for his iconic drink mixture of iced tea with a splash of lemonade. Palmer was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2012.After his death on Sunday, friends, fans and golf icons eulogized him online.

With Great Sadness, We Honor Our Beloved ~ Arnold Palmer (1929-2016) from Arnold Palmer on Vimeo.

Palmer is survived by his wife, two daughters, six grandchildren and multiple great-grandchildren.</s>Golf legend Arnold Palmer, known as “The King” of the sport, died Sunday in Pittsburgh, according to multiple reports.

Palmer became a superstar in the 1950s, when golf was first being shown on television.

He developed a rivalry with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, but still finished with 62 wins on the PGA Tour. He added 10 more wins on the senior tour.

Palmer’s record included wins at the Masters in 1958, ’60, ’62 and ’64. He also won the U.S. Open in 1960 and the British Open in 1961 and ’62.

“We are deeply saddened by the death of Arnold Palmer, golf's greatest ambassador, at age 87,” the United States Golf Associated said on its Twitter page.</s>FILE--This 2004 file photo shows former Masters champion Arnold Palmer as he sits on clubhouse railing at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File) FILE--This 2004 file photo shows former Masters champion Arnold Palmer as he sits on clubhouse railing at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)



 File-This jan. 28, 1962, file photo shows Arnold Palmer concentrating on his next move during the Lucky International Open at San Francisco's Harding Park. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo, File) File-This jan. 28, 1962, file photo shows Arnold Palmer concentrating on his next move during the Lucky International Open at San Francisco's Harding Park. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo, File)



 FILE - In this April 12, 1964 file photo, Arnold Palmer swings his putter after he rolled in a long birdie putt on 18 to win his fourth Masters golf tournament, in Augusta, Ga. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File) FILE - In this April 12, 1964 file photo, Arnold Palmer swings his putter after he rolled in a long birdie putt on 18 to win his fourth Masters golf tournament, in Augusta, Ga. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File)



 File-This March 18, 2001, file photo shows Tiger Woods, left, being helped into his jacket for winning the Bay Hill Invitational by tournament host Arnold Palmer in Orlando, Fla. Woods Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/Scott Audette, File) File-This March 18, 2001, file photo shows Tiger Woods, left, being helped into his jacket for winning the Bay Hill Invitational by tournament host Arnold Palmer in Orlando, Fla. Woods Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/Scott Audette, File)



 File-This April 29, 1962, file photo shows Arnold Palmer, lifting an iron shot from No. 5 fairway in the final round of the Texas Open in San Antonio. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/Ted Powers) File-This April 29, 1962, file photo shows Arnold Palmer, lifting an iron shot from No. 5 fairway in the final round of the Texas Open in San Antonio. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/Ted Powers)



 File-This Sept. 9, 1960, file photo shows President Dwight Eisenhower, right, enjoying a laugh with Arnold Palmer, just before they played a round of golf together in a foursome at the Gettysburg Country Club, Gettysburg, Penn. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/Paul Vathis, File) File-This Sept. 9, 1960, file photo shows President Dwight Eisenhower, right, enjoying a laugh with Arnold Palmer, just before they played a round of golf together in a foursome at the Gettysburg Country Club, Gettysburg, Penn. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/Paul Vathis, File)



 File-This July 31, 1972, file photo shows Jack Nicklaus kneeling as partner Arnold Palmer looks over his shoulder while they study a putt on 18th green at Laurel Valley Golf Club at the PGA National Team Championship in Ligonier, Pa. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo, File) File-This July 31, 1972, file photo shows Jack Nicklaus kneeling as partner Arnold Palmer looks over his shoulder while they study a putt on 18th green at Laurel Valley Golf Club at the PGA National Team Championship in Ligonier, Pa. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo, File)



 File-This Dec. 8, 1980, file photo shows Arnold Palmer accepting a victory cup for the 42nd PGA Seniors Championship in north Miami. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/Randy Taylor, File) File-This Dec. 8, 1980, file photo shows Arnold Palmer accepting a victory cup for the 42nd PGA Seniors Championship in north Miami. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/Randy Taylor, File)



 File-This May 14, 1962, file photo shows Arnold Palmer holding the trophy cup after he defeated Johnny Pott, 69-73, in an 180-hole playoff match at the Colonial National Invitation golf tournament at Fort Worth, Texas. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/Ferd Kaufman, File) File-This May 14, 1962, file photo shows Arnold Palmer holding the trophy cup after he defeated Johnny Pott, 69-73, in an 180-hole playoff match at the Colonial National Invitation golf tournament at Fort Worth, Texas. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/Ferd Kaufman, File)



 File-This June 19, 1966, file photo shows Arnold Palmer in action during the U.S.Open Golf Championship at Olympic Country Club, San Francisco, Calif. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo, File) File-This June 19, 1966, file photo shows Arnold Palmer in action during the U.S.Open Golf Championship at Olympic Country Club, San Francisco, Calif. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo, File)



 FILE - 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. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File) FILE - 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. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File)



 File-This July 16, 1976, file photo shows Arnold Palmer finishing his follow through as he drove from the 11th tee during the first day of competition in the Westchester Classic at the Westchester Country Club in Harrison, N.Y. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/RC, File) File-This July 16, 1976, file photo shows Arnold Palmer finishing his follow through as he drove from the 11th tee during the first day of competition in the Westchester Classic at the Westchester Country Club in Harrison, N.Y. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/RC, File)



 File-This July 25, 1970, file photo shows Jack Nicklaus, left, and Arnold Palmer, next to him, at the National Four Ball Championships in Ligonier, Pa. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File) File-This July 25, 1970, file photo shows Jack Nicklaus, left, and Arnold Palmer, next to him, at the National Four Ball Championships in Ligonier, Pa. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File)



 File-This Feb. 19, 1976, file photo shows Arnold Palmer for the start of Glenn Cambell Los Angeles Open. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/JLR, File) File-This Feb. 19, 1976, file photo shows Arnold Palmer for the start of Glenn Cambell Los Angeles Open. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/JLR, File)



 File-This April 4, 1973, file photo shows golfing greats Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus on the course of Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File) File-This April 4, 1973, file photo shows golfing greats Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus on the course of Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File)



 File-This April 16, 1960, file photo shows a grinning Arnold Palmer surrounded by applauding citizens of his native Latrobe,Pa., shaking hands with a couple of enthusiastic boys. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File) File-This April 16, 1960, file photo shows a grinning Arnold Palmer surrounded by applauding citizens of his native Latrobe,Pa., shaking hands with a couple of enthusiastic boys. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File)



 FILE - 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. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File) FILE - 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. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo/File)



 File-This July 15, 1961, file photo shows Arnold Palmer smiling with his trophy and medal after winning the British Open Golf Championship by a single stroke at Royal Birkdale course in Birkdale, Lancashire, England. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo, File) File-This July 15, 1961, file photo shows Arnold Palmer smiling with his trophy and medal after winning the British Open Golf Championship by a single stroke at Royal Birkdale course in Birkdale, Lancashire, England. Palmer, who made golf popular for the masses with his hard-charging style, incomparable charisma and a personal touch that made him known throughout the golf world as "The King," died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh. He was 87. (AP Photo, File)
Arnold Palmer, winner of seven major championships, member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, and widely credited with helping bring golf into its modern era, dies at the age of 87.