19 iconic photos of Arnold Palmer, 'The King' of golf
Palmer reacts to sinking a putt on the 72nd hole to win the 1964 Master.
Palmer points to his name on the leaderboard at the 1960 U.S. Open after erasing a 6-stroke deficit in the final round for his second major championship.
The careers of Palmer and his top rival, Jack Nicklaus, were heavily intertwined. In 1964, it was Nicklaus who presented Palmer with his third green jacket for winning the Masters.
The two combined to win 25 majors, including 13 in one 8-year stretch in the 1960s.
The pair may have each won more without the other, but at the same time, they likely drove each other to be better.
Palmer lifts the Claret Jug after winning his second-straight Open Championship in 1962.
Palmer's game will best be remembered for his self-taught swing and his iconic follow-through.
Palmer in 1970.
Nobody loved playing golf more than Palmer who always seemed to being have a blast, even when he missed putts. But at the same time, he was as competitive as they came.
Palmer met Richard Nixon at the White House, along with Bart Starr of the Green Bay Packers (far left) and Al Kaline of the Detroit Tigers (far right).
Palmer watches the flight of his ball at the 1071 U.S. Open.
Arnie's Army was never far away.
"Arnie's Army" was the name given to the throng of fans that followed Palmer on the course. The term originated at the 1959 Masters where a large number of soldiers from a nearby base were given free tickets. Many of those soldiers gravitated to Palmer who was the defending champion.
SOURCE: ArnoldPalmer.com
Palmer was an avid pilot. While Palmer was famous for his charitable work, one area he splurged on himself was planes. He bought this Jet Commander in the 1960s for $750,000 (~$5.5 million in today's dollars).
SOURCE: Associated Press
Nicklaus on the passing of Palmer: "We were great competitors, who loved competing against each other, but we were always great friends along the way."
Palmer waves to the crowd from Swilken Bridge at St. Andrews in Scotland in 1995. It was the final time Palmer would play in the Open Championship.
In later years, Palmer was still a fixture on the first tee at the Masters, where he, Nicklaus, and Gary Player were the honorary starters each year.
In 2014, Palmer was still giving a fist pump after his ceremonial tee shot.
Arnold Palmer: 1929-2016
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