There are very few people in the sporting world who’s fame transcend their sport. There were even fewer that did so back in the 1960s, before the world became so interconnected. Arnold Palmer did that with golf. Arnold Palmer made golf cool.
Not only did ‘The King’ win 7 Major championships and 62 PGA tournaments, but the cardigan-wearing, chain-smoking, son of a groundsman helped transform golf from an elite pursuit into a sport for the masses.
Endearing fans with his his style and bubbly personality the golfer (and the man) was impossible not to like. His charisma drew new crowds to the golf courses, and when a sporting rivalry developed with a young Jack Nicklaus, it only served to elevate Palmer further to the status of America’s heartthrob.
I think I’ve heard somebody say that I was a well-dressed golfer. I guess that has something to do with the fact that a lot of people who play golf don’t dress very well. – Arnold Palmer
On the style front, Palmer’s on-course look would go on to define what it is to dress like a golfer today. He oozed understated class, at a time when most golfers dressed like they were at a retirement home. His signature look of a crisp, fat-collar button-up under a light cashmere sweater looked as great in 1976 as it does today. In many ways, this became Palmer’s uniform, allowing his mind to focus on the game and nothing else. (Tiger still does this with bold red shirts on Sundays).
Both on and off the course Palmer’s legacy and accomplishments will remain long-lasting. After passing away on Sunday at the age of 87, the sporting world, as much as the golfing world, has become a poorer place.
