Arnold Palmer Bio And Facts
Arnold Palmer
Arnold Daniel Palmer, or Arnold Palmer, was an American professional golfer born on September 10, 1929 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, a state where he also passed. Palmer was recognized for using the most "unorthodox" swing in the whole golfing sport, but was extremely successful in doing so. Palmer was most popular during the height of his career from the 1950s to the 1960s. Palmer was also the first to win the Masters tournament four times in 1958, 1960, 1962, and 1964. Palmer was the first golfer to ever win 1 million dollars in prize money from a tournament in 1968. Palmer led an extremely strong and legendary professional golf career and won several tournaments over the course of many decades. Palmer won 92 tournaments, and 64 of those tournaments were a part of the Professional Golfers' Association of America. Palmer's fanbase was known as "Arnold's Army" and were extremely loyal to the famed player.
- Birthday: September 10, 1929 (10-09-1929)
- Education: Wake Forest University
- Net Worth: $875 million
- Occupation: Professional Golfer
- Height: 5'10" (1.778 m)
- Weight: 185 lbs (83.9 kg)
- Years Active: 18 years
- Career Wins: 62
- Nicknames: The King
Golf Career
Arnold Palmer had an extremely long but successful professional golf career during his time as an athlete. Palmer always had a passion for golfing; he won the Pennsylvania high school state golf championship two years in a row before going to Wake Forest University. However, his college career did not last long; Palmer quit university after winning the U.S. Amateur Championship. The first time Palmer won a "personal" victory was at the 1955 Canadian Open. Palmer's golf success followed him into the 1960s where he continued to win many tournaments and competitions. Palmer also went on to continue life with golf after his retirement in 2006. Palmer served as President of Arnold Palmer Enterprises and also played a role as a spokesman for many professional companies as well. Palmer also wrote many books detailing his golf skills and self help books for other golfers looking to improve their skills.
Titles and Awards
Arnold Palmer had an incredible career as a professional golfer and has earned an impressive amount of awards during his time. Starting off in high school Palmer won the Pennsylvania State high school championship twice before attending Wake Forest University. Soon after Palmer won the U.S. Amateur championship. In 1955 Palmer won his first professional victory at the Canadian Open. Later on in 1958, Palmer won his first Masters Tournament, and two years later he won eight more tournaments. In the 1960s Palmer collected a win at the British Open, and added six more victories under his belt. By 1964 Palmer had won his fourth Master's tournament. Palmer also won over four Vardon Trophies during his career as well. Palmer is easily one of the most successful golfers in the history of the professional golfing association, and set many records for future golfers to come. Overall Palmer won 62 PGA tournaments from 1955 to 1973.
Personal Life
Arnold Daniel Palmer, or Arnold Palmer, was a professional golfer born on September 10, 1929 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He died September 25, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Palmer was the eldest of the Deacon and Dorris Palmer family. Palmer also received his first set of golf instructions from his father as well starting when he was three year olds. By the age of eleven, Palmer started his life as a golf caddy in order to immerse himself more into the sport of golf. Palmer went on to attend Wake Forest University but dropped out early. Arnold Palmer married Winifred Walzer in 1954 and were married until her death in 1999. Together they had two children, Amy Palmer and Peggy Palmer. Palmer was later remarried to Kathleen Gawthrop from 2005-2016. Palmer loved his family with his whole heart and more.
Fun Facts
- Palmer's father was the head pro and golf course superintendent at Latrobe Country Club, and introduced him into the game
- Palmer left college early to join the United States Coast Guard
- The Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History is home to the world's largest and leading collection of all types of golf artifacts
- Palmer was on the side protesting against golf courses from being built in all of Florida's state parks
- Palmer was known for his unwieldy and unorthodox swing, which helped lead him to being such a well known golfer
- Palmer used to smoke cigarettes religiously, but quit in 1973 after it became too much of a health issue
- As of 2015, Arnold Palmer's net worth was worth an estimated $680 million dollars
- Palmer also built his financial kingdom by advertising, architecture, clothes, cars, motor oil, catsup, dry cleaners, umbrellas, and drinks
- Palmer once filled in for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show in 1970
FAQ
Why does an umbrella represent Arnold Palmer's brand?
Arnold Palmer chose an umbrella to represent his golfing brand because he simply loved the umbrella and everything it represented. It meant great quality and reassurance to have a good day even when the weather was not cooperating. When looking for a logo to mark the Palmer brand, Palmer got so frustrated he went on a walk to avoid the stress of the meeting, until it started raining. Palmer saw a woman pull out a colorful umbrella which he decided should be the logo for his brand and the rest is history.
What is the Arnold Palmer drink?
The Arnold Palmer signature drink is the perfect blend of lemonade and ice tea. The brand Arizona Ice Tea capitalized on the popularity of the golfer and decided to make a drink with Palmer's image and signature on it back in 2002 and one of the world's most famous drinks was created. Palmer was known for drinking this classic drink before the Arizona Tea brand creation during his golf matches and at restaurants as well.
How much was Arnold Palmer worth at the end of his life?
Arnold Palmer explored several business ventures outside of his professional golf life. Palmer was also the first golfer in the history of professional golf to win $1 million dollars from winning a tournament. Although Palmer's exact net worth at the time of his death is hard to determine, it is estimated that with all his business ventures Palmer could have been worth up to $1.3 billion. However, people believe that his net worth was much closer to the $680 million to $875 million range.
What was Arnold Palmer's favorite golf course?
Arnold Palmer became recognized as "The King" of golfing so the famous professional golfer definitely knows a thing or two about great golf courses. Palmer has stated that his favorite golf course is located at Pebble Beach in Bay Hill. This course requires a more aggressive player in order to perform well, there is a dog leg over the water which makes it much more difficult for players to avoid the water.