The King is dead.

Arnold Palmer, “The King of Golf,” has passed away at age 87. He died on Sunday, Sept. 25, in a Pittsburgh hospital while awaiting cardiac surgery, according to a statement from arnoldpalmer.com. He was a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard and is survived by his wife, Kathleen Gawthrop, and his two daughters from his first marriage, Amy and Peggy.

Palmer earned his title “The King” with good reason. His rise to fame in the 1950s coincided with the rise of televised golf in America. That, coupled with an aggressive, often risky style of play in a traditionally conservative sport helped endure him to generations of golf fans, affectionately known as “Arnie’s Army.” He was even named the Athlete of the Decade for the 1960s by the Associated Press.

All told, Palmer ended up with 62 titles on the PGA tour and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, the PGA of America Hall of Fame, and the American Golf Hall of Fame.

Palmer used his crossover fame to help popularize golf with the masses. He also used it to become the first great athlete-turned-marketing pitchman. He appeared in print and television ads for everything from Heinz Ketchup to Ford Motor Co. This barrage of marketing, combined with his excellence on the golf course, made Palmer a household name. He’s also the namesake of the Arnold Palmer beverage, a mix of iced tea and lemonade he used to carry with him as he played and thus became popular.

In the wake of his passing, we’ve come to realize Palmer’s impact on both pop culture and sports culture is almost immeasurable. His ability to market himself helped pave the way for athletes like Payton Manning to have successful marketing careers, and he was a crossover superstar and pop culture icon. His popularity was key to golf making its way out of the country club and becoming more mainstream, as it is today.

Advocate Staff