Arnold Palmer 1964 Caricature

Arnold Palmer 1964 Caricature, shown here age 35, after a drive at the 1964 Masters of which he won.

Palmer was an American professional golfer who is generally regarded as one of the greatest and most charismatic players in the sport’s history. Dating back to 1955, he won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and the circuit now known as PGA Tour Champions. Nicknamed “The King”, he was one of golf’s most popular stars and seen as a trailblazer, the first superstar of the sport’s television age, which began in the 1950s.
At age 25, Palmer won the 1954 U.S. Amateur in Detroit and made the decision to turn pro in November of that year. His first major championship win at the 1958 Masters Tournament, where he earned $11,250, established his position as one of the leading stars in golf.

Palmer’s most prolific years were 1960–1963, when he won 29 PGA Tour events, including five major tournaments, in four seasons. In 1960, he won the Hickok Belt as the top professional athlete of the year and Sports Illustrated magazine’s “Sportsman of the Year” award.
Palmer won seven major championships: Masters Tournament: 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964; The U.S. Open: 1960, and The Open Championship: 1961, 1962. Palmer won a PGA Tour event every year from 1955 to 1971 inclusive, and in 1971 he enjoyed a revival, winning four events.

In 1961, as part of an overall business strategy, Arnold Palmer Enterprises, Inc. was established. Now that they had a name, they needed a corporate logo.

Arnie and a group of business associates were sitting around a conference table in Ligonier, PA. attempting to brainstorm some kind of signature logo they could use on clothing, business stationery, golf clubs and so forth. The frustration level in the meeting was rising and Arnie went to walk it off only to find it was raining outside. He saw a lovely woman get out of her car and pop open a multi-colored umbrella. Arnie dashed back into the conference room.
“What about an umbrella?” said Arnie. Someone at the table shot back, “What kind of umbrella?’ Arnie suggested a multi-colored golf umbrella. The Logo stuck.

From 2007 until his death, Palmer served as an honorary starter for the Masters.

Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player were “The Big Three” in golf during the 1960s; they are widely credited with popularizing and commercializing the sport around the world.

Palmer died on September 25, 2016 while awaiting heart surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (Shadyside) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was 87.
His estate was valued at $875 million.