You may have thought that Arnold Palmer was just a delicious drink, but by now you’ve probably heard of the man behind the can, too.
Arnold Palmer was a golf hero. He is renowned as one of the best golf players of all time. His ability was only rivaled by his charisma, a rare trait in most pro-athletes (we’re looking at you, Tiger Woods). He is credited for bringing golf into the mainstream and commercializing the sport into what it is today.
In honor of his legacy, here are 10 interesting facts about the King himself, Arnold Palmer.
1. He had his own drink, but you knew that
How did the iconic drink come to be? To answer this question, let’s take a direct quote from Arnold himself.
“My wife made a lot of iced tea for lunch, and I said, ‘Hey babe, I’ve got an idea.’ You make the iced tea and make a big pitcher, and we’ll just put a little lemonade in it and see how that works. We mixed it up, and I got the solution about where I wanted it and I put the lemonade in it. I had it for lunch after working on the golf course. I thought, ‘Boy, this is great, babe. I’m going to take it when I play golf. I’m going to take a thermos of iced tea and lemonade.’ “
2. Arnold Palmer proposed to his first wife after knowing her for only three days.
Not surprisingly, they met at a golf tournament. They later parented two girls, Amy and Peggy.
3. Palmer had a following.
They were known as Arnie’s Army and always came to his weekly PGA Tour events. They even have their own website.
4. He was a licensed pilot and flew a Cessna Citation X.
In fact, he was an avid pilot for over 50 years and has an airport named after him in his hometown Latrobe, Pennsylvania (Arnold Palmer Regional Airport).
5. In 2004, Palmer received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George Bush.
This is the highest civilian award of the United States! It was given to Palmer because of his contribution to US national interests.
6. His nickname was “The King.”
Because he was.
7. Palmer was a humble, soft-spoken celebrity who helped change golf from an “elite” sport to one more accessible for the middle and working classes.
8. His net worth is $675 million!
For comparison, Michael Jackson’s net worth is $600 million.
9. He was extremely charitable.
Palmer helped raise hundreds of millions of dollars for charities and opened the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children & Women in Orlando.
10. On September 25, 2016, Palmer passed away at the age of 87.
He was in his home state of Pennsylvania. The Pittsburg Post-Gazette newspaper claimed he died from an “aggregation of cardiological” issues.
The world of golf in the United States has forever been changed because of his presence. Rest in peace Arnold Palmer.