Arnold Palmer

Arnold Daniel Palmer was an American professional golfer who lived from 1929 to 2016, widely regarded as one of the greatest and most charismatic players in golf history and nicknamed the King. After turning professional in 1955 he won seven major championships between 1958 and 1964, including four Masters titles plus the U.S. Open and the Open Championship, and finished his career with 62 PGA Tour victories and 95 professional wins overall, fifth on the Tour's all time list. Alongside Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player he formed the Big Three who popularized and commercialized golf worldwide during the 1960s, and his modest background helped shift the sport's public image from an elite private club pastime toward one accessible to working and middle class audiences. He designed more than 300 golf courses, became the first golfer to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004, and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974 as one of its thirteen original members.