Sunday, September 25, 2016

Arnold Palmer 1929-2016

Earlier today, golf legend Arnold Palmer passed away at the age of 87 in the UPMC Shadyside hospital in Pittsburgh, reportedly from complications due to heart problems.

Arnold Palmer was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and learned golf from his father, a professional greenskeeper.  He entered Wake Forest on a golf scholarship, but left school during his senior year after his friend and teammate Bud Worsham died in a traffic accident.  He enlisted in the Coast Guard for three years.  He returned to golf, winning the Ohio Amateur in 1953 and 1954, and the U.S. Amateur in 1954.  In 1955, he turned pro and achieved his first win in the Canadian Open.  He would eventually win 62 PGA tournaments (fifth all-time), including 7 majors.

Palmer was also an avid pilot, logging almost 20,000 flight hours.  He was married to the former Winifred "Winnie" Walzer, from 1954 until her death in 1999.  In 2005, he married Kathleen Gawthrop, who now survives him.

Read more at Golf Week, Golf, Golf Digest, CBS Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

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