Arnold Palmer

Nicknamed The King, Arnold Palmer won an astonishing 62 PGA Tour Titles, including seven majors, and seven Ryder Cups during a glittering 50-year career. But by changing the perception of the sport during the dawn of the TV age and paving the way for superstar endorsements, his influence extended far beyond his prowess on the course. Born in Latrobe, PA, Palmer developed a love of golf from a young age while accompanying his greenskeeper father at work, first picking up a club at four, caddying at eleven and winning local competitions in his teens. After attending Wake Forest College on a golf scholarship, Palmer joined the US Coast Guard for three years before returning to his first love, turning professional in 1954. Following success at the Canadian Open a year later, Palmer won his first major at 1958's Masters Tournament, a feat which ultimately kickstarted his golden period. Over the course of the next six years, Palmer would emerge victorious at three further Masters, one U.S. Open and two Open Championships - a competition previously ignored by most Americans - as well as over two dozen other PGA Tour events. Palmer capitalized on his success by signing up with Mark McCormack, a ground-breaking sports agent who utilized the golfer's natural charisma, good looks and go-for-broke style of play to acquire a number of high-profile endorsements. Palmer subsequently became the first golfer on the PGA Tour to reach $1m in career earnings ahead of his rivals Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, while also developing a large following known as Arnie's Army. By the mid-1970s, Palmer had also been a member of seven Ryder Cup winning teams, two of which he served as captain of, took his overall tally of PGA Titles to 62 and added the Australian Open, World Cup and Lancome Trophy to his list of trophies. Palmer also extended his business portfolio by purchasing Orlando's Bay Hill Club and Lodge and Latrobe Country Club, and founding Palmer Course Design, a company eventually responsible for the design of over 300 courses in 25 countries, including the first modern one ever built in China. Palmer was also instrumental in the success of the Senior PGA Tour, competing and winning in the inaugural 1980 event before picking up a further nine titles on the circuit. Palmer continued to play well into his 70s, as well as helping to launch The Golf Channel and a popular video game, but decided to retire from tournament golf in 2006 due to dissatisfaction over his level of play. Palmer remained within the sport by serving as an honorary starter at every Masters until his death in 2016 at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center where he was awaiting heart surgery.