Arnold Palmer: Through the years
Golf lost a legend last year. We celebrate the golfing achievements of Arnold Palmer.
This week's Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill marks the first playing of the tournament since the death of The King in September last year.
Palmer is lauded as one of golf's greatest ever players thanks to landing seven major titles and more than 90 professional victories.
Regarded by the USGA as "golf's greatest ambassador" and praised by the likes of Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Barack Obama, Palmer brought so much life, energy and passion to the sport we all know and love today.
He also brought an element of sportsmanship the game had never seen before.
BEST QUOTES: ARNOLD PALMER
Palmer attracted thousands of die-hard fans known as "Arnie's Army" and helped to promote the game into the television age in the 1950s.
His love of the game stretched further than winning tournaments as he even found time to help design more than 250 golf courses and co-found the Golf Channel.
Palmer's social impact on behalf of golf was perhaps unrivaled among fellow professionals; his humble background and plain-spoken popularity helped change the perception of golf as an elite, upper-class pastime to a more democratic sport accessible to middle and working classes.
We celebrate the life of the man simply known as 'The King'...
EARLY YEARS
Palmer attended Wake Forest University on a golf scholarship but left upon the death of close friend Buddy Worsham and enlisted in the United States Coast Guard, where he served for three years and had some time to continue to hone his golf skills.
While at Wake Forest, Palmer won, among other things, the Southern Conference individual title, receiving the trophy for top individual honours.
