# Arnold Palmer has died. RIP Arnie **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 26, 2016, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-palmer-has-died-rip-arnie/766896 "2016-09-26T00:38:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-palmer-has-died-rip-arnie/766896/1 "2016-09-26T00:38:17Z")
According to multiple reports, Arnold Palmer has passed away at Age 87. Arnold Palmer was not the best player whoever played the game, probably not even in the Top 5, but he probably had the most impact on the game. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-palmer-has-died-rip-arnie/766896/2 "2016-09-26T00:40:31Z")
oh wow he only person grandpa watched in golf … and thats because he didn’t look or like a "prissy nancy boy " like most golfers did in the 50s /60s ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-palmer-has-died-rip-arnie/766896/3 "2016-09-26T00:43:37Z")
There’s nothing on [ESPN.com](http://ESPN.com) about it, even in the golf section. But it’s on [golfweek.com](http://www.golfweek.com/2016/09/25/arnold-palmer-passes-away-at-87/). ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-palmer-has-died-rip-arnie/766896/4 "2016-09-26T00:53:26Z")
RIP, Arnie. You made golf on TV interesting while I was growing up. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-palmer-has-died-rip-arnie/766896/5 "2016-09-26T00:57:31Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > According to multiple reports, Arnold Palmer has passed away at Age 87. > > Arnold Palmer was not the best player whoever played the game, probably not even in the Top 5, but he probably had the most impact on the game. I’d disagree with you. In the 1960s it was Arnie, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player, and then everybody else. For a while he was the best player in the game. There aren’t many that can claim 4 Masters championships on their resume. I’d say Jack, then Tiger, then Bobby Jones, then Ben Hogan, and then Arnie has as good a case as anybody else. In any event, he had a good life well lived. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-palmer-has-died-rip-arnie/766896/6 "2016-09-26T01:19:28Z")
Even when he wasn’t the best, he was certainly the classiest. RIP. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-palmer-has-died-rip-arnie/766896/7 "2016-09-26T01:28:49Z")
I recall he tried to start a chain of Arnold Palmer miniature-golf courses. My hometown had one. Didn’t last long. RIP, Arnie. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-palmer-has-died-rip-arnie/766896/8 "2016-09-26T01:32:47Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > According to multiple reports, Arnold Palmer has passed away at Age 87. > > Arnold Palmer was not the best player whoever played the game, probably not even in the Top 5, but he probably had the most impact on the game. Nope. He’s in the top 5 of all time. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-palmer-has-died-rip-arnie/766896/9 "2016-09-26T01:51:52Z")
He and his wife endowed hospitals in Orlando(ish.) Class act. He had a huge impact on the game was an inspiration to many who love golf. RIP, sir. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-palmer-has-died-rip-arnie/766896/10 "2016-09-26T01:59:46Z")
Arnie was The King, no doubt about it. He was the perfect guy at the perfect time to make golf take off in popularity just when TV sports were getting started. And virtually everybody who knew him personally said he was just as nice as he seemed on TV. RIP Arnie. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-palmer-has-died-rip-arnie/766896/11 "2016-09-26T14:15:31Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > … virtually everybody who knew him personally said he was just as nice as he seemed on TV. I’d certainly agree. I met him about 10 years ago, and chatted for a few minutes. The unspoken message was “All the bragging I ever needed to do, I did with my golf clubs years ago.” ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-palmer-has-died-rip-arnie/766896/12 "2016-09-26T15:30:28Z")
Great golfer and then later a very good businessman. His Pennzoil commercials featuring a old tractor were very popular. He did them for many years. Pretty sure that really was Arnie’s tractor. I guess one of his kids will get it now. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/lETaNG6d62A/maxresdefault.jpg "Arnold Palmer Penzoil Commercial 1981") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lETaNG6d62A) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-palmer-has-died-rip-arnie/766896/13 "2016-09-26T15:48:46Z")
I learned a lot about Arnie in this article. He’d struggled with his health for a few years. > **[An intertwined history of Arnie and Oakmont](https://www.espn.com/golf/usopen15/story/_/id/16079213/an-intertwined-history-arnold-palmer-oakmont-country-club-us-open)** > > An ailing Arnold Palmer's roots in western Pennsylvania run deep, especially at Oakmont, where he remains the indomitable spirit surrounding the course that will host a record ninth U.S. Open. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-palmer-has-died-rip-arnie/766896/14 "2016-09-26T16:22:15Z")
The (admittedly dated) line I liked was something like, “Every man wanted to be like him, every woman wanted to be with him.” He really did seem to be a decent person. Never heard anyone describe him as a jerk, or anything other than kind and generous. > [@aceplace57](#): > > Great golfer and then later a very good businessman. I’ll have to do some more looking, but I recall reading several years back that he actually had quite a disappointment, at least with some portion of his real estate investments. Not sure if it was limited to his association with IMG, Bay Hill, or what. I think e initially was supposed to be a co-owner/co-developer of Bay Hill, but was later reduced to little more than a name/figurehead. Minor point, tho, and does not take away from his contribution to golf. As a kid in the late 60s-70s, one thing I regretted was that Arnie wasn’t more of a factor agains Jack, Lee, etc.