Arnold Palmer Biography

Fast Facts

• Named Athlete of the Decade by the Associated Press in the 1960s
• Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004
• Winner of the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, in '58, '60, '62 and '64
• Awarded the famed Vardon Trophy in '61, '62, '64 and '67
• Named PGA Player of the Year in 1960 and 1962
• Served as captain of the Ryder Cup team in 1963 and 1975 after previously participating as a player on six occasions
• A major donor to children's charities, he is an avid supporter of March of Dimes, as well as other medical research organziations and hospitals
• Attended Wake Forest University
• Began hitting golf balls at only four-years-old at the insistence of his father who worked at the local country club
• Began commentating for the Golf Channel after the network's launch in 1995
• Began working as a caddy at his local club at 11-years-old
• Joined the Coast Guard after dropping out of college, following the unexpected death of a friend
• Serves as the namesake of the famous Arnold Palmer drink that combines tea and lemonade
• Turned professional in 1954