There will never be another Arnold Palmer. The legendary golfer, now 85, has 92 tournament wins to his name. He won seven major championships, including four Masters. He’s a World Golf Hall of Famer, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, a PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award winner and, among a list of many other accolades that is too long to mention here, is widely regarded as one of the greatest to ever play the game.
He won the U.S. Open only once though, here in Colorado, at Cherry Hills Country Club in 1960. And he won in a thrilling fashion, shooting a 65 to beat out Jack Nicklaus by two strokes after trailing by seven strokes entering the final round.
It seems fitting then that Peyton Manning, one of the all-time greats in his sport, paid tribute to his fellow legend as part of Golf Channel’s “Arnie & Me,” a documentary on The King that premiered Tuesday. The film, a follow-up to Golf Channel’s 2014 series “Arnie,” is a look at Palmer, the man and golfer, through the eyes of other athletes, celebrities and fans.
Manning, who has spent time with Palmer at his annual Arnold Palmer Invitational (held this week in Florida), shared his interactions with The King, and opened up about how Palmer inspired him.
“He was really the first approachable talent, if you will,” Manning said in the documentary.
“Arnold Palmer knew how to treat his fans. He respected them with a wave and smile. My dad said Arnold was always available for an autograph or a picture. I’ve tried to have relationship with the fans, the supporters of mine, the fans that support the teams that I’ve played on, but also ones that have just supported me, going all the way back to college.
“I think Arnold Palmer really set the bar for being available, being approachable and making that person feel special during that seven-to-10-second interaction of a handshake, an autograph or a picture.”
