Without his charismatic showmanship and commitment to the four majors, it is hard to imagine golf enjoying the status it does today.
Tiger Woods has been one of the world's most eminent sportsmen in the last two decades, but the impact of the 14-time major champion's brilliance would not have been so great without the foundations laid by Palmer.
Between 1958 and 1964, the man they called 'The King' won seven major titles and harnessed the new television era for golf as viewers fell in love with 'Arnie' and his heart-on-sleeve style.
He was followed by hordes of fans on both sides of the Atlantic, who became known as Arnie's Army.
This was especially significant because Palmer continued to travel to the UK for The Open at a time when many American pros were finding the oldest major rather inconvenient.
But golf's biggest hero embraced the journey across the pond and in doing so breathed new life into The Open.
The reward for his admirable perseverance was back-to-back Claret Jugs at Royal Birkdale and Royal Troon in 1961 and 1962.
That latter victory, at this year's Open host, attracted the championship's strongest field since the days of Bobby Jones and Gene Sarazen, forever re-establishing the event's place among the majors.
Jack Nicklaus may have come along to wrest the mantle of the sport's leading player from Palmer, but his fame never waned. To this day you can order an 'Arnold Palmer' and the bartender will know to pour an iced tea with lemonade.
Even at the age of 86, he still ranks the fifth-highest earner in the game. According to Golf Digest's latest figures, Palmer's $40m income last year was beaten only by Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson, Woods and Rory McIlroy.
SOURCE:BBC SPORT
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