US golfer Arnold Palmer, viewed as one of the greatest players in the sport’s history, has died at the age of 87. He was called as “The King” of the game.
He was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, in 1929, to a groundskeeper at the local country club who later became the professional at the golf club there.
Palmer died at the UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he was undergoing heart tests. The United States Golf Association also confirmed his death in a tweet calling him “golf’s greatest ambassador”.
During a long career he won more than 90 tournaments worldwide, including seven majors.
Fellow golfing great and a close friend of Palmer, Jack Nicklaus said he would “miss him greatly”. “We just lost one of the incredible people in the game of golf and in all of sports,” he tweeted.
Palmer attracted thousands of diehard fans known as “Arnie’s Army” and helped to promote the game into the television age. US President Barak Obama also paid tribute to him on twitter.
