GOODBYETOTHEKING:ARNOLDPALMERGOESHOMEONELASTTIMEByRonSirak•@ronsirakOctober6,2016

ThedaybeganwiththetownofLatrobeshroudedinfog,anotherworldlylayerofmysteryclingingtothevalleyasthesunclimbedovertheAlleghenyMountains.HourslateritendedwhenArnoldPalmer’sprivatejet–callsignN1AP–buzzedSaintVincentBasilicainalowflyoverthenveeredsharplyintoasteepclimbbeforedisappearingasatinydotinacrystalblueskyasifonitswaytoheaven.Palmerhadcomehomeonelasttimeandtheworldjoined

himinamemorialservicefitforaking–atributefitforTheKing.Awho’swhoofthegamerememberedArnoldasagreatgolferandpioneerwhochangedthebusinesslandscapeofallsportswhenhishandshakedealwithMarkMcCormackcreatedInternationalManagementGroup(IMG),whichinventedmodernsportsmarketingaswellasplayerandeventmanagement.Hewasrememberedasagolfcoursedesigner,aworldclasspilotwhoflewjetsasboldlyasheattackedagolfcourseandasthemanwholookedintotheTVcameraandgrewthegameinawayithadnotknownbeforeorsince.Butmostimportantly,Palmerwasrememberedasagoodman,adecentman,akindmanwhoneverforgotthathewasthesonofacountryclubemployee,notthesonofacountryclubmember.“Home,”Palmerlikedtosay,“isnotwhereyou’refrom;it’swhoyouare.”AndwhereArnoldwasfromtellsyoualotaboutwhohewas.WesternPennsylvaniaisaplacewherepeopleworkhard,playhardandlookyouintheeyewhentheytalk.Arnolddidallofthat.“ArnoldPalmerwasacommonman,yetsofarfromcommon,”saidAnnikaSorenstam,whosesonWillwasbornnineweeksprematureandsavedbydoctorsat

theWinniePalmerHospitalforWomeninOrlando.“Thatsparkleinhiseyemadeeveryonefeelspecial.”Hisfriendandfoefornearly60years,JackNicklaus,said:“ArnoldPalmerwastheeverydayman’shero.Hemadetherecoveryshotanart.Today,IamaproudsoldierinArnie’sArmy.”AndthecommissionerofthePGATour,TimFinchem,prettymuchsummedupeveryone’sfeeling.“Irefusetothinkhehastotallyleftus,”Finchemsaid.“Ibelievehisspiritiswithustoday.Andifhe’slookingdown,andI’msureheis,Ihopehegivesusoneofthoselittlethumbsup.”WhilePalmerhadhomesathisBayHillClubandResortinOrlandoandoffthecoursethatbareshisnameinLaQuinta,Calif.,heneverabandonedLatrobeanditssoundoftencreptintohisspeech,likeputtinganRinwash,makingthenation’scapitalWarshington.ThereisnothingmusicalaboutthePittsburghaccent.ThosewhospeakitarecalledYinzers–thepluralofyou–asin,“Whatareyinzdoin’afterreddingupthehouse?”PittsburghesedoesnotrolloffthetongueinthelyricalwayasoftSoutherndrawlfallslikedewonamistymorning.Thissoundclangslikeironwrappedinrust,ahardsound,hardliketheworkinthemillswhenthiswasthecradleoftheworld’ssteelindustrybackwhenPalmerwonthe1954U.S.Amateur.ThefinalfarewellforPalmeronOct.4waswhereitshouldbe–home,onthecampusofSaintVincentCollegeinLatrobe,wherehewasbornandraised,thesonofagreenskeeperatLatrobeCountryClub.Wheretheairportisnamedforhimandwherehereturnedeverysummer.InadditiontoNicklaus,SorenstamandFinchem,thespeakerswerelong-timefriendandformerLPGAcommissionerCharlieMechem;Arnold’sgrandsonandprogolferSamSaunders;RussMeyer,chairmanemeritusofCessna,thekindofplanePalmerflewfordecades;JimNantzofCBSandPeterDawsonoftheR&A.CountrysingerVinceGillclosedtheservicewith“You’veGotaFriend”androckerDariusRuckeropenedaVIPreceptionafterwiththeStarSpangledBanner.Aweekearlier,Palmer’sasheshadbeenscatteredatLatrobeCCinaprivateserviceforthefamily.

ThetownofLatrobewaslitteredwithsignssayinggoodbyetoPalmer.OutsideDino’sSportsLounge,ahumbleplacewherelocalswereusedtoseeingPalmerandhiswifeKitcasuallyconsumingaKettleOnevodka–ortwo–asignread:“GodBlessArnoldPalmer.”Inside,patronshadwatchedtheTVbroadcastoftheserviceandwerenowdevouringtheGolfChanneldocumentaryofArnold,pausingtosipabeerandtelloftheirpersonalencounterswithPalmer.PeopleinthispartofPennsylvaniaarepassionateaboutsportsandhaveaverylocalizedsenseofpride.Thereare12highschoolsportsdistrictsintheKeystoneStateandoneofthoseistheWesternPennsylvaniaInterscholasticAthleteLeague–theWPIAL,orDistrict7,foundedin1906.WPIALturfturnedoutJohnnyLujack,MikeDitka,JohnnyUnitas,JoeNamath,TonyDorsett,JoeMontanaandDanMarinoinfootball;baseballHallofFamersHonusWagnerandStanMusialand1964NationalLeaguerookieoftheyearaswellas1972AmericanLeagueMVPDickAllen.BasketballhadDonHennon,JackMarin,WillieSomerset,NormVanLierandSwinCash.AndthenthereisArnold,themanwhoelevatedgolfontoalevelwiththeBigThreesports.Hemovedgolffromthebackofthesportssectiontothefrontofthenewspages.HewastheperfectplayertocomealongjustasTVwasdiscoveringthecommercialvalueofbroadcastinglivesports–moviestargoodlooks,anathleticbodyandadynamicstyleofplay.Therewasasenseofcelebration,notsadness,atArnold’smemorial.Friend’sjokedabouthishearingproblemslateinlifeandwinkedwhensharingstoriesabouthisfondnessforKettleOne.Foreveryoneofhis87years,ArnoldPalmerfullyenjoyedbeingArnoldPalmer.Andwhenitcametimetosignhisscorecard,itwasasifArnoldwentwillinglyintothatgoodnight.HewastoofrailtohittheceremonialopeningshotthisyearattheMastersandtooweaktotravelthe38milesfromLatrobetoOakmontforthisyear’sU.S.Open.Thiswasnotthewayhewantedit.Palmerlivedlifethewayheplayedgolf:Boldly,trustinghisinstinctsandnotoverthinkingthings.Heneverlaidup.Fewhavelivedlifesofullyandevenfewerhavegivenbackasmuch.

TheperfectionwithwhichhisfinalgoodbyeplayedoutmadeyoufeelsomeforcemuchgreaterthanIMGwasorchestratingtheevent,fromthefogtotheblue-skyflyover.YoucouldonlyimaginethatFinchemwasrightandthatArnoldwassmilingdown,givinghissignaturethumbs-up,theotherhandholdingaKettleOne,thosemagnificenteyestwinkling.LongliveTheKing.