CHANGE THE GAME AND THE IMPACT
THEY HAD AT CENTRAL FLORIDA.
BRIDGET IS OFF THIS HOUR.
>> Justin: I AM JUSTIN WARMOTH.
AS AN ATHLETE HE IS CREDITED
WITH MAKING THE GAME OF GOLF
POPULAR IN THE 60s AND 70s
INSPIRING GENERATIONS OF
GOLFERS DURING HIS CAREER
WINNING 62 TITLES AND SEVEN
MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS ALONG WITH
THHALL OF FAME INDUCTEE.
HE IS TO PGA CHAMPIONSHIPS
NAMED AFTER HIM.
MR. PALMER GAVE BACK RAISING
FUNDS TO BUILD THE ON PALMER
HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN NEAR
DOWNTOWN ORLANDO AND HE WENT ON
TO BUILD WHEN HE PALMER
HOSPITAL FOR WOMEN AND BABIES
WHICH IS NAMED AFTER HIS FIRST
WIFE.
HE PASSED AWAY YESTERDAY IN
PITTSBURGH.
NOT FAR WITH COMPLICATIONS.
THE KING WAS 87 YEARS OLD.
DAVID PAYNE THE LORD JOINS US
NOW LIVE FROM THE NEWSROOM.
ONLY PALMER WAS NO DOUBT A HUGE
INFLUENCE ON CENTRAL FLORIDA.
>> WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT
THIS ALL MORNING LONG.
LAST EVENING GOING INTO THIS
MORNING DURING THE LATE
NEWSCAST WITH MR. PALMER
CERTAINLY IT WAS A UNBELIEVABLE
MAN.
AN ENTREPRENEUR AND CERTAINLY
HE TOOK HIS GOLF GAME AND HE
BUILT A WORLDWIDE BUSINESS BUT
IT'S WHAT HE DID FOR CENTRAL
FLORIDA AND THE HOSPITALS.
I HAVE A NUMBER OF
OPPORTUNITIES TO SPEND TIME
WITH HIM OVER THE YEARS AND I
CAME HERE IN 2007.
I MET HIM IN 2008.
HE HAD TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH
HIM AND SIT DOWN WITH HIM AN
INTERVIEW WITH A CHANCE TO PLAY
SOME GOLF.
YOU JUST TAKE AWAY WHAT A
PASSIONATE MAN HE WAS FOR NOT
ONLY GOLF BUT FOR CHARITIES
ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA AND
REALLY ACROSS THE WORLD.
HE GAVE BACK A LOT OF MONEY AND
A LOT OF HIS TIME.
IT WAS CERTAINLY A GENUINE MAN
THAT WILL BE MISSED.
HE PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF
87.
I DID CATCH UP WITH THEM IN
HERE AND IS A MONTAGE OF THE
INTERACTIONS WITH MR. PALMER.
>> YOU KNOW WHAT I LOVE ABOUT
YOU QUERY I'VE BEEN WATCHING
THIS GOLF TOURNAMENT SINCE I
WAS A LITTLE GUY PLAYING GOLF.
YOU LOVE STANDING RIGHT THERE
ON THE EIGHTEENTH HOLE AS THE
WINNER WALKS UP FROM THE GREEN
TO SEE YOU SHAKE YOUR HAND,
GIVE YOU A
HUG .
WHAT IS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE WE
.
>> IT'S ALWAYS FUN BECAUSE I'VE
BEEN THERE
.
I KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE AND I
KNOW WHAT HE FEELS LIKE COMING
UP WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO WIN
THE GOLF TOURNAMENT.
YOU ARE THERE EVERY YEAR DOING
THAT.
>> I TRY TO BE.
>> A MAN OF YOUR STATURE HAS
DOING THAT AND GOLF HAS
AFFORDED YOU A LOT
.
>> THE GOLF TOURNAMENT IS SORT
OF A VEHICLE FOR REALLY GETTING
THE MEDICAL CENTER STARTED.
WE REALLY USE IT AS A GREAT
SUPPLEMENT ONTO THE MEDICAL
CENTER.
TO THE HOSPITAL.
IT'S FOR BABIES.
IT'S REALLY GREAT.
>> IT'S AN HONOR AND PRIVILEGE
TO MEET HIM THROUGHOUT THE
YEARS AND SPEND SOME QUALITY
TIME.
HE WILL BE MISSED.
THE NEXT TOURNAMENT IS THIS
COMING SPRING IN MARCH AT THE
BAYHILL LUNCH
.
>> IT WILL BE VERY DIFFERENT
OUT THERE WITH HIM NOT BEING
THERE.
NO DOUBT.
WE CONTINUE WITH JAMIE WHO HAS
HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF COVERING
MR. PALMER FOR YEARS.
AMIE SPOKE TO PALMER'S
DAUGHTER WHO SAYS HER FATHER
WAS HUMBLE AND ALWAYS PUT
OTHERS BEFORE HIMSELF.
>> ARNOLD PALMER WAS THE
PEOPLE'S CHAMPION.
FANS FLOCK TO HIM LONG AFTER HE
RETIRED.
PICTURES OR AUTOGRAPHS, HE
WOULD ALWAYS OBLIGE
I SPOKE TO SOMEONE WHO KNEW HIM
BEST.
MA SAUNDERS TOLD ME HER DAD WAS
JUST AS GENUINE ON THE COURSE
AS HE WAS IN PRIVATE.
>> HOW WOULD I DESCRIBE MY
FATHER?
WELL
, I GUESS THE FIRST WORD
THAT COMES TO MIND IS HUMBLE.
IT IS ONE OF THE MOST ENDEARING
THINGS ABOUT HIM.
HE DOESN'T EVERPUT ON AIR.
HE IS ALWAYS APPROACHABLE AND
HONEST.
PEOPLE CAN RELATE TO THAT
DO
DOES HE ALWAYS HAVE A
COMMITMENT TO SERVICE?
BOTH MY MOTHER AND MY FATHER
ALWAYS FELT LIKE IT WAS MORE
IMPORTANT THAN YOURSELF bBEING
ABLE TO DO THINGS THAT ARE
SIGNIFICANT TO OTHER PEOPLE.
>> FOR PROOF OF THAT, LOOK NO
FURTHER THAN THE TWO HOSPITALS
IN DOWNTOWN ORLANDO.
THEY BEAR MR. PALMER'S NAME AND
ALSO CHAMPION FOR 30 YEARS.
JAMISAINT FORT NEWS 6.
>> Justin: THERE HAS BEEN A LOT
OF REACTIONS TO OWNER PALMER'S
DEATH ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
>> Kirstin: THIS IS ONE OF THE
TOP STORIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA
NOW.
/L SAUNDERS JOINS US ON HOW THE
COMMUNITY IS REACTING.
>> IF THERE'S ANY WAY THE WORLD
CAN COLLECTIVELY GRIEVE
TOGETHER IT'S ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
IT'S PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER
SHARING THE PROFOUND SADNESS
OVER HIS DEATH.
>> THE REACTION FIRST CAME FROM
TWITTER.
GOLF GREATS LIKE TIGER WOODS
PAYING HOMAGE TO THE MAN HE
CONSIDERS THE GREATEST.
IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE GOLF
WITHOUT YOU OR ANYONE MORE
IMPORTANT TO THE GAME THAN THE
KING
STATEMENT ARNOLD TRANSCENDED
GOLF.
HE WAS MORE THAN A GOLFER OR
EVEN A GREAT GOLFER.
HE WAS AN ICON.
THE LOVE CONTINUED TO POUR IN
FROM THE HIGHEST OFFICE.
THE PRESIDENT REMARKED
REMEMBERING HIS GENEROSITY IN A
PRIVATE PUTTING MESSAGE.
THE ORANGE COUNTY FIREFIGHTERS
OPD AND BUDDY DYER AND TERESA
JACOBS OFFER THEIR CONDOLENCES.
EXPRESSIONS OF LOVE FROM SPORTS
FIGURES OF ALL BACKGROUNDS.
HIS SMILE BRIGHTENED EVERY
ROOM.
THE ORLANDO MAGIC CALLED HIM A
CHAMPION.
THE MOST FITTING IS
GOLF YOU
RICKIE FOWLER SAYING LEGENDS
NEVER DIE .
TOGETHER FOREVER ARNI
WE WILL CONTINUE TO REMEMBER