Everyone has an Arnold Palmer story

Arnold’s bold and daring approach to the game, combined with his citizenship, warmth, humor, humility and grace, were truly the signature of the man that we came to know, and will fondly remember, as The King. His presence at Augusta National will be sorely missed, but his impact on the Masters remains immeasurable – and it will never wane.

Our thoughts are with Arnold’s beloved wife Kit and his entire family. We look forward to the 2017 Masters Tournament, when we will do our very best to appropriately pay our respects to Arnold Palmer – a Masters legend, our game’s finest ambassador, and a hero to generations of people throughout the world.

Most importantly, we, his friends at Augusta National Golf Club, will always love him. — Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne

USGA

"Arnold never wavered in his love for the game, from his time as an amateur until my last visit with him a few weeks ago. His legacy reaches far beyond his playing career, as a lifelong ambassador for our sport. It is hard to think of anyone who had done more for golf. The game is better because of him, and in many ways will never be the same." — USGA Executive Director/CEO Mike Davis

PEERS

"Arnold transcended the game of golf. He was more than a golfer or even great golfer. He was an icon. He was a legend. Arnold was someone who was a pioneer in his sport. He took the game from one level to a higher level, virtually by himself. Along the way, he had millions of adoring fans — Barbara and I among them. We were great competitors, who loved competing against each other, but we were always great friends along the way. Arnold always had my back, and I had his. We were always there for each other. That never changed. He was the king of our sport and always will be." — Jack Nicklaus

"He meant so much to the game and to me personally. I knew that I could always call him for advice … I'm forever grateful for his friendship." — Tiger Woods

"Arnold was many things to many people and undoubtedly made golf more popular, but to me he was simply a dear friend for over 60 years. Of course, like anybody we had our differences but these never stood in the way of our relationship and I will miss him terribly. — Gary Player

"I've respected a number of players who came before me, but Arnold Palmer was my model on and off the course. As an amateur I played my very first practice round at the Masters with him at his invitation. I saw how much time and attention he gave to fans, the media and worthy charitable causes. I'm like every other fan of his enormous influence on the game and his great generosity off the course. I'm saddened by his death but I'm a better player and perhaps a better person thanks to his example." — Phil Mickelson

"He was very personable, always, down to earth. He always seemed to have time for you. It was amazing how he always seemed to have time or the fans. … When Arnold spoke, we all listened. Last year (2015) at the champion's dinner, he said a few words about the impact that this group of champions can make and it was very moving." — Larry Mize, 1987 Masters champion

"There's no other athlete in the history of sports that's put his fingerprint on as many different communities in this country than Arnold Palmer." — Allen Doyle, an 11-time winner on the Champions Tour.

"He was special to me. I was lucky to have him in my life, being a scholarship boy at Wake Forest to playing with him in my first Masters as amateur in 1987 to having him come up my CVS Charity Classic and being my partner and playing with me, staying at his house for 2001 Pennsylvania Classic. He was always so giving, so nice to me, to all the Wake Forest guys, his boys, to have all that … it's special. I played with him in the first round of my first Masters. I think he arranged that. I think he wanted to play with his scholarship boy. It was a special day for me. … He was our Elvis. I didn't know Elvis Presley, but I knew Arnold. He was my Elvis." — Champions Tour player Billy Andrade, a Brookhaven resident.

"I knew that he hadn't played in the (Walt Disney World National) Team Championship in Orlando. So I finally got up enough nerve to ask him if he would like to play with me. To my surprise he actually said yes. He and I played as partners for two years. It was a great experience for me. … One of the warmest introductions I ever got on the first tee was when they introduced the team of Larry Nelson and Arnold Palmer, combined to win 67 events. He had 61." — Champions Tour player Larry Nelson

"Over the years have learned to respect what Arnold did as far as paving the way for all of us and the world of professional golf like we know it today. He took professional golf out of the caddie yard and into the clubhouse." — Stewart Cink

COLLEGE COACHES

"That's when you learned the nexus of the word choke. I tried to say yes. I couldn't get a word out." —Georgia State coach Joe Inman, who played on the tour during Palmer's years, recalling Palmer inviting him to play an Augusta National practice round in 1970.

"I'll never forget – when he saw we were coming, he stood up and he shook every kid's hand and you just saw the tears roll down his face. That's something I still get chills about." — Georgia Tech coach Bruce Heppler, the coach of the 2015 U.S. team for the Palmer Cup, the last Ryder Cup-style event for collegians that Palmer attended, recalling how the players on both sides detoured from a planned dinner to thank Palmer.

"He said he never understood why people just scribble their autographs and later on people can't read them. He said, 'If people think enough of you to take the time to ask for an autograph, you in turn should think enough of them to make it legible so they can show it to their somebody and I say they met him. That's why he always took such time doing every autograph he ever did. I always thought that was pretty cool." — Georgia coach Chris Haack, on what he tells his players about Palmer.