[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 13890]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    ARNOLD PALMER: THE KING OF GOLF

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, this week, we lost the 
greatest golfer ever, the man who brought the sport to the masses, a 
name synonymous with competition, the king, the legend: Mr. Arnold 
Palmer.
  Arnie was a favorite son and native of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, a city 
where roads, an airport, a drink, a hospital, and so much more are 
named after him. Latrobe is also the home of Mr. Rogers, the banana 
split, and summer home to the Pittsburgh Steelers; but Arnold clearly 
is their favorite. And with good reason.
  Some athletes play to make a name for themselves, but Arnie did it to 
build up the sport. And build it up he did. He made the sport of golf a 
game for the common man. It is no wonder he was followed by Arnie's 
Army through the world.
  Some athletes won't give autographs unless you pay them, or they will 
walk by, unmoved when a child asks for one; but Arnie never refused. He 
signed his name millions of times, never refusing anyone in his entire 
lifetime.
  I saw him just last month, surrounded by his usual stack of letters, 
pictures, and paraphernalia piled next to his desk, waiting to be 
signed by him. He signed every single one with that perfect and 
unmistakable signature and not with a generic scribble so you have no 
idea whose name it was. Arnie made sure he made his name legible.
  Later in life, he stopped signing golf balls not because he did not 
want to, but, rather, he thought it was important that whoever he was 
signing for could read his name clearly.
  Some athletes are famous for their family problems, but Arnie was a 
quiet, dedicated, and loving family man. He loved Winnie and Kit, and 
their children and grandchildren.
  And while some sport players refuse to stand during our national 
anthem, as a proud veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, Arnie would tear up 
at the sound of the Star-Spangled Banner with admiration, pride, and 
love for his Nation. He worked hard to get where he was. It was not 
handed to him.
  Once in the spotlight, some celebrities forget their roots, but Arnie 
never did. He was proud of his humble beginnings. He helped his father, 
Deacon Palmer, who worked as a greenskeeper for Latrobe Country Club, 
by mowing lawns and driving tractors. Arnie was never afraid of getting 
his hands dirty. In fact, he continued this work all the way up, even 
selling paint just before he turned pro.
  Some feel no sense of loyalty to their team or sport, enamored by 
their own fame and the big paycheck, but Arnie was fiercely loyal. A 
contract was a handshake. Your word was a contract based on that 
handshake, not a piece of paper. His lifetime relationship with his 
manager was set with that handshake, and Arnie never wavered from it.
  Playing golf with Arnie is an unforgettable experience not just as a 
pro, but for those of us lucky enough to play a round. He made you feel 
like it was the best part of his day. He never failed to give you his 
gentle smile or words of encouragement. Even when he teased you in a 
good-natured way, you cherished every word he said. He made the game 
fun to play no matter how well or how bad you were playing.
  A few years ago, Jim Leland, the legendary manager of the Pittsburgh 
Pirates and Detroit Tigers, was playing with Arnie during an all-star 
break. On what Leland describes as ``the greatest day of my life,'' the 
two played at Laurel Valley.
  After shooting a respectable 41 on the front nine, Jim's game began 
to fade away on the back nine. Perhaps he hooked or sliced a few, and 
perhaps he let out a few colorful words in exasperation. But Arnie 
sensed Jim's game was unraveling and walked over to offer him the best 
golf advice ever.
  I imagine if any of us have had the opportunity to get a golf lesson 
from the king, we would feel in that moment that the wind would stop, 
the clouds would part, perhaps a shaft of light would stream down from 
the sun, the trees might even lean in a little to listen. But in that 
moment, Arnie put his arm around Jim and said: ``Enjoy the day. You're 
not good enough to get mad.''
  That is the best golf advice ever. Not just great golf advice, it is 
great advice for life. Enjoy the days God gives you. Don't waste them 
on being angry.
  And maybe that is one of the reasons we will miss this man. He had a 
way of telling tens of millions to believe in yourself, to respect 
others, to face challenges, to demonstrate courage and respect, and to 
always show dignity in defeat and restraint in victory.
  Arnie claimed he did so well not just because he wanted to win, but 
because he hated to lose. And so it is today with us. We hate to lose 
you, Arnie. You made us feel we could all be better and that loving the 
game was the best of all.
  We will miss you.

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