--- description: LIFE celebrates the life and career of the one and only Arnold Palmer -- superstar athlete, living legend and an Everyman of the links. title: Arnold Palmer: Rare and Classic Photos of Golf's Superstar Everyman image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8520e53643070670/698785d4428a9eb7cecc7de8/140528-arnold-palmer-01.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Arnold Palmer: Rare and Classic Photos of Golf's Superstar Everyman by [Ben Cosgrove](/author/ben-cosgrove/) ## Ben Cosgrove Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Jan 24, 2024 2:34 PM CUTPublished: Jun 4, 2014 5:15 PM CUT  Arnold Palmer in a familiar pose -- with a cigarette -- in 1962\. The golf legend quit smoking for good in 1970 -- an achievement he ranks with his best. Arnold Palmer in a familiar pose -- with a cigarette -- in 1962\. The golf legend quit smoking for good in 1970 -- an achievement he ranks with his best.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images by [Ben Cosgrove](/author/ben-cosgrove/) ## Ben Cosgrove Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Jan 24, 2024 2:34 PM CUTPublished: Jun 4, 2014 5:15 PM CUT In a huge, multi-page profile of [Arnold Palmer](http://www.arnoldpalmer.com/ "undefined") that ran in a June 1962 issue of LIFE, writer Paul O’Neil ably outlined the then-32-year-old’s formidable talents while highlighting Palmer’s relentless pursuit of golfing perfection: --- > “” --- That phrase, pointing out that Palmer had “captured the imagination of multitudes,” is especially resonant today, all these years later, when Arnold Palmer is arguably the most beloved golfer on the planet. Tiger Woods might inspire more passion — it seems people either love him or hate him — and Jack Nicklaus is, on paper, the greatest golfer who ever lived. But Arnold Palmer is a superstar athlete, a living legend, an Everyman of the links who has somehow managed to maintain the matinee-idol aura that drove countless fans — men and women — to such distraction that they comprised that memorably named, unofficial fan club: [Arnie’s Army](https://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016397.html "undefined"). (He also has [one of the world’s most wonderful drinks](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold%5FPalmer%5F%28drink%29 "undefined") named after him — which only adds to his saga.) Here, as the 2015 Masters Tournament kicks off in Augusta, Ga., LIFE celebrates the life and career of the one and only Arnold Palmer, now 84 years old and still kicking, through photos made six decades ago, when he was a young man who “seemed to have golf licked.”  Golfer Arnold Palmer and his product line. JOHN DOMINIS  Arnold Palmer in a familiar pose -- with a cigarette -- in 1962\. The golf legend quit smoking for good in 1970 -- an achievement he ranks with his best. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Arnold Palmer, 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. The surest touch in golf is transmitted through palmer's outsized biceps, wrists and hands. His great strength enables him to drive farther than most pros and helps get him out of uncomfortable situations in the rough. This strength gives him stamina to keep the pressure on round after round. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Arnold Palmer, "the relentless man of sport…" John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. In home workshop Palmer grinds, inspects, repairs tools of his trade. Palmer's search for perfection keeps him tinkering with equipment. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. In father-and-son match Arnold waits while Milfred Palmer, his first teacher tees off at Oakmont, Pa. Country Club" in 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Arnold Palmer and family, 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Arnold Palmer and his admiring fans, 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Arnold Palmer, 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Arnold Palmer, 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Arnold Palmer, 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Despite his mastery of shots, Palmer sometimes feels compelled to help out with body English, as in playoff round of the '62 Masters, which he won. GEORGE SILK  Arnold Palmer walking at the Masters in 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Crowd watching Arnold Palmer at the 1962 Masters Tournament. George Silk—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Arnold Palmer, 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Crowd following Arnold Palmer, 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Arnold Palmer, 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Working a sideline which adds to biggest income in golf, Palmer signs autographs at stand filled with his products at a Wheeling, West Va., course. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3763815/arnold-palmer-rare-and-classic-photos-of-golfs-superstar-everyman/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3763815/arnold-palmer-rare-and-classic-photos-of-golfs-superstar-everyman/"},"headline":"Arnold Palmer: Rare and Classic Photos of Golf's Superstar Everyman","datePublished":"2014-06-04T17:15:23.000Z","dateModified":"2024-01-24T14:34:41.000Z","description":"As the 2015 Masters Tournament kicks off in Augusta, Ga., LIFE celebrates the life and career of the one and only Arnold Palmer","url":"https://time.com/3763815/arnold-palmer-rare-and-classic-photos-of-golfs-superstar-everyman/","keywords":["Sports topic","photography","golf","LIFE Magazine","John Dominis","1962"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8520e53643070670/698785d4428a9eb7cecc7de8/140528-arnold-palmer-01.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Ben Cosgrove","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/ben-cosgrove/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8520e53643070670/698785d4428a9eb7cecc7de8/140528-arnold-palmer-01.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Arnold Palmer 1962","caption":"Arnold Palmer in a familiar pose -- with a cigarette -- in 1962. 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