Obama: Arnold Palmer the ‘American dream come to life’

America’s golfer-in-chief paid tribute Monday to golf legend Arnold Palmer, who died Sunday at age 87.

“With his homemade swing and homespun charm, Arnold Palmer had swagger before we had a name for it,” President Obama said in a statement. “Michelle and I stand with Arnie’s Army in saluting the King.”

Mr. Obama, who has logged more than 300 rounds of golf as president, said Mr. Palmer was a true American success story.

“From a humble start working at the local club in his beloved Latrobe, Pennsylvania, to superstardom as the face of golf around the globe, Arnold was the American Dream come to life,” the president said. “Along the way he racked up win after win — but it wasn’t his success that made him King.”

Rather, he said, golf fans loved Mr. Palmer’s “freewheeling, fearless approach to the game.”

“Sure, we liked that he won seven majors, but we loved that he went for it when he probably should have laid up,” Mr. Obama said.

The president praised Mr. Palmer for a “spirit [that] extended beyond the links where he gave freely of himself and poured everything he had into everything he did: from building hospitals to personally responding to countless letters from his fans.

“And he did it all with a grin that hinted maybe he had one more shot up his sleeve,” the president said.