Loss of Palmer was saying goodbye to sports royalty

I had not been at the newspaper long — it was the summer of 2002 and I started in May of that year — when the phone rang.

I was the only one in the office, and the phone that was flashing belonged to Chattanooga newspaper legend Sam Woolwine.

Because Sam was Sam, there was no doubt he would be talking to someone about something that was going to be in the next day’s paper.

I pressed #8 and said, “Times Free Press Sports department, this is Jay, how can I help you?”

“Is Sam there?” the familiar voice said on the other line.

“No sir,” I replied. “Can I help?”

“No,” the voice continued, “will you tell him ‘Hi,’ that Arnold Palmer called and would like to speak to him?”

I almost dropped the phone.

Arnold Palmer died Sunday. He was 87, and his life was equal parts mythology, magic and man-made.

He was charismatic and charming, as well as an everyman champion in, what at the time, an almost entirely exclusive sport.

He was more than a seven-time major champion. He was more than a historic figure who was part of the growth of the British Open and the magnitude of Augusta National.

He was the first marketing genius in all of sports. Yes, Babe Ruth was the first one-name sports superstar, but Arnie was the first sports marketing presence.

He became a global icon, and his shadow and influence came to our fair city in the 1960s.

With seven major championships on his resume and an unforeseen popularity for a sport star, Palmer brought his golf business to town.

It started as First Flight Golf and later used the name Arnold Palmer Golf as a maker of golf equipment and merchandise.

It forged a connection between The King, our city and Woolwine.

“It was my great privilege to know him personally,” Woolwine said. “He was amazingly comfortable everywhere he went here and was gracious with everyone he met. His connection with people made everyone special, and that was a true gift.”

That was Palmer’s greatest legacy, more than the wins or the money or the wisdom.

For a lot of us, this is the latest black mark in a dire 2016, a year in which we have lost the greatest coach in women’s sports (Pat Summitt), the greatest boxer (Muhammad Ali), arguably the greatest hockey player (Gordie Howe) and now golf’s greatest personality.

“We lost the greatest ambassador in the game of golf,” said Woolwine, who covered 31 Masters tournaments. “He brought golf to the masses with his personality and flair. That would not have meant as much if he had not been a great golfer.”

It also would not have meant as much if he had not been a great person.

When asked about his favorite Palmer story, Woolwine shared the details of the 1996 NCAA championship golf tournament played here at The Honors.

Palmer was the keynote speaker at the event and the unquestioned star, even though some Stanford player who even then was known simply as Tiger was the clear favorite.

When Tiger Woods walked in, Palmer called him over, Woolwine said Monday, and asked him plainly what was different about him and everyone in the room.

“Tiger could have said he was one of the only black players in the room or anything else,” Woolwine said.

It wasn’t about race or regality, even for the man known as The King. Rather, he told Tiger Woods that he was the only man in the room without a coat and tie and suggested that Woods, the future face of the game, go change.

Woods did, and paid respect to the man who was Tiger before Tiger was Tiger.

It was the man who was The King, and with all due respect, long live The King.