'Palmer had swagger before we had a name for it,' Obama says

U.S. President Barack Obama has joined the sports world in saluting the one and only Arnold Palmer on Monday, after the golf legend died Sunday.

Obama released the following statement Monday:

With his homemade swing and homespun charm, Arnold Palmer had swagger before we had a name for it. From a humble start working at the local club in his beloved Latrobe, Pennsylvania, to a superstardom as the face of golf around the globe, Arnold was the American Dream come to life.

Along the way he racked up win and after win - but it wasn't his success that made him King. Arnold's freewheeling fearless approach to the game inspired a generation of golfers and, for the first time on TV, enthralled an audience across the world. Sure, we liked that he won seven majors, but we loved that he went for it when he probably should have laid up.

That spirit 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.

Today, Michelle and I stand with Arnie's Army in saluting the King.

Palmer's incredible life seemed to touch everyone who ever came in contact with him, or watched him play on television.