Funeral of Arnold Palmer: A Farewell to a Golf Legend

Amid tears and during an emotional funeral, Jack Nicklaus asked everyone to remember the moment Arnold Palmer entered their lives.

"You do not lose a friend of 60 years and not feel a tremendous loss," said Nicklaus.

The service, which took place on Tuesday at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Palmer's hometown, was filled with smiles and warmth as stories were shared about the most important player in modern golf. The university's basilica was packed with golf's greatest representatives from around the world.

Charlie Mechem, former LPGA commissioner and one of Palmer's closest collaborators, referred to them as the "elite battalion" of Arnie's Army.

The legendary golfer passed away on September 25 at the age of 87 while preparing for heart surgery. The family held a private funeral last Thursday and requested the public event be held after the Ryder Cup so that everyone could attend.

Captain Davis Love III, Phil Mickelson, and other members of the victorious US team were present. Golfers from previous generations, such as Tom Watson, Curtis Strange, Lee Treviño and Mark O'Meara, were also in attendance.

"We were looking down the track and suddenly the mist cleared," said Ernie Els on Tuesday after landing at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. "This is a beautiful day. We have come across many different people in life. He was a man who never changed. Whether you were mowing the lawn or you were the president, he treated everyone the same way."

Pete Luster, Palmer's co-pilot, flew his plane around Saint Vincent College almost an hour before the service, tilting the left wing as he passed by.

Mechem brought a happy note by pointing to a huge photograph of Palmer with a smile that made everyone feel so important. He asked the crowd to remember the Palmer who adjusted his pants and gave a thumbs-up.

"An old saying goes that there are no irreplaceable people," Mechem said with a choked voice near the end of the ceremony. "Whoever said that did not know Arnold Palmer. There will never be another one."

Palmer won 62 times on the PGA Tour, including seven major championships.

"He was the king of our sport," declared Nicklaus. "And he always will be."