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Arnold Palmer
Palmer charged from seven behind in the final round to win the 1960 U.S. Open. His aggressive play and connection with Arnie’s Army helped make televised golf a mass spectacle.
Palmer played with a visible urgency that drew spectators into each risk. At Cherry Hills in 1960 he drove the opening green on Sunday, shot 65 and overcame a seven-shot deficit to take the U.S. Open.
His four Masters victories, seven majors and extraordinary bond with fans made him golf's first true television-age superstar. His importance reaches well beyond his win total.
Palmer did not simply win; he drew people into the tension of trying to win. That emotional connection changed the size of professional golf's audience.