The King closed out his competitive career at the Masters on Friday with one last sentimental stroll around Augusta National a five-hour journey that left him in tears and his army of fans feeling empty.
``It's not fun sometimes to know it's over,'' he said afterward, choking with emotion.
Palmer wanted to make it an even 50 years at the tournament he carried straight into American culture, and he succeeded.
Once the final round was over once the rippling, rolling standing ovations had ceased and the final putt had dropped Palmer conceded it was time to go.
``I've had it. I'm done, cooked, washed up, finished, whatever you want to say,'' Palmer said.
He'd get some arguments about that because, really, it's not about the golf anymore.
He shot 84 on Friday, but like his age 74 that was just a number. What the thousands who watched him really cared about was that time he looked their way, or said ``Hello,'' or gave them one of those trademark winks, or that famous thumbs-up sign.
``He has a way of making everybody think he's looking at them,'' said Col. Joe Curtis, who has followed Arnie for 49 years at Augusta, the last few in an electric wheelchair. ``That's called charisma.''
Back in the day, when Palmer had the game to go with the charisma, he brought golf, a sport for blue bloods and the country-club set, to the average man.
He won the Masters four times, and it was during the first win, in 1958, that the phenomenon known as ``Arnie's Army'' began.
``They were holding up signs,'' Palmer said.
He recalled a meeting the next year with then-chairman Cliff Roberts, who ``came up to me and said, `We're going to ban signs. You caused us a problem with those signs.' I told him I didn't have any problem with that.''
And really, it didn't take signs to spot a member of the army. That was as clear back then as it was in his finale.
``He's a boyhood idol of mine,'' said 49-year-old Dave Bockorny, who caught Palmer's eye during the round. ``I just respect him so much.''
Bockorny said he loved watching Arnie go for broke and take big chances in spots where other players would have played it safe.
That's what helped Palmer win here in 1958, when he went for the shot across the stream and made eagle on No. 13. It was also one of the hundreds of memories racing through Palmer's mind as he took his long, final walk up the 18th fairway.
``If you just use your imagination, you'll understand the emotion,'' Palmer said. ``I think about how many times I walked up that 18th fairway. I think of the four times I won the Masters, and the couple times I didn't when I should have won. I think of the fans who've supported me, and I listen to them.''
Palmer almost bid farewell to Augusta National in 2002. Back then, he felt he was being pushed out by the club, which was trying to weed out past champions who weren't competitive anymore.
Arnie and chairman Hootie Johnson conferred and agreed it didn't feel right.
``The fact is, the one thing I wanted to do is what I did today, and that was finish 50 years at Augusta,'' Palmer said.
Sensing the history, a handful of players and caddies and pretty much all the members with green jackets hung around late to watch him finish. Thousands of fans crowded the 18th green, standing 10 and 15 deep craning their necks, teetering on tiptoes, doing anything to get a glimpse.
What they saw was a reminder of their hero's present, not his glorious past. His second shot on the long par-4 was short and left of the green. Palmer pitched nicely to 4 feet below the hole, only to push the par putt badly to the right. There was no farewell gift from the golf gods to tempt a return.
``It's done,'' Palmer said. ``I won't say I'm happy it's done, but it's time for it to be done for me.''
Indeed, he may be right.
Though it was hard to imagine that the rest of his Army agreed.
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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