NEW YORK: A tearful Jack Nicklaus led the tributes to Arnold Palmer on Tuesday as the golfing world gathered to bid farewell to the trailblazing icon who died last month at age 87.
A who's who of golf descended on the Saint Vincent Basilica in Palmer's Pennsylvania hometown of Latrobe at a memorial service to celebrate the life of the man known to millions simply as "The King."
Nicklaus was among friends and loved ones who addressed the congregation in the three-hour service, sharing memories of a more than 50-year friendship which began in the late 1950s.
The 76-year-old 18-time major winner choked back tears during an emotional tribute, describing Palmer as a golfer "who epitomised charisma."
"He was an everyday man, everyone's hero," Nicklaus said. "Arnold managed to remove the 'I' from icon and instead let the world share in his greatness.
"Golf gave so much to Arnold but he gave back so much more. He appealed to everyone. He was the king of our sport, and he always will be."
Nicklaus addressed an audience containing some of the biggest names of golf spanning different eras, from Palmer contemporaries such as Lee Trevino through to Tom Watson, Nick Faldo and Ernie Els to the current crop of stars.
Palmer's close friend Charlie Mechem opened the tributes to the golf legend, whose worldwide legion of followers was affectionately known as "Arnie's Army."
"This is the elite battalion of Arnie's Army, as it should be," Mechem said.
US Ryder Cup stars Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson were also among the crowd.
Fowler and Watson arrived clutching the Ryder Cup, which the USA wrested back from Europe last weekend after three consecutive defeats.
"It's pretty cool to be able to bring it here today," Fowler told an interviewer on the Golf Channel television network shortly before the service got under way.
PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem admitted he had found it hard to put his sadness at Palmer's passing to one side.
"I got the same instructions, which were to make this an uplifting celebration, but I can tell you it's really, really hard to do that because we come here with heavy hearts," Finchem said.
"When we talk about Arnold's legacy I don't believe it's a legacy of the past. It's a living legacy that he has left us."
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