Arnold Palmer’s Wife & Daughters: 4 Facts to Know about His Family

By: - Published:

Arnold Palmers Wife & Daughters

Photo: Janet Mayer/Splash News

Golf “King,” Arnold Palmer passed away on the night of September 25 due to heart complications, leaving behind an extensive golf legacy. The legend, who turned 87 on September 10, had won over 90 professional golf tournaments worldwide in his long- standing career and is credited with promoting the game into the television age. Many of those unaware of who Arnold Palmer was, are searching the Internet for more information about “The King” of golf. Since the news of his death, many fans now want to know more about Arnold Palmer’s family, including facts about his wife and children.

Palmer was undergoing heart tests at the UPMC Shadyside Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when he passed away. News headlines that surfaced yesterday evening stating, “Arnold Palmer dead” shook the world of golf enthusiasts everywhere, as many grieved the loss of a legend. He is survived by his wife, daughters and grandchildren. His fans, dubbed “Arnie’s Army” and other pro-golfers, like Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods expressed their sadness at his passing.

Palmer learned golf from his father, who was a tough coach and had reservations about Palmer marrying. Palmer also has two sisters and a brother. Here’s everything you need to know about the golfing king’s family.

First Wife: Winifred Palmer

Winifred Palmer, or better known as Winnie, was Arnold’s first wife. They were married for 45 years before she died of ovarian cancer, at the age of 65. The two had met at a tournament in Pennsylvania, when she was a student at Brown University. In an interview, the couple shared that Palmer had proposed to her on a Saturday, to which she said yes, and he won the tournament that day! Needless to say, it was double-victory in one day. The couple had two daughters, Peggy and Amy, who are two years apart. Winnie Palmer was very active in the Palmer family’s business ventures, even designing a furniture line in her husband’s name. She and her husband both battled cancer, but while he survived, Winnie Palmer died of it in 1999.

Second Wife: Kathleen Gawthrop

In 2005, Palmer found love again with Kathleen ‘Kit’ Gawthrop. A widow and mother of three, Gawthrop met Palmer on the golf course owned by her father-in-law. Her deceased husband was also an avid golfer in his youth. Palmer’s daughters welcomed Gawthrop with open arms. According to Amy Palmer, her father really “needed someone like Kathleen.”

Peggy Palmer

Palmer’s daughters, Peggy and Amy are both married with children of their own. Peggy and her husband, Peter Wears from North Carolina, also had two children, Will and Anna, who are carrying on their grandfather’s legacy.

Amy Palmer

Amy Palmer Saunders lives in Florida with her husband, Roy Saunders. They oversee the operations of Arnold Palmer’s country clubs (the Bay Hill Club and Latrobe Country Club.) Amy has three daughters—Emily, Katherine and Anne, and a son. Her son, Samuel Saunders is following in his grandfather’s footsteps, as well. He became a pro golfer in 1996.

Arnold’s passing has left a great void for those who admired the sporting legend. But he’s in a better place now and his family will keep his name alive.

Sources:
https://goo.gl/AwHcHq
https://goo.gl/0GlXJQ
https://goo.gl/7TXdYc
https://goo.gl/yDd4hs