Explaining how Ancient Greeks honored heroes, noted sculptor Zenos Frudakis said it was about making sure the person was remembered for who they were, not just what they did.

“A good athlete might get a bust, a great one might get a whole sculpture, and if they’re really great, like Arnold Palmer, they’d get many of them,” Frudakis said. Indeed. Statues of Palmer stand such places as Laurel Valley Country Club; at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe; in Augusta, Georgia; at Wake Forest; at Tradition Golf Club and at Bay Hill, some made by Frudakis, others by celebrated sculptor Bruce Wolfe. They are just a few of the artistic homages to Palmer that exist and which have become more impactful, perhaps, since Palmer’s death in 2016. “He’s a great golfer, said Frudakis, “but there have been other great golfers. His longevity has to do with his personality.”

Photos