THE day was made in heaven, a perfect setting for the god of golf. Arnold Palmer
will always have his armyA warm breeze drifted across the practice tee, even as the snow-capped peak of Mauna Kea glittered in the background.
Arnold Palmer smiled after he sent the last ball soaring into the endless emerald field.
"That one felt good," he said, his tanned face alive with excitement. "If I can just hit it like that tomorrow."
It was a dream-like atmosphere to stand alone with "The King" and interview him for the first time.
I have enough mental snapshots of Palmer from the Senior Skins Games at Mauna Lani Bay on the Big Island to fill a photo album.
He is the most charismatic professional athlete I have ever met, including two other favorites, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.
The news that Palmer has prostate cancer - and will undergo surgery today - is stunning, despite his age of 67 years.
I asked at a pre-Skins press conference once if he was considering retirement, as rumored, if he didn't play well that particular year.
The room fell into a deep silence as he briefly stared at me.
"No, as long as I am healthy I will continue to play competitive golf," he said in a firm voice.
What a stupid question, I thought later. Why?
Because Arnold Palmer will always play golf, just as Babe Ruth is always at the nearest baseball field. The two are one and the same with their sport - and always will be, even for future generations who will only see them in films or history books.
ANOTHER time, Palmer sank a long birdie putt at his favorite hole on the Mauna Lani South Course, the par-4 16th, to finally win a fistful of Skins after a frustrating round. Instead of riding in the cart to get to the next tee, he suddenly sprinted through the packed gallery and high-fived everyone in sight.
Men and women of all ages cheered wildly - some were actually in tears - to see their hero so fired up. I'm not embarrassed in the least to admit that my eyes welled up at the heartwarming scene.
Once I asked the wonderful Chi Chi Rodriguez what he enjoyed most about playing in the Senior Skins. The big money? Being in Hawaii? The great golf course?
"I get to play with my hero, Arnold Palmer," Chi Chi said without hesitation.
Age has shortened his drives a bit, but the competitive fire still rages. And Palmer hasn't won a tournament title since 1988, but "Arnie's Army" still marches to his magical beat everywhere he goes.
There's even a sailboat that appears off the spectacular 13th hole every January with a sign in its sail that reads: Arnie's Navy.
Each year he donates a big chunk of his winnings to charity and I have never seen him refuse an autograph or photo request.
I have only asked to have my picture taken with a few sports celebrities. "Arnie", as he still calls him, has always been my dad's favorite golfer - and my picture with Palmer sits on my parents' mantel back in Chicago. Most of the other relatives are in the background, but they all understand. I mean, it's Arnie Palmer, for goodness sake.
In an age when amateur and professional sports are plagued by greed and crime, drugs and jerks, thank goodness we still have Arnold Palmer, who epitomizes class and sportsmanship and decency - all of the good qualities that are so often missing in our turbulent society.
Tiger Woods is a terrific golfer and so are many other of the young guns who shoot it out on the PGA Tour each week. But they all owe so much to "The King" who first led golf on the road to the lucrative prominence that it now enjoys.
On this day, Arnold Palmer is a mere mortal and undergoes what we hope will be life-saving surgery.
The entire sports world should bow its head in prayer.