My father-in-law was a major league baseball player and he didn't buy a car until a few years before his death. He always wanted a Mercedes so he finally got one. He thought about purchasing one, but why bother when dealerships were falling over themselves to give him some darn great cars. When he got in the Hall of Fame he decided to treat himself to a Mercedes. I don't think he ever felt like he did anything to deserve the gifts 30 years after he stopped playing, but who was he to argue with free cars? Honestly, it probably made the dealers happier to give him one and hang out with him, if only briefly.
While playing, my father-in-law won a batting title (two altogether). His team gave him a nice new Caddilac convertible. He was driving it back to Nebraska in the off season and it died on the highway. He left it there. 50 years later at some reunion gathering at the stadium, somebody actually tracked it down. The team had it fixed up and gave it to him again. This time he gave it to his oldest son.
Another gift story and then I'll get back to Palmer. My father--n-law was MVP for the original Mets team. The Mets gave him a boat. He went to the marina to take it out and it had sunk. He left it there! He hated to lose and that team drove him nuts. He quit baseball after that season despite being close to 3000 hits and finishing the season with a +.300 average. Quitting was very unpopular with the Commissioner and he let my father-in-law know it in no uncertain terms.
What did Palmer do for golf?
Palmer went over to the UK to play in the Open when even if you won, the expenses on such a trip wiped away all winnings. He raised the profile of the Open to American audiences and injected a breath of life into it.
As great a champion as he was, he has a style of play and charisma that brought non-golfers to golf events and to take up the sport. His working-class win at the Amateur changed the way the general populace looked at golf. He brought untold millions of merchandising revenue to the professional golfer ranks....way beyond Munsingwear and Amana. Television embraced golf because of Arnold Palmer and every professional in the business of golf today can attribute golf's current popularity to a point of origin; Arnold Palmer.
He may have been the right guy in the right place at the right time, but he is an integral part of the equation.
Palmers charitable work has been extensive, especially for hospital fund raisings. I think he gives back plenty. A saint? By no means. But an enormously popular guy for many great reasons.
Now, for a guy who has made the most or nearly the most money of any athlete for many decades, who cares if he pays or not? The guy has a billion dollars for gosh sakes! If I were standing behind the counter, I wouldn't charge him simply to honor him. But to each his own.