Golf is a game that lends itself to enduring friendships, but the remarkable bond between PGA Tour legend Arnold Palmer and his well-known dentist and photographer, Dr. Howdy Giles, is perhaps one for the ages.

It began nearly 50 years ago when Giles, fresh from dental school and a new recruit to “Arnie’s Army,” took a snapshot of his hero passing by in a parade (Palmer was serving as grand marshal in the Miss America Pageant). This was six years after Palmer captured the 1960 Masters and ignited what has been called the greatest expansion of golf’s popularity in the game’s history.

From that brief and rather ordinary encounter grew a remarkable friendship between an American legend and his most ardent fan. Since that time, Giles has conservatively snapped more than a quarter of a million pictures of his pal Arnold Palmer at every stage of his public career and private life.

In this collection of lavish photographs, Palmer fans will enjoy never-before-seen images of their hero on and off the course. With more than 200 candid photos and behind-the-camera commentary from Giles himself, The King and I is more than an intimate and revealing pictorial history of the most charismatic figure in the history of the game. It is also a testament to a singular friendship between an athlete and a fan, the likes of which we may never see again.

Please click the images above and learn more about this remarkable relationship, about the book Howdy has published and order a copy for yourself or your golfing friends.

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