Let’s also remember our sports greats as world gives final toast to ‘king of golf’ Arnold Palmer

What you need to know:

Mucheru was easily the best amateur golfer of all time, winning every title to be won in Kenya and setting records across the country.

On the last day of the PGA Tour season, Arnold Palmer “The King” passed on at 87 years. Palmer, who won seven major championships played in the late 50s and early 60s. Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player made up “The Big Three” in the 60s and their rivalry and comradeship is credited for making the game of golf popular across the globe. Over the years, and long past his competitive days, Palmer’s fan base continued to grow and came to be known as ‘Arnie’s Army.

Off the golf course, Palmer built his business and life around the sport; he owned the Bay Hill Club, venue of the PGA Tour’s Bay Hill Invitational and he was a founder member of The Golf Channel.

The death of “The King” sends me back to two articles I penned on this very column; the first in 2013 and the second in early 2016. In 2013, we lost the then Muthaiga Golf Club chairman Steve Njukia; and as the golf world mourns the passing of “The King”, I find myself asking once more, how Kenya’s golf fraternity will remember its fallen heroes and leaders? And again I ask, whose responsibility is it to preserve our golfing heritage? Whose job is it to immortalise our fallen heroes?

In 2016, the late John Mucheru was inducted to the Sports Personality of the Year (SOYA) Hall of Fame, and although the recognition came from SOYA and not the golfing world, it was well deserved. Mucheru was easily the best amateur golfer of all time, winning every title to be won in Kenya and setting records across the country. Mucheru was a matchplay master, tormenting his opponents with excellent golf skills and mind-games.

Nubian team

How will we remember Muchere or the Kibra golf team that included the Nubian golfers of the likes of Asman Mahajan? Where can we access the stories of how the Nubian team beat the colonial era team in 1961?

Who will write the story of Peter Githua who passed on in 2004? Or of the late Major Ikinya who dedicated a lot of his time to the Makuyu Golf Club? Where will the next generation of golfers read about Tim Onyango, Linda Longstaff, Paul Matelong, Joyce Waiganjo or ME Musa?

Waiganjo was the chairman of the Limuru Country Club in 2003 and she will forever be remembered for challenging the men-only status quo of the Tannahill Shield. In that year, Limuru was represented at Tannahill by a renegade team led by Yasin Awale.

In 1974 Arnold Palmer was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame as one of the 13 original inductees and in 1960 he was named the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year. In 1998, Palmer was awarded the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award.

This week, the Tour professionals and the golf fraternity around the globe mourn Palmer, with South African Gary Player evening penning a letter to “The King”, stating “Muff, I will raise my glass and toast your life tonight my friend, and hope to be reunited for another round together in time. Rest in Peace, I love you.”

Who will pen a letter for our fallen Kenyan golfing heroes? Who will honour those who still live among us?