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Palmer was father of modern sports marketing

Arnold Palmer was one of the best golfers of all time. But he was also one of the best marketers of all time.

In his lifetime, he earned nearly $7 million on the golf course. Off of it? He made at least 50 times that.

Without Arnold, and his agent Mark McCormack, Michael Jordan -- who often gets credit for being the father of modern day sports marketing -- would never had been Michael Jordan.

Corporate America was ready to turn MJ into what he became because 30 years before Arnie was doing it.