Rory McIlroy pays classy tribute to late, great Arnold Palmer

"He was the king of our sport" - Jack Nicklaus on Arnold Palmer.

'The Golden Bear' said goodbye to one of his fiercest ever opponents this morning after the sad news broke of Palmer's passing, at the grand old age of 87. Soon after his $11.5m Tour Championship and FedEx wins, Rory McIlroy was also asked for his thoughts on the seven-time Major winner. He words were heartfelt:

"Arnold put on a brave face but I know he was suffering for quite a while... "He brought the game to the masses. If it wasn't for Arnold Palmer, we wouldn't be playing for these obscene amounts of money every week."

https://twitter.com/McIlroyRory/status/780242086037688320 McIlroy fondly recalled attending a dinner hosted by the golfing great when he agreed to play the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in 2015. The stories Palmer shared, he said, brought a smile to everyone's face. McIlroy added: "He was a great man and was so generous. "The stuff he did for the Orlando community and with the children's hospital [there] should not be forgotten." Tiger Woods, one of golf's modern greats, also paid tribute: https://twitter.com/TigerWoods/status/780212334920859649 https://twitter.com/TigerWoods/status/780212428017639424 Catch up on the first episode of Football Friday Live...