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Arnold Palmer's grandson tells an amazing story at his grandfather's memorial

The life of Arnold Palmer was celebrated on Tuesday in the basilica at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., with speaker after speaker delivering testimonies on the seven-time major champion, accomplished pilot, remarkable philanthropist and friend of golf.

Arnold Palmer and his grandson Sam Saunders. (Getty Images)
Arnold Palmer and his grandson Sam Saunders. (Getty Images)

Perhaps the most revealing picture of Palmer, however, came from his grandson Sam Saunders. Saunders, who will seek to regain his PGA Tour status starting Thursday in the Web.com Tour Championship in Florida, shared a telling story about how the King always wanted to keep in touch with the people he loved the most – no matter where he was.

“I called him one day,” Saunders started. “And he would always answer the phone with ‘Where are you?’ This one particular time, he said ‘Where are you?’ I said I was at home, and I said ‘Where are you?’ He said, ‘I’m with the President.’ I said, ‘The president of what?’ ”

The otherwise somber crowd laughed.

Saunders continued, “And he said it to me like it was so obvious, ‘The United States. I’m in the Oval Office right now with the President.’ And I said, ‘Why are you answering your phone?’ He said, ‘I wanted to talk to you.’ And that’s what he did. He always wanted to talk to me. He always wanted to be there for us, and he always was.”


Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.