LATROBE, Pa. — United States captain Davis Love III and several Ryder Cup team members, including Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson, attended the public memorial for Arnold Palmer at Saint Vincent College on Tuesday afternoon.
Fowler and Watson arrived carrying the Ryder Cup shortly before the memorial started at 11 a.m., and it sat on a table in the back of Saint Vincent Basilica for the entirety of the event.
Afterward, as the hundreds of attendees filed out of the memorial, Love said it was important for him to be there, and for the trophy to make the trip, too.
"(Palmer) loved competition so much," Love said. "He loved the Ryder Cup. The family delayed until Tuesday, they didn't want to get in the way of the Ryder Cup. It's what Arnie would've wanted, for us to go on and play.
"So, I'm very happy to be here. I'm representing a lot of guys. There's guys flying all over the world, going on family vacations, tired and worn out. I told him I was going to go, it's the right thing to do. Arnie would've loved to see the trophy. It's a sad day, but it's also part of a celebration."
Love said Palmer was beloved by all the members of the Ryder Cup team, who were glad they were all together when they received the news of his death. One of Love's lasting memories of Palmer was visiting him in his office after he was named captain.
"He was adamant that I win the tournament and bring back the Cup," Love said. "He said I'm the right man for the job."
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