And they asked Arnold Palmer who, of course, won the tournament four times, to do it this year.

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His decision to step down as chairman and leave the board has helped distance Livestrong from the controversy and give the impression that the foundation is charting an independent course, Palmer said.

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Bronze medallist Alex Coomber, the women's bobsleigh team, luger Mark Hatton, speed skater Debbie Palmer - and of course Fiona MacDonald's husband Ewan, were whistling and cheering every time our girls blasted the Swiss stone or added another point to the scoreboard.

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"Every golfer has to develop a style, " said Palmer, 82, in the course of our interview at a midtown Golfsmith store.

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Feelings about colors can change dramatically in response to a person's environment, and over the course of a lifetime, Palmer said.

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Palmer said 40, 000 people have expressed interest in tickets for the maiden voyage, taking the original course from Southampton, England, to New York.

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"We were all hoping he'd play next week at the Arnold Palmer tournament, but he's doing what he has to do, he has to get back on the course, " he told BBC Sport.

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