The golfer who gave his name to the iced tea and lemonade drink was Arnold Palmer.
The Arnold Palmer is a non-alcoholic mixture of iced tea and lemonade, named for Arnold Daniel Palmer, the celebrated American professional golfer. Palmer was known for ordering and drinking the combination, helping the drink become associated with him even though the broader idea of mixing tea and lemonade existed independently.
Palmer later described how the name spread during a lunch in Palm Springs in the late 1960s. A woman heard him order the drink and reportedly asked for “that Arnold Palmer drink” too. The story captures how a personal preference became a recognizable menu order.
Palmer preferred a ratio of roughly three parts unsweetened tea to one part lemonade. Equal parts are often called a “Half & Half,” though commercial products may use the Arnold Palmer name. Arizona began selling a widely distributed branded version in 2002, bringing the drink far beyond golf clubs and restaurants.
The drink is named for Palmer, not Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods. Alcoholic variations are separate cocktails, including versions associated with John Daly and Lee Trevino.