Father of PGA golfer Ryan Palmer dies in rollover - Amarillo.com
The father of PGA golfer and Amarillo native Ryan Palmer was killed in a rollover accident about 8 p. m. Tuesday on Loop 335 near the State Highway 136 exit, Department of Public Safety troopers said in a news release issued Wednesday morning. A 2005 GMC Yukon driven by Charles Franklin “Butch” Palmer, 71, of Amarillo, was headed north on Loop 335 two miles north of Amarillo. Ryan Palmer is currently ranked 37th in the official world golf rankings and 55th in the FedEx Cup. Ryan Palmer played golf at Amarillo High School and later for the University of North Texas and Texas A&M University. His PGA debut came in 1998 and he turned pro in 2000. Since becoming a successful golfer, Ryan Palmer moved to Colleyville in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex but is actively involved in charity work in Amarillo. He established The Ryan Palmer Foundation fund to help junior golfers by funding their tournament fees and North Texas PGA dues. In 2009, the Palmer Foundation gave $100,000 to the Children’s Hospital at Northwest Texas Healthcare System to build a nine-hole putting green called the Ryan Palmer Foundation Healing Garden. Butch Palmer is listed as board member and his “son’s No 1 one fan” on the Ryan Palmer Foundation’s website. Source: amarillo.com
