Justin Timberlake Remembers Arnold Palmer in a Touching Tribute

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Golf legend Arnold Palmer touched many lives during his 87 years, and Justin Timberlake was one of them. After learning that the beloved golfer had passed away on Sunday, Timblerlake took to social media to share a touching tribute to the man he says made him love the game of golf.

In the caption of a sweet black-and-white photo of the two of them together on a golf course, Timberlake reminisced about the first time he met Palmer. "You could feel the GREATNESS surrounding him. I was in awe," he recalled.

"He changed the game forever. He defined what the modern athlete is. He flew his own plane to his tournaments. He STARTED a network JUST for the sport. He won spectacularly. He lost graciously. He was bigger than the game," the 35-year-old pop star went on to write. "I liked the game of golf when I met him. And, HE made me love it. Mr. Palmer, you will be missed by so many avid fans but you will forever be the remembered as THE KING. The definition of a LEGEND."

First tournament I ever played in... He looked this young man in the eye and introduced himself. You could feel the GREATNESS surrounding him. I was in awe. A few months later, I ran into him on the driving range at Bay Hill with a pitching wedge in my hand and he sat and helped me with my swing (despite his best efforts, I still need all the help I can get...) He changed the game forever. He defined what the modern athlete is. He flew his own plane to his tournaments. He STARTED a network JUST for the sport. He won spectacularly. He lost graciously. He was bigger than the game. And, he was one of the nicest men I have ever met. I liked the game of golf when I met him. And, HE made me love it. Mr. Palmer, you will be missed by so many avid fans but you will forever be the remembered as THE KING. The definition of a LEGEND. R.I.P. Love, JT

A photo posted by Justin Timberlake (@justintimberlake) on Sep 26, 2016 at 11:37am PDT

Timberlake has been golfing--both in tournaments and recreationally--since he was 5 years old.

"I love being a songwriter, I love being a musician, I love being a producer, I love being an actor, I love working on a clothing line. I love all of those things because they're all creative. For me, golf is one of those things where you go out and forget about everything else," he told Golf Digest in 2010. And Timberlake knows how to make it fun.

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Our thoughts are with Palmer's family and all those he touched.