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Johnny Palmer grew up in Badin and learned to play golf at the local country club.

He later enjoyed a successful career on the PGA Tour during the 1940s and 1950s.

While on the tour, Palmer won seven tournaments. They were Nashville Open (1946), Western Open (1947), Philadelphia Inquirer Open (1948), Houston Open (1949), World Championship of Golf (1949), Canadian Open (1952) and the Colonial National Invitational (1954). There were additional non-PGA tournament victories as well.

After he retired from the tour, Palmer spent many years as the head golf pro at a number of golf courses including the Tulsa, Oklahoma Country Club, the Riverside Country Club in Robbins and the Statesville Country Club. He also spent time as the teaching pro at the Pinehurst Country Club.

Johnny Palmer was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1978, the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Stanly County Hall of Fame in 1990.

— {Lewis Bramlett – Stanly County Historical Society}