Billy Casper
| Billy Casper | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Billy Casper (cropped).jpg Casper in 2008 | |||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Full name | William Earl Casper Jr. | ||||||||
| Nickname | Buffalo Bill | ||||||||
| Born | June 24, 1931 San Diego, California, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | February 7, 2015 (aged 83) Springville, Utah, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg; 13.9 st) | ||||||||
| Sporting nationality | File:Flag of the United States (Web Colors).svg United States | ||||||||
| Spouse |
Shirley Franklin (m. 1952) | ||||||||
| Children | 11 | ||||||||
| Career | |||||||||
| College | University of Notre Dame | ||||||||
| Turned professional | 1954 | ||||||||
| Former tours | |||||||||
| Professional wins | 72 | ||||||||
| Number of wins by tour | |||||||||
| PGA Tour | 51 (7th all time) | ||||||||
| European Tour | 1 | ||||||||
| PGA Tour Champions | 9 | ||||||||
| Other |
| ||||||||
| Best results in major championships (wins: 3) | |||||||||
| Masters Tournament | Won: 1970 | ||||||||
| PGA Championship | 2nd/T2: 1958, 1965, 1971 | ||||||||
| U.S. Open | Won: 1959, 1966 | ||||||||
| The Open Championship | 4th: 1968 | ||||||||
| Achievements and awards | |||||||||
| |||||||||
William Earl Casper Jr. (June 24, 1931 – February 7, 2015) was an American professional golfer. He was one of the most prolific tournament winners on the PGA Tour from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s.
In his youth, Casper started as a caddie and emerged from the junior golf hotbed of San Diego,[1][2] where golf could be played year-round, to rank seventh all-time in career Tour wins with 51, across 20 years between 1956 and 1975. Fellow San Diegan great Gene Littler was a friend and rival from teenager to senior. Casper won three major championships, represented the United States on a then-record eight Ryder Cup teams, and holds the U.S. record for career Ryder Cup points won. After reaching age 50, Casper regularly played the Senior PGA Tour and was a winner there until 1989. In his later years, Casper successfully developed businesses in golf course design and management of golf facilities.
Casper served as Ryder Cup captain in 1979, was twice PGA Player of the Year (1966 and 1970), was twice the leading money winner, and won five Vardon Trophy awards for the lowest seasonal scoring average on the Tour.
Respected for his extraordinary putting and short-game skills, Casper was a superior strategist who overcame his distance disadvantages against longer-hitting competitors such as Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus with moxie, creative shot-making, and clever golf-course management abilities. Never a flashy gallery favorite, Casper developed his self-contained style, relying on solid technique, determination, concentration, and perseverance.[3]
He converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1966. Casper was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1978.
Early life
[edit | edit source]Casper was born in San Diego, California.[4] He grew up in Chula Vista, California.[5][2] His father started him in golf at age five.[6] Casper caddied during his youth at San Diego Country Club[7] to earn money for golf.
Amateur career
[edit | edit source]Casper spent one semester at the University of Notre Dame on a golf scholarship, after graduating from high school. He returned to San Diego to marry his wife Shirley in 1952. Casper competed frequently as an amateur against fellow San Diegan Gene Littler.[8] After graduating from Notre Dame, he turned professional in 1954.[9]
Professional career
[edit | edit source]Casper had 51 PGA Tour wins in his career, with his first coming in 1956. This total places him seventh on the all-time list. His victories helped him finish third in McCormack's World Golf Rankings in 1968, 1969, and 1970, the first three years they were published. He won three major championships: the 1959 and 1966 U.S. Opens, and the 1970 Masters Tournament.[10]
He was the PGA Tour Money Winner in 1966 and 1968. He was PGA Player of the Year in 1966 and 1970. Casper won the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average five times: 1960, 1963, 1965, 1966, and 1968.
Casper was a member of the United States team in the Ryder Cup eight times: 1961, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, and a non-playing captain in 1979. Casper has scored the most points in the Ryder Cup by an American player.
Casper won at least one PGA Tour event for 16 straight seasons, from 1956 to 1971, the third-longest streak, trailing only Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, who each won on Tour in 17 straight years.
On the senior circuit, Casper earned nine Senior PGA Tour (now the Champions Tour) wins from 1982 to 1989, including two senior majors.
Legacy
[edit | edit source]Much has been written in the annals of golf that Casper was the most underrated star in golf history, and the best modern golfer who never received the accolades he deserved. He was not considered one of the "Big Three" — Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player — who is widely credited with popularizing and bringing enormous commercial success to the sport around the world; however, between 1964 and 1970, Casper won 27 tournaments on the PGA Tour, two more than Nicklaus and six more than Palmer and Player combined, during that period. He is considered by many to have been the best putter of his era.[11]
Casper's 20-year period of winning on the PGA Tour—between 1956 and 1975—was an era of extraordinary growth in tournament purses, television coverage, and depth of competition. Casper faced legends such as Palmer, Nicklaus, Sam Snead, Cary Middlecoff, Gary Player, and Lee Trevino when they were all at or near their peaks.
Casper was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1978. In 2000, he was ranked as the 15th greatest golfer of all time by Golf Digest magazine.[12]
Casper's grandson, Mason Casper, played for the Utah Valley University golf team. Mason qualified for NCAA post-season play in 2012.[13]
Personal life
[edit | edit source]Casper was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, joining in early 1966 at age 34, at the height of his playing career.[14][15]
Casper died at age 83 in 2015 of a heart attack at his home in Springville, Utah.[16] He was survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Shirley Franklin Casper, 11 children, six of whom are adopted, 71 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.[17]
Other ventures
[edit | edit source]Golf course design and management
[edit | edit source]After his professional career, Casper was a designer for many golf courses, such as The Highlands, The Palm, and Eagle Crest in Sun City Summerlin, Nevada. He also designed the Hidden Oaks Golf Course, 9 holes of a beloved Par 3 in a residential neighborhood just north of Santa Barbara, CA. As of 2017. Chula Vista Golf Course, designed by Billy Casper, is a par 73 with three par 5's on the front nine and two on the back.[18] Billy Casper Golf (BCG) is one of the largest privately owned golf course management companies in the United States, with roughly 150 owned or managed courses in their portfolio.[19] Billy Casper Golf annually hosts the "World's Largest Golf Outing" – a national golf outing fundraiser benefiting military charities.[20]
Acting
[edit | edit source]Casper had a cameo appearance in the movie, Now You See Him, Now You Don't.
Billy's Kids
[edit | edit source]Casper was active in charitable work for children and hosted fundraisers, including an annual tournament at San Diego Country Club for "Billy's Kids".
Awards and honors
[edit | edit source]- In 1978, Casper was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame
- In 2000, he was ranked as the 15th greatest golfer of all time by Golf Digest magazine[12]
Bibliography
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Professional wins (72)
[edit | edit source]PGA Tour wins (51)
[edit | edit source]| Legend |
|---|
| Major championships (3) |
| Other PGA Tour (48) |
PGA Tour playoff record (8–8)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1958 | Greater New Orleans Open Invitational | United States Ken Venturi | Won with an eagle on the second extra hole |
| 2 | 1961 | Buick Open | United States Jack Burke Jr., United States Johnny Pott | Burke won 18-hole playoff; Burke: −1 (71), Casper: +2 (74), Pott: +2 (74) |
| 3 | 1964 | Almaden Open Invitational | United States Pete Brown, United States Jerry Steelsmith | Won with a birdie on the third extra hole after 18-hole playoff; Casper: −4 (68), Brown: −4 (68), Steelsmith: +1 (73) |
| 4 | 1965 | San Diego Open Invitational | United States Wes Ellis | Lost to a birdie on the first extra hole |
| 5 | 1965 | Insurance City Open Invitational | United States Johnny Pott | Won with a birdie on the first extra hole |
| 6 | 1966 | U.S. Open | United States Arnold Palmer | Won 18-hole playoff; Casper: −1 (69), Palmer: +3 (73) |
| 7 | 1967 | Canadian Open | United States Art Wall Jr. | Won 18-hole playoff; Casper: −6 (65), Wall: −2 (69) |
| 8 | 1967 | Carling World Open | United States Al Geiberger | Won with a par on the first extra hole |
| 9 | 1967 | Hawaiian Open | United States Dudley Wysong | Lost to par on the first extra hole |
| 10 | 1968 | Bing Crosby National Pro-Am | Australia Bruce Devlin, United States Johnny Pott | Pott won with a birdie on the first extra hole |
| 11 | 1969 | Kaiser International Open Invitational | United States George Archer, United States Don January, United States Jack Nicklaus |
Nicklaus won with birdie on second extra hole January eliminated by birdie on first hole |
| 12 | 1970 | Los Angeles Open | United States Hale Irwin | Won with a birdie on the first extra hole |
| 13 | 1970 | Masters Tournament | United States Gene Littler | Won 18-hole playoff; Casper: −3 (69), Littler: +2 (74) |
| 14 | 1971 | Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open | United States Bob Lunn | Lost to a birdie on the fourth extra hole |
| 15 | 1972 | Byron Nelson Golf Classic | United States Chi-Chi Rodríguez | Lost to a birdie on the first extra hole |
| 16 | 1975 | World Open Golf Championship | United States Jack Nicklaus | Lost to par on the first extra hole |
Source:[21]
European Tour wins (1)
[edit | edit source]| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 19, 1975 | Italian Open | −2 (74-69-70-73=286) | 1 stroke | Scotland Brian Barnes |
Latin American wins (4)
[edit | edit source]| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 14, 1958 | Brazil Open | −14 (67-66-67-70=270) | 9 strokes | Argentina Leopoldo Ruiz |
| 2 | Nov 30, 1958 | Havana Invitational | −10 (68-66-76-68=278) | 2 strokes | United States Bo Wininger |
| 3 | Oct 25, 1958 | Brazil Open (2) | −4 (67-67-66-68=268) | 6 strokes | Brazil Mário Gonzalez |
| 4 | Nov 13, 1977 | Mexican Open | −6 (68-67-68-71=274) | 3 strokes | United States Gay Brewer |
Other wins (6)
[edit | edit source]| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nov 7, 1971 | Miki Gold Cup | −8 (70-70-68=208) | Shared title with Japan Masashi Ozaki | |
| 2 | Dec 9, 1973 | Hassan II Golf Trophy | −4 (69-70-73-76=288) | 5 strokes | United States Rod Funseth |
| 3 | Oct 6, 1974 | Trophée Lancôme | −5 (66-74-70-73=283) | 3 strokes | United States Hale Irwin |
| 4 | Oct 13, 1974 | Lancia d'Oro | −5 (68-69-72=209) | 5 strokes | South Africa Bobby Cole |
| 5 | Dec 14, 1975 | Hassan II Golf Trophy (2) | −8 (72-71-73-68=284) | 11 strokes | United States Tommy Aaron, United States Ron Cerrudo |
| 6 | Mar 14, 1976 | Gran Premio Is Molas[22] | +4 (74-71-70-77=292) | Playoff | United States Lanny Wadkins |
Senior PGA Tour wins (9)
[edit | edit source]| Legend |
|---|
| Senior PGA Tour major championships (2) |
| Other Senior PGA Tour (7) |
Senior PGA Tour playoff record (2–3)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1981 | U.S. Senior Open | United States Arnold Palmer, United States Bob Stone | Palmer won 18-hole playoff; Palmer: E (70), Stone: +4 (74), Casper: +7 (77) |
| 2 | 1982 | Merrill Lynch/Golf Digest Commemorative Pro-Am | United States Bob Toski | Won with a birdie on the fourth extra hole |
| 3 | 1983 | Gatlin Brothers Seniors Golf Classic | United States Don January | Lost to par on the fifth extra hole |
| 4 | 1983 | U.S. Senior Open | United States Rod Funseth | Won with birdie on first extra hole after 18-hole playoff; Casper: +4 (75), Funseth: +4 (75) |
| 5 | 1988 | United Hospitals Classic | Australia Bruce Crampton | Lost to a birdie on the first extra hole |
Other senior wins (1)
[edit | edit source]- 1984 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Gay Brewer)
Major championships
[edit | edit source]Wins (3)
[edit | edit source]| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | U.S. Open | 3 shot lead | −2 (71-68-69-74=282) | 1 stroke | File:Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Bob Rosburg |
| 1966 | U.S. Open (2) | 3 shot deficit | −2 (69-68-73-68=278) | Playoff 1 | File:Flag of the United States (Web Colors).svg Arnold Palmer |
| 1970 | Masters Tournament | 1 shot lead | −9 (72-68-68-71=279) | Playoff 2 | File:Flag of the United States (Web Colors).svg Gene Littler |
1 Defeated Palmer in an 18-hole playoff: Casper 69 (−1), Palmer 73 (+3).
2 Defeated Littler in an 18-hole playoff: Casper 69 (−3), Littler 74 (+2).
Results timeline
[edit | edit source]| Tournament | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T16 | T20 | CUT | |
| U.S. Open | T14 | CUT | T13 | 1 |
| The Open Championship | ||||
| PGA Championship | 2 | T17 |
| Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 4 | T7 | T15 | T11 | T5 | T35 | T10 | T24 | T16 | T2 |
| U.S. Open | T12 | T17 | CUT | 4 | T17 | 1 | 4 | T9 | T40 | |
| The Open Championship | 4 | T25 | ||||||||
| PGA Championship | T24 | T15 | T51 | T9 | T2 | T3 | 19 | T6 | T35 |
| Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 1 | T13 | T17 | T17 | T37 | 6 | 8 | T14 | CUT | 43 |
| U.S. Open | T8 | CUT | T11 | CUT | CUT | CUT | T30 | |||
| The Open Championship | T17 | T7 | T40 | |||||||
| PGA Championship | T18 | 2 | T4 | T35 | T63 | T5 | T51 | T31 | CUT | CUT |
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | T57 | CUT | T50 | CUT | CUT |
| U.S. Open | ||||||||||
| The Open Championship | ||||||||||
| PGA Championship | CUT | T67 | CUT |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | WD | |
| U.S. Open | ||||||||||
| The Open Championship | ||||||||||
| PGA Championship |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | WD | CUT | WD | |||
| U.S. Open | ||||||
| The Open Championship | ||||||
| PGA Championship |
CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = withdrew
"T" = tied
Summary
[edit | edit source]| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 18 | 45 | 23 |
| U.S. Open | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 20 | 14 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 13 | 24 | 20 |
| Totals | 3 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 24 | 47 | 94 | 62 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 27 (1962 PGA – 1971 Masters)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 4 (twice)
Champions Tour major championships
[edit | edit source]Wins (2)
[edit | edit source]| Year | Championship | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | United States Senior Open | +4 (73-69-73-73=288) | Playoff1 | File:Flag of the United States (Web Colors).svg Rod Funseth |
| 1988 | Mazda Senior Tournament Players Championship | −10 (69-68-74-67=278) | 2 strokes | File:Flag of the United States (Web Colors).svg Al Geiberger |
1 The 18-hole playoff finished in a tie, Casper (75) to Funseth (75), Casper won with a birdie on the first sudden-death hole.
U.S. national team appearances
[edit | edit source]Professional
- Ryder Cup: 1961 (winners), 1963 (winners), 1965 (winners), 1967 (winners), 1969 (winners), 1971 (winners), 1973 (winners), 1975 (winners), 1979 (winners, non-playing captain)
See also
[edit | edit source]- List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins
- List of men's major championships winning golfers
- List of longest PGA Tour win streaks
References
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Further reading
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External links
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- Billy Casper Golf Academy
- Billy Casper at the PGA Tour official site
- Billy Casper at the European Tour official site
- Billy Casper at the World Golf Hall of Fame
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- American male golfers
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's golfers
- PGA Tour golfers
- PGA Tour Champions golfers
- Winners of men's major golf championships
- Winners of senior major golf championships
- Ryder Cup competitors for the United States
- World Golf Hall of Fame inductees
- American golf course architects
- American golf writers
- Golfers from San Diego
- American memoirists
- Writers from San Diego
- Latter Day Saints from California
- Converts to Mormonism
- Sportspeople from Chula Vista, California
- People from Springville, Utah
- Sportspeople from Utah County, Utah
- 1931 births
- 2015 deaths
- 20th-century American sportsmen
- 20th-century American businesspeople