Billy Casper, 51-time winner on PGA Tour, dies at 83
Billy Casper won three majors including, improbably, the 1966 US Open against Arnold Palmer at the Olympic Club.
By
Kyle Porter
•
1 min read
A 51-time winner on the PGA Tour and three-time major winner, Billy Casper was the essence of a champion. On Saturday, according to the Associated Press, he died at the age of 83.
"Bob Casper said his father coped with heart issues after passing out at the Masters last year and went through a bout of pneumonia over Thanksgiving. He said Casper died at home with wife Shirley at his side. They had been married 62 years."
Casper won the US Open in 1959 and 1966, and he was the 1970 Masters champion.
In Casper's 1966 US Open win, which you can watch on YouTube, Arnold Palmer led by seven strokes with nine holes to play before Casper forced an 18-hole playoff on Monday.
Billy Casper, on the 1966 Open rally vs. Palmer at Olympic: "There were 16 scores under 70. I had four [including the 18-hole playoff]."
— Mike O'Malley (@GD_MikeO) February 8, 2015
Incredibly only Palmer, Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead have more than Casper's 51 PGA Tour wins.
Casper was also part of nine (!) different Ryder Cup-winning teams and scored more points than any American in Ryder Cup history.
Wink of the CBS eye to Justin Ray on that YouTube link.
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