I first met the man in 1977 during the Mexican Open which he won. It was also the week that I decided that tournament golf was not for me, for two reasons: first, I had joined Ernesto Perez Acosta, the host professional and friend, for a nine hole practice round on Tuesday while he was making the turn with Seve Ballesteros. I shot one over 36 and felt that I played as good as I could, yet, Seve beat me by six shots by scoring a 29. Ernesto shot 30. Later in the week, they would both tie for third place behind one Billy Casper and one Gay Brewer, the 1970 Master Champion. If, I could not come close to beating two guys that "waxed" me a few days earlier and who got "waxed" by a guy 20 years older a few days later, what was I doing there?
Anyway, just shortly I went out with Seve and Ernesto, I had been hitting balls next to Casper, who after not wanting to get interrupted during his practice session, was kind enough to speak with me for about five minutes after he had finished giving an exhibition on ball control; it was almost like once you saw one single shot, you had seen them all, every shot the same distance, same trajectory and same slight bend to the left.
During our conversation, I congratulated him for his record and thanked him for coming to Mexico. We also spoke about the best places to eat, which, had I known he was a buffalo meat eater, I would have not mentioned (I don't think I knew a restaurant who sold buffalo meat). At first he has seemed "rude" when I was indeed the one who was rude by interrupting his practice, but he was truly a gentleman (his first words to me were something like, "do you mind? I am working now". I realized he was actually in "his office", and that he took the game much more seriously than I ever did... maybe that is one of the reasons he won over 60 times around the world, I won none.
This champion was probably the most under appreciated champion of all time. He lives at a time when the "Big Three" were touring the world, yet, in a span of 8 years, he won 27 times, while Jack won 25.... and while Player and Palmer won a combined less than Casper! He has the least number of majors among these with three, but he had the best record, which still holds, in the Ryder Cup, as the most won points by an American. He was indeed a very private person, and very much a family man, before and after he became a Mormon.
His two U.S. Open wins were famous for two different reasons: in 1966, at Olympic Golf Club (San Francisco), he was 7 shots off the lead with nine holes to go. He was paired with the leader, a player named Arnold Palmer. Well, Billy shot a 32 while Palmer shot 39, and the next day, Billy won the playoff. His other win in the national championship came at Winged Foot, NJ in 1959 (where 47 years later Phil Mickelson lost with a double bogey on the last hole) had come after laying up all four days on the par-3 10th, and saving par all for times. His reasoning? "The worst I can make from short of the green is a bogey, but if I get in a bunker left or right here, depending on the lie, I can end up with 5 or 6". No one can argue with facts. Phil made two bogeys on #10 in 2006.
At one point in a span of his best 10 years, he had a 9.6% winning record, third only to Jack Nicklaus with 12.5% and Tiger Woods, who at one time had 26%!! The difference being that Tiger never played against Billy Casper, Lee Trevino, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.I spoke with him again in Silver City, NM while I was living in Gallup, NM and had gone to a pro-am there in the late 80's or early 90's. He had a home there and was helping junior golf. All of us section professionals were supportive of junior golf (in fact, though I do not remember details, it might have been a pro-am to raise fund for junior golf in Silver City).
Over the years, through reading and the "great vine", I kept up with Billy's life and infrequent play (he did win two senior majors as well), but who had for all practical purposes retired, and was sad to read that one of his sons ended up in jail with a long term sentence for some kid of first or second degree felony. It must have hurt him deeply. but I knew that while there was nothing he could do to help his son make restitution or better choices, he loved his son 'till it hurt. I know, I am a father too, and there is nothing anyone of my daughters could do wrong to stop that love. As I know, he was a great father and husband.
By the way, this thing about buffalo meat... IT'S TRUE!
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