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Billy Casper
American professional golfer (1931–2015)
American professional golfer (1931–2015)
| Field | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| image | Billy Casper (cropped).jpgborder | |
| imagesize | ||
| caption | Casper in 2008 | |
| fullname | William Earl Casper Jr. | |
| nickname | Buffalo Bill | |
| birth_date | ||
| birth_place | San Diego, California, U.S. | |
| death_date | ||
| death_place | Springville, Utah, U.S. | |
| height | ||
| weight | 195 lb | |
| nationality | United States | |
| spouse | ||
| children | 11 | |
| college | University of Notre Dame | |
| yearpro | 1954 | |
| extour | ||
| prowins | 72 | |
| pgawins | 51 (7th all time) | |
| eurowins | 1 | |
| champwins | 9 | |
| otherwins | ||
| majorwins | 3 | |
| masters | Won: 1970 | |
| usopen | Won: 1959, 1966 | |
| open | 4th: 1968 | |
| pga | 2nd/T2: 1958, 1965, 1971 | |
| wghofid | billy-casper | |
| wghofyear | 1978 | |
| award1 | Vardon Trophy | |
| year1 | 1960, 1963, 1965, | |
| 1966, 1968 | ||
| award2 | PGA Tour | |
| money list winner | ||
| year2 | 1966, 1968 | |
| award3 | PGA Player of the Year | |
| year3 | 1966, 1970 | |
| module | {{Infobox person | embed=yes |
| signature | Billy Casper signature.jpg |
1966, 1968 money list winner](pga-tour-money-list-winners) 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, 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.
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
Casper was born in San Diego, California. He grew up in Chula Vista, California. Casper caddied during his youth at San Diego Country Club to earn money for golf.
Amateur career
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. After graduating from Notre Dame, he turned professional in 1954.
Professional career
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.
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
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.
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.
Casper's grandson, Mason Casper, played for the Utah Valley University golf team. Mason qualified for NCAA post-season play in 2012.
Personal life
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.
Casper died at age 83 in 2015 of a heart attack at his home in Springville, Utah. 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.
Other ventures
Golf course design and management

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. 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. Billy Casper Golf annually hosts the "World's Largest Golf Outing" – a national golf outing fundraiser benefiting military charities.
Acting
Casper had a cameo appearance in the movie, Now You See Him, Now You Don't.
Billy's Kids
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
- 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
Bibliography
Professional wins (72)
PGA Tour wins (51)
| Legend |
|---|
| Major championships (3) |
| Other PGA Tour (48) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| victory | Runner(s)-up | ||||
| 1 | Jul 15, 1956 | Labatt Open | −14 (68-68-67-71=274) | 2 strokes | USA Jimmy Demaret |
| 2 | Feb 3, 1957 | Phoenix Open Invitational | −9 (68-71-65-67=271) | 3 strokes | USA Cary Middlecoff, USA Mike Souchak |
| 3 | Apr 28, 1957 | Kentucky Derby Open Invitational | −7 (68-68-71-70=277) | 1 stroke | AUS Peter Thomson |
| 4 | Jan 12, 1958 | Bing Crosby National Pro-Am Golf Championship | −11 (71-66-69-71=277) | 4 strokes | USA Dave Marr |
| 5 | Mar 12, 1958 | Greater New Orleans Open Invitational | −10 (69-70-70-69=278) | Playoff | USA Ken Venturi |
| 6 | Jun 23, 1958 | Buick Open Invitational | −3 (70-73-71-71=285) | 1 stroke | USA Ted Kroll, USA Arnold Palmer |
| 7 | Jun 14, 1959 | U.S. Open | +2 (71-68-69-74=282) | 1 stroke | USA Bob Rosburg |
| 8 | Oct 4, 1959 | Portland Centennial Open Invitational | −19 (69-64-67-69=269) | 3 strokes | USA Bob Duden, USA Dave Ragan |
| 9 | Nov 15, 1959 | Lafayette Open Invitational | −11 (69-64-71-69=273) | 4 strokes | USA George Bayer |
| 10 | Nov 22, 1959 | Mobile Sertoma Open Invitational | −8 (71-68-68-73=280) | 2 strokes | USA Wes Ellis, USA Dave Ragan |
| 11 | Sep 25, 1960 | Portland Open Invitational (2) | −22 (68-67-66-65=266) | 2 strokes | USA Paul Harney |
| 12 | Oct 3, 1960 | Hesperia Open Invitational | −13 (70-68-67-70=275) | 5 strokes | USA Bob Rosburg |
| 13 | Oct 16, 1960 | Orange County Open Invitational | −8 (70-68-69-69=276) | 1 stroke | USA Charlie Sifford |
| 14 | Sep 24, 1961 | Portland Open Invitational (3) | −15 (68-71-67-67=273) | 1 stroke | USA Dave Hill |
| 15 | Mar 26, 1962 | Doral C.C. Open Invitational | −5 (70-67-75-71=283) | 1 stroke | USA Pete Bondeson |
| 16 | Apr 15, 1962 | Greater Greensboro Open | −9 (69-70-68-68=275) | 1 stroke | USA Mike Souchak |
| 17 | May 27, 1962 | 500 Festival Open Invitation | −20 (66-67-67-64=264) | 1 stroke | USA George Bayer, USA Jerry Steelsmith |
| 18 | Oct 14, 1962 | Bakersfield Open Invitational | −16 (69-71-65-67=272) | 4 strokes | USA Tony Lema |
| 19 | Jan 20, 1963 | Bing Crosby National Pro-Am (2) | −3 (73-65-73-74=285) | 1 stroke | USA Dave Hill, USA Jack Nicklaus, |
| ZAF Gary Player, USA Bob Rosburg, | |||||
| USA Art Wall Jr. | |||||
| 20 | Aug 18, 1963 | Insurance City Open Invitational | −13 (67-68-71-65=271) | 1 stroke | USA George Bayer |
| 21 | Mar 22, 1964 | Doral Open Invitational (2) | −11 (70-70-67-70=277) | 1 stroke | USA Jack Nicklaus |
| 22 | May 10, 1964 | Colonial National Invitation | −1 (72-67-70-70=279) | 4 strokes | USA Tommy Jacobs |
| 23 | Sep 27, 1964 | Greater Seattle Open Invitational | −15 (68-67-66-64=265) | 2 strokes | USA Mason Rudolph |
| 24 | Nov 3, 1964 | Almaden Open Invitational | −9 (68-70-73-68=279) | Playoff | USA Pete Brown, USA Jerry Steelsmith |
| 25 | Feb 7, 1965 | Bob Hope Desert Classic | −12 (70-70-69-67-72=348) | 1 stroke | USA Tommy Aaron, USA Arnold Palmer |
| 26 | Jul 4, 1965 | Western Open | −14 (70-66-70-64=270) | 2 strokes | USA Jack McGowan, USA Chi-Chi Rodríguez |
| 27 | Jul 25, 1965 | Insurance City Open Invitational (2) | −10 (70-72-66-66=274) | Playoff | USA Johnny Pott |
| 28 | Oct 23, 1965 | Sahara Invitational | −15 (66-66-68-69=269) | 3 strokes | USA Billy Martindale |
| 29 | Jan 16, 1966 | San Diego Open Invitational | −16 (70-66-68-64=268) | 4 strokes | USA Tommy Aaron, USA Tom Weiskopf |
| 30 | Jun 20, 1966 | U.S. Open (2) | −2 (69-68-73-68=278) | Playoff | USA Arnold Palmer |
| 31 | Jun 26, 1966 | Western Open (2) | −1 (69-72-72-70=283) | 3 strokes | USA Gay Brewer |
| 32 | Jul 31, 1966 | 500 Festival Open Invitation (2) | −11 (69-70-68-70=277) | 3 strokes | USA R. H. Sikes |
| 33 | Jul 3, 1967 | Canadian Open | −5 (69-70-71-69=279) | Playoff | USA Art Wall Jr. |
| 34 | Sep 4, 1967 | Carling World Open | −3 (74-68-70-69=281) | Playoff | USA Al Geiberger |
| 35 | Jan 28, 1968 | Los Angeles Open | −10 (70-67-68-69=274) | 3 strokes | USA Arnold Palmer |
| 36 | Apr 8, 1968 | Greater Greensboro Open (2) | −17 (65-67-69-66=267) | 4 strokes | USA George Archer, USA Gene Littler, |
| USA Bobby Nichols | |||||
| 37 | May 19, 1968 | Colonial National Invitation (2) | −5 (68-71-68-68=275) | 5 strokes | USA Gene Littler |
| 38 | Jun 9, 1968 | 500 Festival Open Invitation (3) | −8 (70-71-69-70=280) | 1 stroke | USA Frank Beard, USA Mike Hill |
| 39 | Sep 8, 1968 | Greater Hartford Open Invitational (3) | −18 (68-65-67-66=266) | 3 strokes | AUS Bruce Crampton |
| 40 | Nov 3, 1968 | Lucky International Open | −15 (68-65-70-66=269) | 4 strokes | USA Raymond Floyd, USA Don Massengale |
| 41 | Feb 9, 1969 | Bob Hope Desert Classic (2) | −15 (71-68-71-69-66=345) | 3 strokes | USA Dave Hill |
| 42 | Jun 8, 1969 | Western Open (3) | −8 (72-69-68-67=276) | 4 strokes | USA Rocky Thompson |
| 43 | Sep 28, 1969 | Alcan Open | −14 (70-68-70-66=274) | 1 stroke | USA Lee Trevino |
| 44 | Jan 11, 1970 | Los Angeles Open (2) | −8 (68-68-68-72=276) | Playoff | USA Hale Irwin |
| 45 | Apr 13, 1970 | Masters Tournament | −9 (72-68-68-71=279) | Playoff | USA Gene Littler |
| 46 | Jul 19, 1970 | IVB-Philadelphia Golf Classic | −14 (68-67-71-68=274) | 3 strokes | USA Terry Wilcox |
| 47 | Aug 24, 1970 | AVCO Golf Classic | −11 (68-67-73-69=277) | 1 stroke | USA Rod Funseth, USA Tom Weiskopf |
| 48 | Oct 24, 1971 | Kaiser International Open Invitational | −19 (67-65-69-68=269) | 4 strokes | USA Fred Marti |
| 49 | Jul 1, 1973 | Western Open (4) | −12 (67-69-67-69=272) | 1 stroke | USA Larry Hinson, USA Hale Irwin |
| 50 | Sep 3, 1973 | Sammy Davis Jr.-Greater Hartford Open (4) | −20 (67-65-68-64=264) | 1 stroke | AUS Bruce Devlin |
| 51 | May 18, 1975 | First NBC New Orleans Open (2) | −17 (67-68-66-70=271) | 2 strokes | ENG Peter Oosterhuis |
PGA Tour playoff record (8–8)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1958 | Greater New Orleans Open Invitational | USA Ken Venturi | Won with an eagle on the second extra hole |
| 2 | 1961 | Buick Open | USA Jack Burke Jr., USA Johnny Pott | Burke won 18-hole playoff; |
| Burke: −1 (71), | ||||
| Casper: +2 (74), | ||||
| Pott: +2 (74) | ||||
| 3 | 1964 | Almaden Open Invitational | USA Pete Brown, USA 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 | USA Wes Ellis | Lost to a birdie on the first extra hole |
| 5 | 1965 | Insurance City Open Invitational | USA Johnny Pott | Won with a birdie on the first extra hole |
| 6 | 1966 | U.S. Open | USA Arnold Palmer | Won 18-hole playoff; |
| Casper: −1 (69), | ||||
| Palmer: +3 (73) | ||||
| 7 | 1967 | Canadian Open | USA Art Wall Jr. | Won 18-hole playoff; |
| Casper: −6 (65), | ||||
| Wall: −2 (69) | ||||
| 8 | 1967 | Carling World Open | USA Al Geiberger | Won with a par on the first extra hole |
| 9 | 1967 | Hawaiian Open | USA Dudley Wysong | Lost to par on the first extra hole |
| 10 | 1968 | Bing Crosby National Pro-Am | AUS Bruce Devlin, USA Johnny Pott | Pott won with a birdie on the first extra hole |
| 11 | 1969 | Kaiser International Open Invitational | USA George Archer, USA Don January, | |
| USA Jack Nicklaus | Nicklaus won with birdie on second extra hole | |||
| January eliminated by birdie on first hole | ||||
| 12 | 1970 | Los Angeles Open | USA Hale Irwin | Won with a birdie on the first extra hole |
| 13 | 1970 | Masters Tournament | USA Gene Littler | Won 18-hole playoff; |
| Casper: −3 (69), | ||||
| Littler: +2 (74) | ||||
| 14 | 1971 | Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open | USA Bob Lunn | Lost to a birdie on the fourth extra hole |
| 15 | 1972 | Byron Nelson Golf Classic | USA Chi-Chi Rodríguez | Lost to a birdie on the first extra hole |
| 16 | 1975 | World Open Golf Championship | USA Jack Nicklaus | Lost to par on the first extra hole |
Source:
European Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| victory | Runner-up | ||||
| 1 | Oct 19, 1975 | Italian Open | −2 (74-69-70-73=286) | 1 stroke | SCO Brian Barnes |
Latin American wins (4)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| victory | Runner-up | ||||
| 1 | Sep 14, 1958 | Brazil Open | −14 (67-66-67-70=270) | 9 strokes | ARG Leopoldo Ruiz |
| 2 | Nov 30, 1958 | Havana Invitational | −10 (68-66-76-68=278) | 2 strokes | USA Bo Wininger |
| 3 | Oct 25, 1958 | Brazil Open (2) | −4 (67-67-66-68=268) | 6 strokes | BRA Mário Gonzalez |
| 4 | Nov 13, 1977 | Mexican Open | −6 (68-67-68-71=274) | 3 strokes | USA Gay Brewer |
Other wins (6)
| 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 JPN Masashi Ozaki | |
| 2 | Dec 9, 1973 | Hassan II Golf Trophy | −4 (69-70-73-76=288) | 5 strokes | USA Rod Funseth |
| 3 | Oct 6, 1974 | Trophée Lancôme | −5 (66-74-70-73=283) | 3 strokes | USA Hale Irwin |
| 4 | Oct 13, 1974 | Lancia d'Oro | −5 (68-69-72=209) | 5 strokes | ZAF Bobby Cole |
| 5 | Dec 14, 1975 | Hassan II Golf Trophy (2) | −8 (72-71-73-68=284) | 11 strokes | USA Tommy Aaron, USA Ron Cerrudo |
| 6 | Mar 14, 1976 | Gran Premio Is Molas | +4 (74-71-70-77=292) | Playoff | USA Lanny Wadkins |
Senior PGA Tour wins (9)
| Legend |
|---|
| Senior PGA Tour major championships (2) |
| Other Senior PGA Tour (7) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| victory | Runner(s)-up | ||||
| 1 | Aug 28, 1982 | Shootout at Jeremy Ranch | −9 (74-71-69-65=279) | 1 stroke | USA Miller Barber, USA Don January |
| 2 | Sep 19, 1982 | Merrill Lynch/Golf Digest Commemorative Pro-Am | −10 (68-7-68=206) | Playoff | USA Bob Toski |
| 3 | Jul 25, 1983 | U.S. Senior Open | +4 (73-73-69-73=288) | Playoff | USA Rod Funseth |
| 4 | Apr 22, 1984 | Senior PGA Tour Roundup | −14 (68-69-65=202) | 2 strokes | USA Bob Stone |
| 5 | Mar 15, 1987 | Del E. Webb Arizona Classic | −15 (68-65-68=201) | 5 strokes | NZL Bob Charles, USA Dale Douglass |
| 6 | Jun 28, 1987 | Greater Grand Rapids Open | −13 (69-68-63=200) | 3 strokes | USA Miller Barber |
| 7 | May 8, 1988 | Vantage at The Dominion | −14 (70-68-67=205) | 1 stroke | USA Chi-Chi Rodríguez |
| 8 | Jun 12, 1988 | Mazda Senior Tournament Players Championship | −10 (69-68-74-67=278) | 2 strokes | USA Al Geiberger |
| 9 | Oct 22, 1989 | Transamerica Senior Golf Championship | −9 (69-70-68=207) | 3 strokes | USA Al Geiberger |
Senior PGA Tour playoff record (2–3)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1981 | U.S. Senior Open | USA Arnold Palmer, USA 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 | USA Bob Toski | Won with a birdie on the fourth extra hole |
| 3 | 1983 | Gatlin Brothers Seniors Golf Classic | USA Don January | Lost to par on the fifth extra hole |
| 4 | 1983 | U.S. Senior Open | USA Rod Funseth | Won with birdie on first extra hole after 18-hole playoff; |
| Casper: +4 (75), | ||||
| Funseth: +4 (75) | ||||
| 5 | 1988 | United Hospitals Classic | AUS Bruce Crampton | Lost to a birdie on the first extra hole |
Other senior wins (1)
- 1984 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Gay Brewer)
Major championships
Wins (3)
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | U.S. Open | 3 shot lead | −2 (71-68-69-74=282) | 1 stroke | USA Bob Rosburg |
| 1966 | U.S. Open (2) | 3 shot deficit | −2 (69-68-73-68=278) | Playoff 1 | USA Arnold Palmer |
| 1970 | Masters Tournament | 1 shot lead | −9 (72-68-68-71=279) | Playoff 2 | USA 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
| 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
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made | Totals | 3 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 24 | 47 | 94 | 62 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 27 (1962 PGA – 1971 Masters)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 4 (twice)
Champions Tour major championships
Wins (2)
| Year | Championship | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | United States Senior Open | +4 (73-69-73-73=288) | Playoff1 | USA Rod Funseth |
| 1988 | Mazda Senior Tournament Players Championship | −10 (69-68-74-67=278) | 2 strokes | USA 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
Professional
References
References
- Strege, John. (August 5, 2017). "San Diego CC recalls Mickey Wright, Billy Casper and a course deserving 'more national acclaim'".
- Benson, Lee. (February 8, 2015). "Golf legend Billy Casper dies". Deseret News.
- Diaz, Jaime. (June 2012). "Out Of The Darkness".
- "PGA Tour profile – Billy Casper". PGA Tour.
- Jennewein, Chris. (2015-02-08). "Billy Casper, Golf Legend from Chula Vista, Dies at 83". Times of San Diego.
- "PGA Tour Media Guide – Billy Casper".
- Kuhlken, Ken. (October 1, 1998). "San Diego Country Club - a little history, and some personal stories". San Diego Reader.
- Peery, Paul D.. (1969). "Billy Casper: Winner". Prentice-Hall.
- (January 12, 1970). "Casper Tops Million Mark". [[The Pittsburgh Press]].
- (2025-07-24). "The Lost Icons of Golf: Why Some 20-Win Careers Ended Quietly".
- "Billy Casper profile". World Golf Hall of Fame.
- Yocom, Guy. (July 2000). "50 Greatest Golfers of All Time: And What They Taught Us".
- (May 7, 2012). "Golf: Utah Valley golfer receives NCAA Tournament bid". The Salt Lake Tribune.
- Hoefflin, Walter. (September 22, 1966). "Billy Casper faces varied conflicts". Eugene Register-Guard.
- Haws, J. B.. (2013). "The Mormon Image in the American Mind: Fifty Years of Public Perception". Oxford University Press.
- (February 8, 2015). "Billy Casper passes away at age 83". PGA Tour.
- Goldstein, Richard. (February 7, 2015). "Billy Casper, Overlooked Titan of Golf, Dies at 83". The New York Times.
- "Course Details".
- "Providing Solutions for Golf Courses & Golf Course Owners". Billy Casper Golf.
- "World's Largest Golf Outing a BCG Venture". Billy Casper Golf.
- Barkow, Al. (1989). "The History of the PGA TOUR". [[Doubleday (publisher).
- (1977). "The World of Professional Golf 1977". Collins.
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