Inducted, 1991

Billy Casper has been at the forefront of two golfing booms-one in the 1950s that catapulted golf into a major sport, and one in the 1980s that put senior golf on the sporting map.

From 1955 to 1975-a span of 20 years-Casper was one of golf's Big Four. Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Billy Casper were the key personalities who ushered in a boom in golf brought into our living rooms via television.
Casper is known world wide for his proficiency around the greens, his famous diet, for winning 50 PGA tournaments, nine PGA Senior Tour events, and over $3 million in career earnings.

Today, Billy Casper is being inducted into the Utah Golf Hall of Fame, having lived here from 1972 through 1987, raised his children here, played golf here, rediscovered his golf game here, and won tournaments here.

Casper won the U.S. Open in 1959 at Winged Foot, New York, over-came a seven stroke deficit to win again at the Olympic Club in San Francisco in 1966 over Arnold Palmer, and captured the Masters in a playoff victory in 1970.

Of all the accolades, none are as high as being honored by your peers. I 1978 Casper was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame and in 1982 into the PGA Hall of Fame.

In 1981, when it looked as though professionals his age would have to find another line of work, along came the sponsors, money, and PGA backing for the Senior Tour. In the past ten years Casper has won another nine tournaments and $1.5 million.

What Casper has brought to the game of golf can easily be measured in stats, but it's his consistency that stands out in the record books.

Including unofficial events Casper has averaged two wins a season sine he took that first swing as a pro in 1954. He was the tour's Player of the Year in 1966 and 1970 and a member of the Ryder Cup team in 1961, '6: '67, '69, '71, '73, and '75.

He won the Vardon Trophy for scoring average in 1960, '63, '65, '66, and' 68 and was the second player in golf history to attain the million dollar mark in winnings.

But statistics aside, Casper's involvement in Utah golf, BYU golf, and junior golf has meant the difference in more than one player's career.

As BYU coach Karl Tucker said, "from 1966-69 there was no better player in the world. He's always been a great supporter of golf, a great ambassador for golf, and one of the greatest ball strikers to ever play the game."

Billy was born in San Diego, California on June 24, 1931. He and his wife Shirley have 11 children, Linda, Billy Jr., Robert, Byron, twins Judi and Jeni, Charles, David, Julia, Sarah, and Tommy.