Two weeks ago, the world lost a legendary golfer and a great man with the passing of Billy Casper. A statement from Jack Nicklaus:
“Billy Casper was one of
the greatest family men—be it inside the game of golf or out—I have had the
fortunate blessing to meet. He had such a wonderful balance to his life. Golf
was never the most important thing in Billy’s life—family was. There was always
much more to Billy Casper than golf. But as a golfer, Billy was a fantastic
player, and I don’t think he gets enough credit for being one. I have said many
times that during my career, when I looked up at a leaderboard, I wasn’t just
looking to see where a Palmer or a Player or a Trevino was. I was also checking
to see where Billy Casper was. Billy had tremendous confidence. He just
believed in himself. You knew when you played against Billy Casper, Billy would
not beat himself. You want to talk about someone who could perform under
pressure, if you wanted someone to get up and-down for you, Billy Casper was
your man. I think it is fair to say that Billy was probably under-rated by
those who didn’t play against him. Those who did compete against him, knew how
special he was.
“More important than what Billy Casper gave us inside the ropes, he has been so
selfless outside them. He has always been so steadfast and committed to his
family, his religion, his community, and his unwavering beliefs. And he never
asked for anything in return. It was not even a year ago, someone asked Billy
how he wanted to remembered, and he said, ‘I want to be remembered for how I
loved my fellow man.’
“Over the last 15 to 20 years, my friendship with Billy blossomed. We had a
number of common threads, but the one that truly connected us was our love of
family and those shared values. It was a genuine treat every time I saw Billy
and that smile on his face. Because I knew I was about to talk to a dear
friend. I—we—lost a true friend tonight. Barbara and I send out our most
heartfelt prayers and love to Shirley, their kids, and all those loving
grandkids and great grandkids who tonight are wrapping their arms around the
loving memories of a wonderful man.”