THREE TIME MAJOR WINNER CASPER DIES AT 83

FROM SKYSPORTS.COM
Three-time major champion Billy Casper has died at the age of 83, the US PGA Tour has announced.
Casper, who won the US Open in 1959 and 1966 and the Masters in 1970, claimed 51 PGA Tour titles in total between 1956 and 1975 to sit seventh on the Tour's all-time victories list.

He also appeared on eight US Ryder Cup teams and was victorious in all eight, captaining the team to victory in 1979.
Casper returned to Augusta in 2005 to play in one final Masters, and struggled round in 105 which would have been the highest score in the tournament's history, but he officially withdrew without signing his card.
The US PGA Tour said on its website: "Billy Casper, one of the most prolific PGA TOUR winners in history and long considered among the sport's finest putters, suffered a heart attack and died Saturday at his home in Springview, Utah. He was 83."


Here's the stat that truly should put Casper's greatness in perspective: From 1964 to 1970, he won 27 US PGA Tour events -- eight more than Palmer and Player combined and two more than Nicklaus.
"I think [the media] have made it a very enjoyable time for me as I've got older," Casper said in a 2006 interview around the time that Woods was becoming the seventh player to surpass 50 wins. 
"I've received more recognition than when it was going on. I probably appreciate it a lot more now than when I was doing it."

Tributes
Jack Nicklaus was among those to pay their tributes to San Diego native Casper.
The 75-year-old Nicklaus, who won a record 18 major golf titles in his career, said on his Facebook page: "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 (Arnold) Palmer or a (Gary) Player ora (Lee) 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."
And Gary Player said: "I played a lot with Billy, and I always thought Billy had a wonderful short game. The way he managed the golf course - he had tremendous course management, which not a lot of people talk about.
"They talk about elongating, but that's not what wins golf tournaments; it's a great short game, the kinds of games we see with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. They are not good drivers of the ball and yet, they've been No. 1 and No. 2.
"Billy had a great short game, managed the course well and he was always a thorough gentleman."