Casper Joins Millionaires Club in L.A.
Billy Casper becomes second player to earn over $1 million with victory at L.A. Open
The PGA TOUR is headed for Torrey Pines this week for The Genesis, a change in venue due to the wildfires in Los Angeles. The L.A. Open has been played, under one sponsorship name or another, since 1926 and we’re going back to the 1970 event where Billy Casper became the second player to earn more than $1 million in career earnings. Scroll down to take a ride on our journey through the past and see how that week played out in 1970.
I wrote about the 1962 L.A. Open, where Charles Sifford played after the tour finally did away with the Caucasian only clause from their bylaws HERE, the 1974 event, won by Dave Stockton despite the efforts of intimidation from Sam Snead, HERE, the 1968 event won by Billy Casper HERE, and the 1982 event where Tom Watson chased down Johnny Miller HERE.
Enjoy the golf this week at The Genesis from San Diego and Torrey Pines, our second trip there in three weeks.
The PGA TOUR was in Phoenix last weekend for the WM Phoenix Open. The mixture of great weather and fans having fun, without going overboard as they did in the last couple of years, made for a fun weekend and a nice way to start Super Sunday. We’ve got some of the action in the Clips You Might Have Missed. I also give my take on the tournament in the PGA TOUR Wrap-Up. How do you feel about the end of Monday qualifying at seven tour events next year? Let us know in The Tour Backspin Poll. We’re bringing you Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young performing “Ohio” in 1970 in this week’s Music Clip and the theatrical trailer for the 1970 film, “The Ballad of Cable Hogue” directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Jason Robarts and Stella Stevens in the Tour Backspin Goes To The Movies.
We’ve got some video of Billy Casper making an eagle, worth $500 on All-Star Golf in this week’s Swing Like a Pro. The Vintage Ad has a 1970 ad for FootJoy shoes and buckles were all the rage. Scroll down to view.
The latest episode of The Tour Backspin Show has dropped. Host Larry Baush (me!) talks with Bruce Devlin and Mike Gonzalez about their podcast Fore The Good Of The Game. It’s a video podcast and is available on Substack and YouTube. Please subscribe to The Tour Backspin Show on YouTube and help us reach the threshold of subscribers needed to qualify for revenue.
The Tour Backspin Poll
Rory McIlroy has a lot of Tour Backspin fans who answered in the affirmative when we asked if his win at Pebble Beach portended a win in a major this year. There were 73% of respondents who thought he will win a major this year while 27% thought a major title would elude him again this year.
The PGA TOUR is reducing field sizes starting next year and part of the plan is the elimination of Monday qualifying at seven tournaments that will have field sizes slimmed to 120 players. Three other tournaments, Valspar Championship, Texas Children’s Houston Open, and the Valero Texas Open, will have their fields reduced to 132 and the Monday qualifying for those will offer two spots, down from four spots. What do you think about Monday qualifying? Let us know in this week’s Tour Backspin Poll.
We’ve got a hard one for you in this week’s Tour Backspin Quiz. How well do you know the wives of PGA tour pros in 1970? Scroll down to take the challenge.
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Larry Baush
Casper Wins Playoff To Join the Millionaires Club
It is Monday, January 5th, and five Los Angeles area golf courses are playing host to the qualifying event for the Los Angeles Open. El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana, Los Angeles Country Club North Course, Wilshire Country Club, Friendly Hills Country Club in Whittier and Oakmont Country Club in Glendale, welcomed more than 200 hopeful golfers looking to play their way into the main event. There were 29 spots available for the qualifiers. The L. A. Open would commence on Thursday at the Rancho Park Golf Course, a 6,827-yard, par 71 municipal track designed by William Johnson and William Bell.
Bill Brask, a rookie who earned his card in October, led all qualifiers with a 67 at El Caballero while another rookie, Byron Comstock had a 68 on the same course. Dave Gumlia led the qualifiers at LACC, Phil Gibbs was low pro at Oakmont, Jim Childs topped the list at Wilshire, and Mike Mitchell, Tom Sanderson, and George Botell tied for the top spot with 71s at Friendly Hills. Two amateurs qualified at Wilshire, Jim Childs and Ray Botts.
Some of the known names that failed to qualify included Doug Sanders, Marty Fleckman, Billy Maxwell, Kermit Zarley, John Jacobs, Jacky Cupid, and John Lotz.
The L.A. Open was the first event on the 1970 schedule and Wednesday’s pro-am provided the last opportunity for players to groove their swings after the long holiday layoff before Thursday’s first round. Favorites coming into L.A. that week included Arnold Palmer, who won the last two events of 1969 and had three L.A. Open titles on his resume. Other leading players included Orville Moody, the current U.S. Open champion, George Archer, reigning Masters champ, Tony Jacklin, the Open Champion, and the PGA Champion, Ray Floyd. The defending L.A. Open champ, Charles Sifford and the 1969 leading money winner Frank Beard were also favorites as were Southern Californians Billy Casper, Dave Stockton, and Al Geiberger.
Casper was looking to join the exclusive “millionaires club” in career official earnings, and a first-place finish in L.A., with its $20,000 winner’s check, would put him over that mark.
Rancho Park was the busiest municipal golf course in the country and Ray Coats, the city golf manager, and Ray Ditmore, maintenance supervisor, claimed that the course was in the best shape it has ever been in for the L.A. Open. There were 200 trees that were recently planted on the course and the bunkers featured new sand.
The weather was expected to be cold, but sunny, over the course of the week. Sunday’s final round would be competing with Super Bowl IV being played in Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, LA. While the golf was not broadcast on television, the football game that started at 12:30 would put a dent in on-site attendance.
This would be the first tournament under a new Tournament Players Division points ranking system that replaced the money list ranking in determining the top 60 players who would be exempt from Monday qualifying. Joe Dey, named as the commissioner of the TPD in 1969, instituted the new system and the tour would undergo more changes including playing the 1971 PGA Championship before the Masters at a permanent venue, the PGA-owned Palm Beach Gardens.
The first competitive round of the new season saw some low scoring despite the month-long holiday layoff. There were 44 players who bettered par and 19 more who equaled par. Bob Lunn and Ron Cerrudo, both from the bay area, and veteran Dave Hill toured Rancho in just 66 strokes which was good for a one-shot lead.
Players at 67 included Fred Marti, Don Massengale, and Arnold Palmer. The crowded group at 68 featured Billy Casper, Dave Stockton, Al Geiberger, Gay Brewer, Bruce Crampton, Ken Still and Mac Hunter, who was the head pro at Riviera Country Club. After his early morning round, Mac headed back to the pro shop at Riviera for some sweater folding.
“I blew the no-hitter.”
Cerrudo, Crampton, and Bob Dickson, playing together, had just one bogey between them.
“I blew the no-hitter,” Crampton told Bill Shirley, the sports editor for The Los Angeles Times. “But that’s not a bad start, is it?” Crampton’s bogey came at the 17th hole.
There were many reasons the scoring was so low including the fantastic shape of the course, soft greens that held approach shots and the sunny weather with cool temperatures.
Despite a three-putt at the 13th hole, Hill’s putting was exceptional and the reason why could have been because he wore glasses for the first time since April.
“I putted so badly yesterday, I put them on to see if they would make the holes any bigger. They did,” Hill told Shirley of The Times.
Paul Harney, a two-time winner at the L.A. Open, came out in the second round and shot a 66 to go with his opening round of 69 and held a one-shot lead at 135. Tight on his heels were six players at 136 including Casper, Massengale, Larry Mowry, who shot the low round of the day, a 65, Ken Still, Hale Irwin, and a club pro from Long Island, NY, Jim Wright.
Cerrudo and Hill, who both had a piece of the lead after the first round, both shot 71 and sat at 137. They were tied for third place with Stockton and Geiberger. Lunn, the other first round co-leader came in with a 72 and was another stroke back at 138. Palmer experienced putting woes and shot a 72 falling back in the pack to 139.
“In football you can get rid of your emotion, you can belt somebody.”
The weather was cold and overcast with intermittent rain that kept attendance down. Friday’s second round crowd was estimated to be 7,100, down from the estimated crowd of 8,200 for Thursday’s first round.
Hale Irwin, in his second year on tour, had never finished better than 10th-place on tour, came out in Saturday’s third round and shot a 67 for a three-round total of 203 and enjoyed a one-stroke lead over Casper who recorded a third straight 68. Stockton was another shot back at 205 after a third-round 68.
Irwin played football at the University of Colorado where he was named a two-time All Big Eight defensive back in 1965 and 1966 and he also played quarterback. He explained the difference in tension and pressure between football and golf to Bill Shirley of The Los Angeles Times.
“In football you can get rid of your emotion, you can belt somebody,” he said. “But in golf, the pressure builds up. You have to learn how to act like a professional and control your emotions. It’s hard.”
Bob Lunn was at 206 after a third-round 68, and Paul Harney, the second-round leader, shot a 71 and sat at 207, tied with Lee Trevino, who had a 69, and Dave Hill, who finished with a round of 70.
Stockton was looking to win something more than money in the new year.
“I didn’t win last year and that’s more important to me than money that I did win,” Stockton said to Ross Newhan, a staff writer at The Los Angles Times. “The challenge is in winning, not the money. I know I’m capable of beating anyone on the tour and last year I didn’t do it once.”
Mac Hunter, the head pro at Riviera, made the cut and finished Saturday at 211, a score that included a spectacular eagle two at the finishing hole where his 7-iron approach shot took two bounces and rolled into the cup. Mac’s father, Willie, was one of the originators of the L.A. Open in 1926.
“I kept waiting to be nervous, but it never came.”
The table was set for an exciting final round, yet two questions remained. What would the weather bring and how much would the Super Bowl affect attendance. The first question was answered when the leaders teed off in dark and rainy conditions.
Irwin increased his lead to three shots by the third hole and was playing coolly and confidently.
“I kept waiting to be nervous,” he admitted to Shirley of The Times. “But it never came.”
By the 15th hole, he still had his confidence and a two-shot lead. And then he didn’t. He missed the green at the 392-yard, 15th, and then chipped poorly 10 feet past the cup and missed the putt winding up with a bogey and his lead was down to one.
He followed with a routine par at the 16th hole and then sent a 4-wood screaming over the green at the 216-yard, par 3, 17th hole. His ball went into the grandstand and he got a free drop. He faced a tricky chip that had casual water between him and the cup, but he was able to secure his par.
While all this was going on, Casper had finished his round with a one-over 72 and sat relaxing with reporters in the pressroom.
“I’d hate to see the kid lose it.”
Irwin teed off at the final hole needing only a par to secure his first tour victory and with it, an exemption for a year from Monday qualifying. Irwin wanted to avoid the trouble on the left side of the fairway on the final hole, a 399-yard, par 4. In trying to avoid the left side, Irwin pushed his drive and his ball finished in a “funny lie” where spectators had trampled down the grass into mud. It was a slightly downhill lie with only “one lousy little limb hanging out there between me and the hole.”
Back in the pressroom, Casper was informed that Irwin had driven under a tree at the 18th he said, “I’d hate to see the kid lose it.”
Irwin’s second shot hit that “lousy little limb” and wound up about 100-yards from the green. His approach shot ended up about 35 feet from the hole and he missed the putt for par.
“Everything had slipped through my fingers,” he later admitted to reporters.
His 73 put him into a tie with Casper and the two headed out for a sudden death playoff that started at the 15th hole. Irwin hit his 6-iron approach to 12 feet and missed the tricky, double-breaking, birdie putt watching it just slide over the lip. He now stood back to watch Casper attempt his birdie putt of 5-feet after a crisp 7-iron approach shot.
Casper faced a similar putt on the same hole in regulation that he missed, but this time, he knocked the putt in for the birdie, and the win, breaking Irwin’s heart in the process. Even with a broken heart, Irwin knew that he had picked up valuable experience playing in the clutch when the pressure was the greatest.
“I cried”
“There’s so much tension out there,” Irwin said to reporters. “Well, maybe now I know how to cope with it better. I let everything I’ve worked so hard for as a pro slip away today, but now I know I can win—anytime, anywhere.”
Irwin was awarded the $11,400 check for his second-place finish, but he and his wife, Sally, didn’t look too thrilled about it.
“I wanted number one,” Irwin said to reporters while his wife could only say, “I cried.”
Casper was awarded the $20,000 first-place check, and in the process, became the second player to top the $1 million mark in official career earnings joining Arnold Palmer in the exclusive club of PGA Tour millionaires.
While Casper joined the millionaires club in L.A., most sports fans focused on the action in New Orleans between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. The Chiefs stunned the Vikings by a score of 23 to 7.
Coming Next Week: Meet Ernesto Pérez Acosta.
BONUS STORY
Once he knew he was out of the running to win the L.A. Open in 1970, Dave Stockton became a Hale Irwin fan. Stockton and Irwin were paired in the final group for the final round, and when the weather conditions affected Stockton’s putting performance to the point that he had fallen out of contention, he did what he often did—providing moral support for a younger player.
On the 10th hole, Irwin faced a tricky sidehill lie with his ball in the mud that resulted from the spectators trampling down the grass.
“All right, folks,” Stockton announced to the crowd. “Please move back and give him room.”
Stockton then turned to Irwin and said, “Take your time and put it up there.”
“I was rooting hard for Hale,” Stockton related to Ross Newhan, staff writer for The Los Angeles Times. “Because I know what that first win means. Personally, I’d have been better off if I had been paired with Casper because emotionally, I was playing Hale’s round as well as my own.”
Stockton faced his own issues with older established players trying to intimidate him, especially Sam Snead, when he first came out on tour. I’ve written about it HERE and HERE.
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WHAT HOLE IS IT?
Congratulations to David Rihm for winning the WHAT HOLE IS IT? contest last week by correctly identifying #9 at Phoenix Country Club in Phoenix, AZ. David beat out five other correct answers in the drawing and we’ve got a gift discount code to The Tour Backspin Golf Shop coming his way. We are sending discount codes to the winners of WHAT HOLE IS IT? in 2025 so that they can choose their prize from the offerings in The Tour Backspin Golf Shop, including the Tour Backspin 19th Hole Hot Sauce. Multiple winners can combine their discount codes to use on a single order, and the codes never expire. When the code is redeemed, the prize will be sent with free shipping, so getting your prize will not cost you anything. Check out The Tour Backspin Golf Shop HERE.
Congratulations to Doug Posten, our 2024 WHAT HOLE IS IT? champion! Doug’s name will be engraved on the Herbert C. Leeds Trophy, the perpetual trophy for WHAT HOLE IS IT? We’ll send it to him for a visit and post a champion’s picture of him with the trophy.
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We told you about getting our hands on a treasure trove of film that we are cleaning up and digitizing for the Tony Lema documentary. Some great footage of Tony in action and even home movies. Below is home movie footage of Tony, and his new bride Betty, leaving the church on their wedding day. The driver of the car is Jim Malarky, Tony’s sponsor on tour. This is the only known footage of Malarky that I’ve been able to find. (clicking on link will open this post on the web, scroll down to video player).
Click on image to open video player on the web.
You can now help get Tony Lema into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Sign the online petition HERE.
Clips You Might Have Missed
This was brutal.
Ace alert!
Jordan being Jordan.
This was pretty crafty.
Don’t usually see this from Scottie.
Nice par.
Colt Knost trolls LIV Golf.
Say goodbye to Monday qualifying.
More Happy Gilmore news.
PGA TOUR Wrap-Up | WM Phoenix Open
Thomas Detry utilized meditation and ice baths to calm his nerves before both rounds this past weekend at the WM Phoenix Open. If his demeanor on the course and his play in the clutch is any indication, it paid off helping the Belgian win his first PGA TOUR victory.
Entering the final round with a five-stroke lead, Detry played steady golf despite the runs made at him from Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, and Daniel Berger. After a birdie on the 15th hole, he came to the rowdy 16th hole three-under for the day and almost holed out for an ace. It was an easy birdie and he added two more at the final two holes to win by seven shots.
“Today I paid more attention,” Detry said. “Yesterday morning, I actually felt pretty comfortable and I did the exact same routine, and I actually felt comfortable on the first tee. I really didn't have any nerves.”
Berger shot a 67 and was tied for second with Michael Kim at -17 while Spieth, playing in his second tournament following surgery on his wrist, finished with a 68 to tie for fourth with Christiaan Bezuidenhout.
“I tried to just do my best to put pressure on him, but every time I felt like I made a birdie, he made one back," Berger said. “He was playing really great golf today and he was deserving to win this.”
Justin Thomas pitched in from 103-yards for a birdie at the final hole and finished with a 65 and tied for sixth place at -15 with Will Chandler, and Robert MacIntyre.
“I felt like I played a lot of great golf and did a lot of really good things this week — and I feel like we kind of deserved that,” Thomas said about his hole out at the final hole.
Here are the highlights of the final round:
Tour Backspin Quiz | Tour Wives Trivia
How many of these tour wives from 1970 can you identify?
Hints (from March 1970 edition of Golf Digest): (1) The lion’s lamb. (2) Needs sunglasses to clean his closet. (3) Former stewardess from Down Under. (4) He’s a 6’3”, 180-lb Buckeye. (5) Second most popular pantry staple is jelly. (6) Never vacuums during his siesta. (7) Not Kathy Crosby, but close.
Scroll down for answer
Swing Like a Pro
Billy Casper makes eagle putt and wins $500.
Blind Shot
Click for something fun. 👀
Bunkered details how Brandel Chambree changed his tune on the chief of LIV Golf.
Take a deep dive into grass and turf with Josh Sens at Golf.com.
Tour Backspin Music Clip
Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young doing “Ohio” in 1970.
Tour Backspin Quiz Answer:
(1) Tony Jacklin (Vivienne). (2) Doug Sanders (Scott). (3) Bruce Crampton (Joan). (4) Tom Weiskopf (Jeanne). (5) Al Geiberger (Judy). (6) Lee Trevino (Claudia). (7) Dave Stockton (Cathy).
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Vintage Ad
Final Thoughts
It was a coincidence the last three weeks, but all the feature stories came from the first event of the PGA season, and it was played opposite a Super Bowl. Two of the articles featured Billy Casper and two featured Dave Stockton.
Still haven’t gotten out on the golf course up here in Seattle for the last couple of weeks.
The atmosphere at the WM Phoenix Open seemed to have hit the sweet spot between being fun and different from most other tour stops, with far less of the debauchery that occurred last year.