Casper Wins in Playoff Against Pott
Billy Casper overcomes intestinal flu to capture 1965 Insurance City Open in playoff
Come join us on our journey through the past as we flashback to 1965 and the Insurance City Open. This $70,000 tournament occupied an important spot on the schedule between the Canadian Open and the Thunderbird Open and shares DNA with the Travelers Championship being played at the TPC River Highlands in Cromwell CT, on the PGA TOUR this week. Scroll down to see how Billy Casper fought off both a flu bug and Johnny Pott to capture the title.
We’ve written about fellow Seattleite Don Bies winning the Sammy Davis, Jr-Hartford Open in 1975, and the 1972 Greater Hartford Open won by Lee Elder. Click on the links for more historical coverage on this tournament that dates back to 1952 when Ted Kroll won the first Insurance City Open.
I’ve dropped some hints about a documentary movie I’m involved in based on my book about Tony Lema. We now have a website that features a trailer. Check it out.
What a major week with the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 this past week. There was heartbreak and redemption in a tournament that featured a compelling finish. Congratulations to Byrson DeChambeau who has transformed himself into a fan favorite. Scroll down for a tournament wrap-up, a few thoughts from me, and the Clips You Might Have Missed
We want to hear from you in the Tour Backspin Poll, and this week’s Music Clip goes back to 1965 with Tom Jones performing “It’s Not Unusual” in fantastic black-and-white. Billy Casper walks you through the driver swing in this week’s Swing Like a Pro and we bring you another tip from Tony Lema. Take a shot at this week’s WHAT HOLE IS IT? Presented by Rota Golf and you may just win a golf swag prize pack. Rota Golf has a cool way to map out your bucket list journey of playing the top 100 courses in the U.S. We’ve got some links for you in the Check it Out section and a very stylish Vintage Ad from 1965. Scroll down to view.
The latest episode of The Tour Backspin Show just dropped for our annual paid subscribers and features Lee Trevino receiving the Legacy Award from the Robert Trent Jones Society, and discussing his illustrious career. Early access to The Tour Backspin Show is one of the benefits of being a paid subscriber to Tour Backspin. Free subscribers will have access to this episode of The Tour Backspin Show in two weeks.
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In last week’s Tour Backspin Poll we asked if thought the winning score in the U.S. Open would be over, or under, 276.5. Byron DeChambeau won with a score of six-under-par, 274. Just 38% of respondents foresaw this happening while 63% thought the winning score would be over 276.5
Do you give the television coverage of the U.S. Open a thumbs up, or a thumbs down? Let us know in this week’s Tour Backspin Poll.
Tour Backspin Poll
Do you know what happened today in golf history? Or which famous golfer has a birthday today? Me, neither. But I do know where to go to find out. Check out the Your Golfer’s Almanac podcast. Host Michael Duranko celebrates birthdays, milestones, and other accomplishments that occurred on this day in golf history. Listen HERE.
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Larry Baush
Casper Takes Down Pott In Playoff
It is the evening of Monday, July 19th, 1965, and qualifying for the Insurance City Open has just been completed at Tunxis Country Club in Farmington, CT. Fifty players secured spots into the tournament, which featured a $70,000 purse, including $11,000 for the winner. The ICO was starting on Thursday at Wethersfield Country Club, a par-71, 6,568-yard course in Weathersfield, CT, about 6 miles outside of Hartford.
“I let him have a couple of punches after he clobbered me with a stick.”
Joel Goldstrand led all qualifiers with a 67 and was followed by rookie Tom Weiskopf who finished with a 68. But it was Bill Ezinicki, a former NHL hockey player who now represented the Country Club of New Seabury in Mashpee, MA, who overcame the most adversity to qualify.
“My little girl called out to say someone was in the living room about midnight,” he informed Owen Griffith of the Hartford Courant. “I let him have a couple of punches after he clobbered me with a stick. This is the damage.”
He held out his hand so Griffith could get a good look at the swelling and cut on his hand. The police were called and hustled the intruder off to the pokey. The qualifying itself resembled a bare-knuckle event as play was called at 8:45 pm because of darkness. The playoff between Bob Loy and John Cook, who were playing for the fourth, and final, alternate spot, was tied after 10 holes. The playoff would conclude on Tuesday morning. The winner of the playoff has been lost to history, but neither player moved up from alternative status into the field.
In the pro-am on Wednesday, Gardner Dickinson won with a score of 66 beating, by one stroke, Paul Harney, Miller Barber, and Joe Campbell. Jay Hebert was the master of ceremonies for a clinic conducted for fans where Phil Rodgers put on a comedy act.
Missing from the field were Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player, who were playing in an exhibition called the National Challenge Golf Match. The exhibition also featured three top amateurs, Deane Beman, Bill Campbell, and Dale Morey. Tony Lema also skipped the ICO after withdrawing from the Canadian Open the week prior because of back pain.
The opening round on Thursday was attended by 6,171 golf fans who watched as the players battled gusty winds. There were 43 players in the 144-man field who managed to break par with Bob Goalby taking the lead with a seven-under-par 64. He was followed by Dick Rhyan, a 29-year-old pro from Columbus, OH, who had an opening 65. Five players were tied at 67 including Dave Marr, Tommy Aaron, John Berry, Dave Hill, and Sonny Methvin.
“I’d have to go back a long way to remember when I had a 64.”
A large group of players were at 70 including Gene Littler the winner of the Canadian Open the week prior to the ICO, and Billy Casper. Both players were former ICO champions.
Goalby had his best round in four years hitting 15 greens in regulation and only needed 27 putts.
“I’d have to go back a long way to remember when I had a 64,” Goalby told reporters after his round. But I’ve always done all right here. I had one string of 13 straight rounds under par here at Wethersfield.”
In the second round, played in warm and humid conditions, Goalby’s scrambling par on the par-5, 6th hole was more a harbinger of what was to come than a propellant to keep his fine play going. Coming to the hole at two-under for the day, Goalby pushed his drive into the rough, topped a three-wood across the fairway and into the rough on the left side of the hole. From there he hit a spectacular low hook shot to the green. He two-putted for his par, but then three-putted the 7th hole for a bogey and bogeyed the 9th hole. He finished the front nine in even par and remained at even par at the end of the day shooting a 71 for a two-round total of 135.
“That’s what did it, I got off to a great start.”
Dave Hill, who had his wife and three children with him for the week, played what the Hartford Courant sports editor, Bill Lee, called, “one of the most adventuresome” rounds of the season. Hill came in with a 66 that included three bogeys. It may have been his adventures on the first hole that set the tone for his round. He hit a bad drive, had to pitch back to the fairway, then hit his approach over the green before chipping in for par.
“That’s what did it, I got off to a great start,” Hill said sarcastically after his round. “Actually, I got lucky four or five times out there.”
Hill enjoyed a one-stroke lead over Dave Marr who had a 66 to go with his first round 67. Bob Goalby came in with an even-par 71 and was two shots off Hill’s lead while Al Geiberger was another stroke back after a 67. He was tied with Jay Hebert who had two straight 68s.
Billy Casper bogeyed his last two holes on Friday and then admitted to reporters that he was sick. He came down with intestinal flu halfway through his round on Thursday, stayed awake with it all night and hadn’t eaten in two days.
After reviewing his round of 72 that put him at 142, a whopping 11 shots off the lead, Casper said, “Right, I am going to bed.”
The rookie Tom Weiskopf added a second-straight 69 for a 138 total. Johnny Pott added a second-round 68 to his opening 71 and was at 139.
The weather forecast for Saturday’s third round included warm and humid temperatures into the mid-80s. There were an estimated 13,793 golf fans on the grounds that brought the three-day total to 27,302, and those fans were seeing a tight leaderboard with four shots separating the top 11 players. None of the top 11 players had won in 1965. In fact, Billy Casper was the only player in the top 21 players on the leaderboard who had won in 1965 having won the Western Open two weeks prior to the ICO.
“It was tough playing. The changing wind affected the putting.”
Dave Marr jumped into the lead with a third-round, one-under-par, 70 for a total of 204, and held a one shot lead over the trio of Bob Goalby (70), Johnny Pott (66), and Tom Weiskopf (67). Dave Hill, the leader going into the round, slumped to a 73 and was deadlocked at 205 with Al Geiberger (69-67-70) and Bob Crowley (70-67-69). Pott’s 66 was matched by Billy Casper, who was at 208, and they were the low rounds of the day.
Despite the sunny weather prediction, the players struggled with shifting winds and play was suspended for a short time by rain.
“It was tough playing,” Marr said after his round. “The changing wind affected the putting.”
Casper, who said he was feeling much better after fighting off the virus he suffered from on Friday, experienced one of his best putting performances in quite a while. He had nine one-putt greens in his round.
Much more comfortable temperatures greeted the 17,832 golf fans who swarmed Wethersfield grounds for the final round on Sunday. Attendance for the week reached 45,234. The fans on Sunday witnessed a dogfight between Billy Casper, who shot a final round 66, and Johnny Pott, who finished with a 69.
Casper, playing a half hour in front of Pott, felt that he had a good driving day, but he wasn’t hitting fairways. Instead, he relied on precision iron shots and good putting to produce his good round. He had birdies on the 7th and 9th holes, and then really got it going on the back nine with birdies at the 11th, 12th, and 14th holes.
He had to battle against the distraction from an overhead blimp used for the television coverage on the 15th hole, and again on the 16th when he stepped back from a putt. Despite the distraction, he was able to secure pars the rest of the way in and then sat down in the press tent with a pitcher of water for a half hour watching the other leaders finish on television.
Dave Marr met disaster on the 14th hole when he hit his drive out of bounds and fell from contention finishing at 275. Goalby couldn’t get the birdie putts in his round to drop and his 70 gave him a total of 275, one shot off Casper’s clubhouse lead. Weiskopf was having a fine day until he came to the last two holes which he bogeyed to finish with a 71 and a total of 276, tied with Geiberger (70) and Crowley (70).
Pott played steadily playing the first 15 holes in even par before securing birdies at the 16th and 17th holes to pull even with Casper. He slid a long birdie putt that would have beat Casper just by the hole and made the short putt to force a playoff. In a new twist, the playoff started on the 15th hole to accommodate television. The players teed off just before 6 pm.
Pott outdrove Casper by 30 yards and Casper hit first to the green. He precisely placed a seven-iron to 20 feet, pin high. Pott then played his second shot, a wedge, to the fringe just left of the pin. Pott putted first and missed his birdie putt.
Casper studied the line of his putt and got into his stance over the ball. He was just about to pull the trigger on his putt, when two abrupt fire horns went off. In a Wethersfield tradition, the fire horns went off to commemorate 6 pm each evening. The horns caused Casper to back off his putt. Once he composed himself, Casper got back into his stance and calmly stroked the putt. While the putt was rolling towards the hole, Casper waved his putter over his head and knew he had won the first-place check of $11,000 before the ball disappeared into the hole.
“They broke my concentration completely, probably it was for the best,” Casper later said about the horns.
“But, gentlemen, I am happy to be second in this tournament and more pleased than I can say for this chance to make the Ryder Cup team.”
While Pott was disappointed in not winning, he felt he played well and was extremely happy with the $6,200 second-place check.
“I missed only one green,” Pott said after his round. “I didn’t putt badly, either. They would just not go in. But, gentlemen, I am happy to be second in this tournament and more pleased than I can say for this chance to make the Ryder Cup team.”
Casper won the dogfight over Pott although he did not end up with a swollen, cut hand as a result.
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BONUS STORY
Billy Casper was suffering badly from sinus attacks, exhaustion, and despair, at the 1964 Masters. His wife, Shirley, also suffered from her own set of ailments which she described to a friend, along with her husband’s symptoms. The friend recommended she visit Dr. Theron G. Randolph, a Chicago allergist and internist. After conducting a week of tests on Shirley and the couple’s children, a wide assortment of allergies was revealed.
Billy then underwent testing and Dr. Randolph diagnosed food allergies. Dr. Randolph discovered that Casper was allergic to apples, oranges, wheat, eggs, pork, lamb, beans, chocolate, and beet sugar.
Dr. Randolph prescribed an exotic diet for Casper, one that included organic fruits and vegetables. It also included wild game, including venison and elk, as well as exotic meats including, buffalo, bear, hippopotamus and rabbit.
Casper’s wife, Shirley, prepared this peculiar diet with the help of organic farmers in Vista, CA, and a meat supplier from Chicago. Whether in a motel or a rental house, Shirley would use a large skillet and electric coils as gas heat set off her allergies. The allergy to wheat, eggs, pork and oranges made breakfast a particular challenge. Now, his breakfast would include such things as filet of sole with sliced tomatoes, or swordfish with artichokes.
Not only did the new diet help Casper with his health and mental outlook, but also resulted in a healthy amount of weight loss. He lost 50 pounds and went from a size 40 waist to a 34, while his wife lost 25 pounds and went from a dress size of 11 to a size six. Her edema, a swelling of the feet and ankles, cleared up as well as her dizzy spells and migraine headaches. Their children’s health also improved.
It was the buffalo in his diet that soon gave Casper the nickname, “Buffalo” Bill Casper.
The February 7, 1966, issue of Sports Illustrated cataloged a weekly menu of the Casper’s while out on tour.
MONDAY
Breakfast: Peaches, rice toast, honey. Lunch: None. Dinner: Ground moose with bay leaf, peppers, celery; tomatoes served over boiled celery root. He drinks herb teas (mint, Kaffir, chamomile, papaya, rose hips, etc.) and spring water. There are now no alcoholic beverages in his diet, but this is due to religious, not nutritional considerations. Some snacks are permitted but are carefully chosen because certain ones could cause allergic reactions. The only seasoning is salt or herbs. He eats no sauces or flours. Calories are not counted.
TUESDAY
Breakfast: Oatmeal with maple butter; figs. Lunch: Salmon, avocado. Dinner: Fried rabbit, cauliflower, and cranberries.
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast: Filet of sole, sliced tomatoes. Lunch: Sardines with buckwheat crackers. Dinner: Duck, baked potato.
THURSDAY
Breakfast: Rice toast with honey, sliced bananas. Lunch: None. Dinner: Hippopotamus, carrots.
FRIDAY
Breakfast: Swordfish, artichokes. Lunch: None. Dinner: Buffalo steak, hearts of lettuce, broccoli; fresh pineapple and honey.
SATURDAY
Breakfast: Fried shrimp, tomatoes. Lunch: Sardines with buckwheat crackers. Dinner: Bear pot roast cooked with celery and herbs; parsnips.
SUNDAY
Breakfast: Sliced bananas, oatmeal with maple butter. Lunch: None. Dinner: Elk stew; eggplant casserole with sesame seed and tomato.
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WHAT HOLE IS IT?
Are you on the leader board?
Congratulations to Al Oppenheim who correctly identified #17 at Pinehurst No. 2 in Pinehurst, NC, in last week’s WHAT HOLE IS IT? contest. Mike beat out six other correct answers in the random drawing. We’re sending a prize pack to Al. Submit your answer for this week and get yourself into the race for the Herbert C. Leeds Trophy, our new perpetual trophy for the annual winner.
PGA TOUR Wrap-Up | U.S. Open
What a dramatic finish in the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 with Bryson DeChambeau hitting probably the best long bunker shot* in majors history, Rory McIlroy was gutted as he missed two short putts, and the capriciousness of the course and its native areas kept the outcome in suspense until the final group at the final green.
After missing a putt of about three feet on the 16th hole, his first miss from inside three feet in 496 attempts for the season, he missed another kneeknocker at the 18th. Before those missed short putts, McIlroy missed the green at the par-3, 15th hole resulting in a bogey. In all, he bogeyed three of the last four holes.
As far as the fickleness of the course, all you needed to see was McIlroy’s shot on the par-5 6th hole, which was brutal. His second shot looked like it would give him an eagle putt. Then the ball started to trickle towards the left-front side of the green. It appeared it would roll into a bunker for an easy shot, but the ball rode the lip of the bunker which diverted it into the native area. The ball trundled through some playable lies before jumping into a some vegitation and then settling down into a depression. From there he could do no better than getting the ball into the bunker in front of him resulting in a bogey. You can watch the McIlroy’s carnage at the 5th starting at the 4:11 mark in the video below.
DeChambeau changed driver heads just moments before heading to the first tee to start his final round. He only hit five shots with the new head on the range. Out on the course he would hit only five fairways all day, but kept the crowd engaged with his recovery shots.
I’m quite impressed with how Bryson DeChambeau has transformed himself into a fan favorite. He sure delivered for the fans after he won, spending a lot of time on the grounds at Pinehurst signing autographs and engaging with fans. His round was quite entertaining, and he is proving, as McIlroy said in his post-mortem statement on X, that he is just what the game needs right now.
Read the tournament recap by Adam Schupak of Golfweek USA Today HERE.
*Bob Tway’s bunker shot to win the 1986 PGA Championship was from a greenside bunker
Clips You Might Have Missed
Getting a fresh cut to start the week.
Who doesn’t love a dunk shot?
The shot is sick, the reaction in the booth is classic.
This is how you make a cut.
Or, is this how you make a cut?
Goes down as a one-putt in the stats.
An explaination as to how Bryson changed his image.
Not a shot you would practice.
Love, love, love, Johnson Wagner. Cool to be joined by Bryson. Nice way to end the week.
Tour Backspin Quiz | Travelers Championship Trivia
Who is the only player to win what is now known as the Travelers Championship four times?
Scroll down for answer
Swing Like a Pro
Billy Casper explains the driver swing.
Audio excerpts from the book Champagne Tony’s Golf Tips by Tony Lema with Bud Harvey.
(Click on player and scroll down when page opens)
I don't believe in practicing or starting out on a round without warming up. The man who rushes from the office to the golf club, gulps a sandwich, belches, and races to the first tee has no business howling in anguish when he puts his first two shots in the woods, then tops a 3-iron shot into the pond. Yet, this is the same guy who never hit a 3-iron off the practice tee in his life, and wonders why his card is always sprinkled with sevens and eights.
*AI generated voice
Blind Shot
Click for something fun. 👀
Nick Piastowski of Golf.com has 50 observations from the Open.
Tour Backspin Music Clip
What a suit! Tom Jones sings “It’s Not Unusual” in 1965.
Uncorked, The Life and Times of Champagne Tony Lema tells the story of one of the tour’s biggest stars in the mid-1960s. A fascinating glimpse into the traveling caravan that was the PGA TOUR during an era where the fields were full of “Mad Men” era personalities. From a hardscrabble youth spent on the “wrong side of the tracks” in the Oakland suburb of San Leandro, to the temptations of Elko, Nevada, to the bright lights of the PGA TOUR, Uncorked tells a story of determination, redemption and, above all else, a love story that documents how Betty, Tony’s new wife, provided the direction and motivation for him to become a top star. Order on Amazon.
CLOSE COVER BEFORE STRIKING
WHAT IS HIP?
Celebrities on the golf course was so hip in 1965. (Photos: Golf Digest / Photo Montage: Tour Backspin)
Tour Backspin Quiz Answer:
Billy Casper won the Insurance City Open in 1963 and 1965. He won the Greater Hartford Open in1968, and the Sammy Davis, Jr-Greater Hartford Open in 1973.
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Final Thoughts
Golf is cruel. You will almost always face a short putt on the hole immediately following a missed short putt. We’ve all been there.
How would you like to be at that beach party that Jack and Arnie talk about in this week’s Blind Shot?
Again, I just love the Kevin Van Valkenburg story that is linked in the Check It Out section.
Can you believe that diet that Billy Casper was on?