The King, the Hawk and Billy Casper in the 1966 U.S. Open

Having played one (1) round of golf in my life and served as a caddy for one (1) round, my credentials for writing about this sport are pretty slim. Nevertheless, I have seen a fair amount of golf on TV and read about it in newspapers, magazines and books. Biographies of Bobby Jones and Babe Didrikson have found a home in my library over the past 12 months.

The final round of the 1966 U.S. Open at San Francisco’s Olympic Club appeared to be altogether lacking in drama. Arnold Palmer held a seven-stroke lead over his playing partner, Billy Casper, as they entered the back nine. Arnie’s Army fully expected that their hero would soon hoist the trophy of yet another major tournament. But the golfing gods had different plans.

“The King,” winner of 62 PGA tournaments and seven majors, came from a steel-mill town in western Pennsylvania and played college golf at Wake Forest. He was a lowly paint salesman before winning the U.S. Amateur in Detroit in 1954 and turning pro. He had paid his dues. Why, then, did Ben Hogan go out of his way to snub him? He refused to say Palmer’s name, which I think is odd at the very least. Whenever in the younger man’s presence, he was cold and dismissive. Don’t think Palmer was unaware of it. Two of the greatest players ever, both golfing royalty, and one treats the other like a nobody!

Golf historians have speculated about the possible reasons. While “the Hawk” had a dour and rigid personality—and a similar approach to the game—Palmer was the very opposite. He exuded charisma and was a swashbuckler with a club in his hands. Phil Mickelson, a contemporary golfer, is said to have a go-for-broke style but nothing like Palmer did.

Back to San Fran in ’66. Palmer knew that Hogan held the U.S. Open record of 276 shots, and he saw his opportunity. He would get that record, and he would force the son of a Texas blacksmith to say his name. With such a huge cushion, victory was all but assured so he started firing at the pins. Palmer wanted not just pars but birdies. Better yet, eagles.

Casper was concerned about holding onto second place because Jack Nicklaus was right behind. Palmer gave him a pep talk that would seem rather ironic when they got to the clubhouse an hour later. Sure enough, Palmer’s lead began to shrink. Casper, nothing if not steady, knew he had a chance at the 15th hole. Palmer’s tee shot landed in the sand, and he (Casper) nailed a 20-foot putt for a birdie; that made it three. Rather surprisingly, the gallery turned in his favor too. Don’t we all love the underdog?

Palmer smoked half a cigarette at each hole, but it did nothing to calm his nerves. Anguish was evident on his face and in his golfing form. Even at the best of times, his swing did not resemble that of Sam Snead, and it really deteriorated on those last holes. He and Casper were tied at the 72nd tee. Somehow making the green, Palmer was a lonely figure when he faced a four-foot putt to tie it. He would later call that the biggest putt of his career. Alas, Casper won an 18-hole playoff the next day.

The man who had gained fame for mounting late charges had just suffered a huge collapse. Palmer choked, and that was the bottom line. All the post-mortems—and they are still being written today—said he could have and should have laid up a bit, nursed his lead and cruised to the title. That, however, was not the Palmer way. He had to go for the jugular.

Palmer’s plan to (1) win the tourney, (2) break Hogan’s U.S. Open record—he only missed it by two strokes—and (3) stick it to the old boy came to naught. I truly wonder what Hogan, who finished 12th, thought of all this. Did he smirk, did he gloat, did he experience profound schadenfreude? Palmer, who never won another major, was haunted by it until his death in 2016.

Somewhat overlooked in the wake of Palmer’s monumental meltdown was Casper. He had an extraordinary career of his own, with 51 PGA tour victories and three majors. In 2014, Golf Digest magazine came up with a list of the greatest players in the history of the sport, putting him at number 15.