By: Rich Syles

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Now, I have had a privilege to interview some of the greats in professional

Golf; Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Fred Couples, Tom Kite, Davis Love III, Billy Casper and a few more.

I have interviewed some of the great architects of some of the outstanding courses in the world. I would like to share with you one of my favorite interviews and why.

I had the opportunity to sit with PGA Tour legend, Billy Casper, one on one, for an hour and half at a friend’s house in Raleigh, NC.

Casper was funny, down to earth and humble. He was a man with a strong faith and did not have the notoriety that the others did.

Yet, Billy Casper’s winning percentage was third behind Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. He was ahead of everyone else; Palmer, Player, Trevino, etc. The statistic was figured upon number of PGA tournaments entered and number of wins.

That is a fact not many people realize about Billy Casper. He did not have a big public relations team behind him. He had his talent and his faith. Casper was a gentleman’s gentleman who loved people, his family, which included many adopted children.

I asked him specifically who was his biggest rival…..he said, “whoever I was playing at the time.” I asked him about his U.S. Open win at the Olympic Club. On the tenth

tee, he was 7 shots behind Arnold Palmer with nine holes to play. He told me about every hole, not only what he hit, but how he hit it and what Arnold got on those holes.

At the end, he tied Palmer and won in a playoff.

This was one of my favorite interviews and people. RIP Billy. To steal a line from Bob Hope…..thanks for the memories.