Evening star., 1959-06-15
TEE TO GREEN
At the Locker Room Window
sy MERRELL WHITTLEsEY

MAMARONECK NY, June 15-This was about an
hour before Bill Caspers starting time in the storm
delayed fourth round of the National Open championship
yesterday He seated before Of the big windows in
the upstairs locker at Winged Foot surrounded by
club members and newspapermen
With Casper out in front by three shots, and with
prospects of the Open championship not being decided
until dark because Of New Yorks blue laws, the golf
writers doing their interviewing early.
The astounding part of this was that Casper was
standing for it, Imagine Bobby conducting in
terview before the final round Of the Open somebody
said This guy is terrific"
Casper was gancing through one Of the New York
tabloids and asked If he looking for his name.
"No, but guess it's in there he said Il was looking for
something read besides murders and crime stories
he said They don't make very good Sunday morning
reading"
why did you turn pro, Bill?" reported asked the
chubby Californian. Casper looked up from the paper
smiled and said 81 turned pro while was in the Navy.
Maybe it because pros could play free on the base
course
mo- I always had the desire to be touring pro.
$33 80 in my first start at the Western Open
at Portland ore in 1855, the week after the National
Open in San Francisco. The next week won $22O at
the Vancouver Open in British Columbia. thought
a rich man."
SOMEBODY FROM THE fringe Of the growing crowd
asked Bill If he ever played in the National Amateur.
Casper said had He lost In the second round In
1858 the year Gene Lttler won.
"In never forget that match" he said putting down
the paper THE kid playing hit shot from SOME
deep woods crashed through leaves and branches and
he didn't even see It, He asked where it went and
told him in the cup He couldn't believe It,"
Casper has been asked a hundred times about his
weight The question again. Il vary between 2l0
and 215" he said patting his round stomach.
How long you at Notre Dame?" an Irish
alumnus queried.
"One semester" Casper replied Il part scholar
ship for golf 1t raned and showed from October until
February and just couldn't stand that weather"
did you meet Frank Leahy?" he was asked
"Yes he called me in to present trophy that had been
sent from California walked into his ONCE and 1t was
Just like midnight All the shades down and there
just one little light. couldn't even find him..
Probably looking at football lms the Irish alumnus
volunteered. II guess So" Casper said.
anxious rooter asked Casper he watching the
time and Bill said and that he'd better get ready
Casper excused himself to prepare for the most mpor
tant round Of his career As he left Toney Penna, the
veteran pro who had been sitting on his right asked out
loud, did you guy relaxed I've never seen
anything like It, never"
TWO OR THREE minutes later Sam snead walked over
and looked out the window wind from the northeast
Sam mutered to nobody in particular That's going to help
some of the tough holes"
Gusts to SO miles hour SAM, reporter who had
heard the weather volunteered Look at those
snead said. some Of them are bent double"
Snead. who the last Of the leaders of the tee with
Bob Rosburg at o'clock pulled up chair and in peeved
manner said How do they make those pairings?
"The USGA has its system" golf writer answered
there's pattern consistency It's just their It's
the same at the Masters"
"Iu say there's pattern" Snead said How come
Hogan and Harmon together? And second of the tee
They played every practice round together didn't they? I'd
like somebody explain 1t looks
me like the leaders should be close together
"Hogan's at o'clock" Sam said "Caspers about 2:3O
and I'm at o'clock And Rosburg and the last guys
off who figure to have any chance. What H of a way
to make pairings"
Sam kept watching the wind trying to detect pattern
In it, The girl the public address system announced for
the hundredth time that because Of the extreme cold people
asked not to nger the lunch tables in the clubhouse
but to get up and give other people chance 1t most
unusual day.
)