Casper Says Palmer Lost More Than the Open in ’66

SAN FRANCISCO —  The U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in 1955 provided one of the spectacular upsets of the century--in any sport--when Jack Fleck beat Ben Hogan in an 18-hole playoff. But golf historians contend the 1966 U.S. Open here was equally significant because it marked the end of the Arnold Palmer era.

Palmer doesn’t agree. After all, he played well in subsequent major tournaments, including a second-place finish in the ’67 Open, and won 15 more tournaments on the PGA Tour.

It is a fact, however, that he never won a major tournament after his disappointment in 1966 and the Open winner the next year was Jack Nicklaus, who became the sport’s dominant force for the next two decades.

If anything is unfair in retrospect, it is that the focus has been almost entirely on Palmer as the loser in ’66 instead of Billy Casper as the winner.

Casper was no Fleck, having already won a U.S. Open in 1959.

But even he admitted years later in a book, “Arnie: Inside the Legend,” that he was stunned by Palmer’s collapse after Palmer had built a seven-stroke lead on the back nine of the final round. He speculated that Palmer started concentrating on breaking Hogan’s Open scoring record of 276 instead of winning.

“At first, Arnold was thinking about Hogan’s record,” Casper said. “Then when that slipped away and I started gaining on him, he panicked. I’ve played with Arnold a lot, and that’s the first time I’ve ever seen him choke.”

Palmer lost his lead, then lost the 18-hole playoff the next day.

Casper agrees with those who believe Palmer was never the same.

“It did affect him down deep,” Casper said.

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If USC officials believe an upcoming Sports Illustrated article will stop short of anointing Mike Garrett as the successor to Mother Teresa, they’re probably right. . . .

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Thirty years after winning gold medals in 15 events, the 1968 U.S. Olympic track and field team will be honored tonight at a dinner sponsored by Xerox in New Orleans. . . .

Santa Monica College Athletic Director Tommie Smith will be there. . . .

He won the 200 meters in Mexico City but is better remembered for the Black Power salute he and bronze-medalist John Carlos performed on the victory stand. . . .

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“Somewhere on the way home, I must have lost it,” he says. . . .

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On a courtesy bus to the Cincinnati airport, he asked the driver if curbside check-in was available. . . .

“Oh, no, sir,” she told him. “We only have Kentucky Fried Chicken here.”

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While wondering why the Lake Course has no water, I was thinking: I liked it better when woods were really woods, it appears as if the free world will survive the Casey Martin threat, I’d be happy if I had Justin Leonard in the office pool.