With 40 or so people scattered around the chapel, Billy Casper recounted how his father and uncle converted a New Mexico cow pasture into a mini three-hole course when he was 4; how he earned $4.50 a week as a caddy at age 11 and won his first golf tournament at age 12; how he joined the LDS Church in 1966 and traveled to Southeast Asia to visit U.S. troops in Vietnam; and how a golf injury was miraculously healed following a priesthood blessing by a young apostle named Thomas S. Monson, just to mention a few.
"My life has been a fairy tale," the 79-year-old Casper said. "I have hit golf balls in 40 countries around the world. I have met presidents, kings, high-ranking military leaders and officials, and other famous people … all for following a little white ball. I am grateful for that which I have received."
The fireside featuring Casper was part of an annual golf tournament sponsored by the Utah Salt Lake Area Church Sports Program. The tournament, intended as a missionary and fellowshipping activity, took place Saturday, Aug. 28, at Stonebridge Golf Course in West Valley City.