Soothing Tape Helps Casper: He Shoots 68

CARLSBAD — La Costa is two or three miles from the ocean, but all Billy Casper is hearing these days are rolling waves and an occasional sea gull.

Casper shot a four-under par 68 to tie Dave Hill for the first- round lead Thursday in the Senior Division of the MONY Tournament of Champions, the first event of the season on the PGA tour.

The seniors play under the same conditions and with the same pin placements as those on the regular tour, except that in deference to their age, the La Costa course is 207 yards shorter for the old-timers. The par-5s and the longer par-4s are shorter for the seniors. The yardage for the regular tour is 7,022. For the seniors, it is 6,815.

Only two of the younger set managed to shoot better than Casper, 56, and Hill, 50. Steve Pate had a 66 and Dave Barr had a 67. Hill did not qualify for the senior tour until last May when he turned 50.

Although he wasn’t quite ready to give all the credit to a man he never met, Casper did admit he has been spending time lately listening to tapes, made by Joe Land of Albuquerque, N.M., that apparently are supposed to work on the subconscious.

“Since Sunday, I’ve been listening to these tapes at the suggestion of my son Bobby (also a professional golfer),” Casper said. “All you hear are waves and once in a while a sea gull. You can watch television and carry on a conversation even with the tapes plugged in. That’s pretty amazing for someone who can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.

“I have been listening to a tape called ‘Winner’s Tape.’ If this works, I’m going to send for the one on losing weight,” he added laughingly.

“I guess that if you were on a water bed, the tape might make you seasick. But for me, it’s just relaxing.”

Asked why he decided to try the tape, Casper said, “I’m just gullible.

“Actually, my son was urged to try the tape by a friend when he was playing in Houston. It worked for Bobby, so he wanted me to try them. I’m glad I did.”

This is Casper’s 18th appearance in the T of C and he’s never won it.

He told media director Stan Wood Wednesday night that he had wanted to win the T of C more than almost any other tournament. He was either second or third in six of them.

“It would be nice to win the seniors’,” he said.

Casper gave credit for the brilliant round to his putting. He had only one bogey and five birdies, although he missed quite a few greens. He made one of the birdies on the 15th, sinking a 55-foot shot out of a sand trap.

“This was a great round, especially for an old man,” he said. “I don’t remember the last time I putted any better. It makes me wonder about the tape.”

Hill, who qualified for this winner’s tournament in one of the last events of last season, the Fairfield Barnet Nov. 12-15, was making his first appearance at La Costa since 1977. He also had five birdies and a single bogey.

He had a sensational back nine, making four birdies and shooting a 32. He sank three eight-footers and a 15-footer for his birdies.

Hill missed only one green and three fairways in his round.

“It was fun,” he said. “This is the 11th time playing the T of C. They have lengthened some holes, added a creek and some bunkers, but it’s basically the same course.

“The senior tour is sort of like winning the Lotto. I knew that if I got to be 50, I would be here. This is a lot more fun than the regular tour I played the last 10 years. Guys take it in stride. It’s not dog-eat-dog.”

Just one stroke behind the leaders are Miller Barber and Orville Moody. Moody, who uses one of those putters with a 50-inch shaft, birdied four holes in a row, beginning with No. 9, and was tied for the lead until he ran into trouble on the par-5 17th and had a bogey. Barber also had four birdies in a row, beginning with No. 7. His birdie at 10 put him five under, but he bogeyed Nos. 13 and 14 to fall behind.

Defending champion Don January shot a one-over-par 73 and trails by five shots. About the best thing that could be said for January and his partner, Chi Chi Rodriguez, is that they played fast. The first twosome to tee off, they completed their round in slightly more than three hours.

Rodriguez, who shot a two-over 74, had a problem more difficult to beat than maybe even La Costa. A two-pack-a-day smoker, he quit cigarettes Dec. 20, cold turkey, as they say.

He got probably his biggest test on the fifth hole when he three-putted from three feet for a double bogey. He probably wanted to light up.

“This was my first tournament since I quit,” he said. “I was really nervous over my putts. But I have given up smoking for good, no matter what happens.

“I felt like an army sergeant out there,” he added. “It was left, right, left, right. Nevertheless, if I had putted well I would be right there. I had four three-putt greens and missed several short ones besides.”

The poor putting began after he had sunk a 40-foot putt for a birdie to go two under after just three holes.

It was also a rough day for Gary Player. The South African, who qualified for the Senior T of C three times, was playing in it for the first time as a senior. He shot a 77, soaring to a 40 on the back nine.

The 12 seniors teed off first, beginning at 9 a.m. , and there was still frost on the ground. But within an hour or so the conditions were ideal. The seniors will again get it under way today at 9 o’clock.