Nicklaus Miller, left, and Linkon Casper pose with their medals at a latest occasion. Courtesy Shannon Miller
Linkon Casper will get a placing lesson from PGA Tour legend Johnny Miller. Courtesy Ashton Casper
It was form of an iconic second at Soldier Hole Golf Course in Halfway when the grandson and nice grandson of two Corridor of Fame gamers, Johnny Miller and Billy Casper, posed for a photograph after a golf match for 10-year-olds.
There you had Nicklaus Miller, son of BYU director of golf Todd Miller and grandson of the legendary Johnny Miller, and Linkon Casper, son of former Dixie State and UVU golfer Ashton Casper, who's the son of Bobby Casper, who's the son of the late storied Billy Casper.
Chances are you'll bear in mind Linkon’s well-known great-grandpa, Billy Casper and Nicklaus’ well-known grandfather, Johnny Miller.
Billy Casper stays considered one of America’s most profitable Ryder Cup gamers, a person credited with mainly ending the aggressive profession of Arnold Palmer when he beat Palmer in further holes of the U.S. Open on the Olympic Membership in San Francisco in 1966.
Johnny Miller, who just lately retired as considered one of golf’s most entertaining, albeit very blunt, TV shade commentators, set the course file of 63 within the remaining spherical of the 1973 U.S. Open at Oakmont, thought-about one of many hardest golf programs on this planet.
Miller was among the finest iron gamers on this planet within the early ’70s when he dominated desert programs in Arizona and California following an All-America profession at BYU for the late Karl Tucker. He gained 25 instances on the PGA Tour.
Casper was a lethal putter who took up the sport whereas within the Navy in San Diego. He gained a whopping 51 instances on the PGA Tour and had further trophies in Europe.
Each Johnny and Billy are members of the World Golf Corridor of Fame housed in St. Augustine, Florida. Each are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Casper died in 2015.
On daily basis after college Shannon Miller drops her son Nicklaus off at a golf course in Provo, the place he hits balls till picked as much as go residence for dinner and homework.
Nicklaus has gained six straight golf tournaments in Utah for 10-year-olds on the Salt Lake Metropolis Native Tour and together with Jake Neff, of Holladay, the 2 are thought-about the highest up-and-coming gamers in Utah junior golf heading into the primary UJGA occasion this weekend, the Jay Don Blake Junior at Bloomington Nation Membership in St. George.
With programs arrange for 80- to 150-yard par 3s, 200- to 350-yard par 4s, and par 5s at 350 to 450 yards, Miller’s nine-hole scores embody 33 at Glenmoor; 37 at The Barn Golf Membership; 35 at Oquirrh Hills; 36 at River Oaks; 35 at Soldier Hole; and a 35 at Thanksgiving Level within the Tour Championship.
“Nicklaus has a whole lot of the flare of his papa Johnny,” mentioned Todd Miller. “He actually enjoys the stress of competitors. I like that he’s not so infatuated with profitable tournaments however by enjoying his greatest golf.
“He's extraordinarily straight and lengthy off the tee and might hit all of the photographs across the greens.”
Linkon’s father Ashton is a 2-handicap participant and his grandfather, Bobby (Billy Casper’s son) is scratch.
Linkon Casper will get a placing lesson from PGA Tour legend Johnny Miller.
Courtesy Ashton Casper
“Linkon loves enjoying baseball and performs on a touring staff,” mentioned Bobby Casper. “He simply performed in his first aggressive golf match at Soldier Hole. The day earlier than, I performed with him at Hobble Creek and he was getting upset about his photographs. I mentioned, ‘Buddy, right now doesn’t matter. You simply wish to begin form of getting a really feel of hitting the ball.’ He went as much as Soldier and was 6 over par after three holes. He completed with a birdie and shot 8 over par, the primary birdie he ever made. It was superior and he’s solely 10.”
Linkon’s father Ashton mentioned Linkon performed within the Thanksgiving Level Junior League the previous three years however the U.S. Children Golf occasion at Soldier Hole was his first particular person tourney.
“He was ecstatic with how he completed with a birdie however dissatisfied in his fifth-place end,” mentioned Ashton.
Linkon is obsessive about golf, mentioned his father. He has a detailed connection along with his late great-grandfather Billy and has his room embellished with Billy Casper memorabilia.
“He’s a particularly proficient baseball participant and his golf sport is shortly catching up. He hits the ball laborious, however has nice contact and really feel when he wants it,” mentioned the daddy.
“In the event you ask him, golf is his favourite sport and his objective is to play on the PGA Tour and win the Masters sooner or later like his great-grandpa. I can’t bear in mind a spherical the previous couple of years the place we’ve headed down the golf green after our tee photographs and he hasn’t mentioned, ‘Golf is simply the perfect!’”
In 2019, Ashton took Linkton to San Diego to take part within the Billy Casper charity match. Linkton was simply three when his grand-father handed.
Studying about these younger Utah youngsters jogs my memory of the times Tony Finau and his brother Gipper used to hang around at tournaments once they had been about the identical age. In scramble tournaments they might supply to hit photographs for teams that got here by means of. Later, we noticed them start to play and dominate.
It additionally jogs my memory of a time Johnny Miller spoke to the media at Thanksgiving Level earlier than an occasion, telling how his father took him beneath his wing and began him enjoying the sport. He mentioned as a father, he’d take his youngsters in a cart on the course and allow them to hit balls within the lake — simply to advertise the enjoyable of hitting the ball.
Miller additionally declared how large it's for fogeys to provide their youngsters affirmation, constructive suggestions and encouragement. He pointed to the late Earl Woods and the way he gave Tiger Woods a plan and saved affirming to him that sooner or later he could be the perfect participant on this planet.
“We will make a distinction in how we encourage our kids in no matter they do,” mentioned Miller that day.
It is going to be enjoyable to see how these two younger golfers, with the exceptional DNA of legendary PGA Tour veterans, progress by means of time.
That’s what it’s all about: seeing tales bloom and careers take off, and tie it to enjoyable instances which may appear insignificant however actually are moments that we must always not take as a right.