Hall of Fame golf champion Billy Casper, who is the namesake for Billy Casper Golf Management, died of a heart attack on Feb. 7 at his home near Salt Lake City. He was 83.

Casper had several health setbacks the past 10 months including multiple surgeries and a month-long hospital stay in December. He had passed out at the Masters last year.

Casper helped start Billy Casper Golf Management with business partners Peter Hill and Bob Morris in 1989. The company grew slowly at first, but is now the largest public operator in the U.S. and the fourth largest in the world. The company has 7,600 employees. In recent years, Casper was a senior advisor to the company.

Born William Earl Casper, Jr. in 1931 in San Diego, he started playing golf at age four to working-class parents who divorced when he was 12. He spent a lot of time at nearby San Diego Country Club, where he made money as a caddy and developed his golf game.

He attended the University of Notre Dame on a golf scholarship in 1950, but left after one year. He married his wife of more than 60 years, Shirley Franklin Casper, and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He served until 1955, playing on its golf team.

He then joined the PGA Tour, winning his first tournament in 1956. He won the U.S Open in 1959 and 1966.  He played a conservative game, emphasizing course management. Many have said he had the greatest putting stroke in history.

His 51 victories on the PGA Tour rank as the seventh highest total of all time. He won the Masters in 1970. He played on eight consecutive Ryder Cup teams amassing more points (23.5) than any other American. He won the Vardon Trophy five times and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1978 and the PGA Hall of Fame in 1982.  Sports Illustrated named Casper one of the Top 20 players in the history of golf.

He joined the Senior Tour in 1981, won two majors and stepped down in 1989, the same year Billy Casper Golf Management was started.

After his professional career, Casper designed more than 20 golf courses, including three courses at Golf Summerlin in Sun City Summerlin, Nevada.

While his playing accomplishments clearly make him one of the greatest golfers of all time, his commitment to family made him a role model.  Casper joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1966 at the height of his career. His dies strong faith as a Mormon led him to tour the world for charitable causes, focusing on the betterment of youth.

“My goal in life is to help my fellow man and touch people’s lives in a positive way wherever I go. I believe that youngsters, the future of our great country, are our most precious commodities. Through golf, they learn the importance of discipline, family and invaluable life skills necessary to compete in an ever-changing world.”

Casper is survived by his wife, 11 children, six of whom are adopted, and 71 grandchildren and great grandchildren.