Sport: How Much for a Golfer?

In the smoke-hazed dining room of Las Vegas' Desert Inn last week, the supply of ready money would have staggered the earnest searcher for a low-rate bank loan. Free Scotch and fast talk was all it took to con a crew of well-heeled high rollers into coughing up $266,000 worth of bets. For his cash, each gambler was buying a crack golfer in the "Calcutta" auction before the Desert Inn's sixth annual Tournament of Champions. The man who owned the winner would get a whopping $95,760 share of the pot; even a lowly seventh-place finisher would bring his backer $11,970. For the 22 golfers there was another $40.000 in prizes.

Coffee Break. Funnyman Bob Hope took a turn with the gavel, twitted Crooner Bing Crosby, whose new young wife is expecting a baby in August: "You can tell how important this tournament is to get Bing away from the nest. Bing had his last child 20 years ago. That's quite a coffee break." Comedian Hank Henry came on to peddle Texan Billy Maxwell and tried to swing a deal with one of the more belligerent celebrities in the crowd. "What am I bid for Elsa Maxwell? This would be a good buy for Walter Winchell. How about Elsa, Walter?" But feuding Walter Winchell (see TV & RADIO) had quietly retired to his room, pleading ill health. Highest bidder of the evening: Desert Inn Owner Morris Kleinman, who bought California's Ken Venturi for $24,000. Right behind him came Crooner Frankie Laine, who got Three-Time Winner Gene Littler for the fourth time, for $20.000.

As the tournament started, many a gambler hedged his bet by selling part of his player. And since this was Las Vegas, side bets were laid on almost every shot. "I've never seen a tournament like this one," said Ken Venturi. "People come up to me and feel my legs and arms, and pat my stomach. They want to know how I feel and how I'll score, so they can place their bets."

Fatal Mistake. But through three fine rounds, the tension bothered California's Billy Casper, 26, not at all. He went up to the 17th tee on the final afternoon tied for the lead, matching stroke for stroke with the coolest customer on the course: Canada's balding tournament traveler, Stan Leonard. 42. Then Casper made his only mistake—and it was fatal. He misjudged the wind, chose a two-iron instead of a driver and saw his ball splash short in a water hazard. He shot a double-bogey six. Leonard chipped steadily away at par. When he finished the round, Leonard had a total of 275, lowest in tournament history. Casper had 276. That one stroke difference earned Vancouver, B.C. Veteran Leonard 10,000 silver dollars; it brought an $84,260 profit to California's Carl Anderson, the veteran Calcutta player who had bought him for $11,500.