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| 1966 Gary Cowan Gary Cowan, 27, of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, became the first foreign player to win the U.S. Amateur Championship since C. Ross (Sandy) Somerville in 1932. Somerville is from London, Ontario, about 70 miles from Kitchener. Cowan defeated Deane R. Beman, Bethesda, Md., in a playoff, 75-76, after they both scored 285 for 72 holes of the Championship proper over the East Course of the Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pa. Beman, the 1960 and 1963 Champion, appeared to have the Championship won as late as the 72nd hole. However, his approach went into a bunker, his recovery went over the green and then he stubbed a chip shot. He scored 6 on the hole, a par-4. Cowan made up three strokes in two holes to catch Beman. After 16 holes of the playoff Cowan and Beman were tied. Cowan missed the green on his tee shot to the 17th and Beman carried to within 12 feet of the hole. However, Cowan got down in two for a par 3 while Beman three-putted, failing a stroke behind. Ron Cerrudo, of San Rafael, Calif., might have tied Cowan and Beman, but missed an 18-inch putt on the home green. He tied for third with Jack W. Lewis, Jr., of Florence, S.C., and A. Downing Gray, of Pensacola, Fla., with 286. The defending Champion, Robert J. Murphy, Jr., of Nichols, Fla., tied for 20th place. The Championship was televised nationally for the first time. |
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| Championship Facts |
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U.S. Amateur PAR AND YARDAGE – The Lakeside Course at The Olympic Club will play at 6,948 yards and par 35-35—70. The Ocean Course at The Olympic Club, which will be used for the first two days of stroke play only, will play at 6,786 yards and par 35-35—70. THE OLYMPIC CLUB – Sam Whiting, a former English professor at the University of California at Berkley, designed the Lakeside Course, which opened in 1927. Whiting also supervised construction on the Ocean Course. Following completion of the jobs, Whiting stayed on as golf course superintendent until 1954. Tom Weiskopf worked on the recently completed re-design of the Ocean Course. TICKETS AVAILABLE – Tickets can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.ticketweb.com. Daily tickets are $15 and a weekly pass is $60. Other ticket options are also available. Children 12 and under are admitted free if accompanied by a paying adult. COURSE SETUP – The Lakeside Course at the Olympic Club will be set for green speeds of approximately 11 feet, 6 inches on the Stimpmeter. The primary rough will be grown to 4 inches, with a strip of intermediate rough cut to 1½ inches in height. Poa annua grass covers the greens. The fairways are a rye and poa annual grass combination. The roughs also have a bit of bluegrass mixed in. USGA SLOPE RATING® AND COURSE RATING™ – The Lakeside Course at the Olympic Club will carry a USGA Course Rating™ of 74.8 and a USGA Slope Rating® of 143. The Ocean Course will carry a USGA Course Rating™ of 74.0 and a USGA Slope Rating® of 136. An "average" Slope Rating in the U.S. is about 113. TOTAL ENTRIES – The USGA accepted 7,398 entries for the 2007 U.S. Amateur. The most entries ever received for an Amateur championship was 7,920 in 1999 when the U.S. Amateur was played at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links. WHO CAN ENTER – The U.S. Amateur Championship is open to amateur golfers who have a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 2.4.
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