Chapman Vs. Coe for British Title: Urzetta Defeated in Quarter-Finals, Daily Racing Form, 1951-05-26

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Chapman vs. Coe for British Title Urzetta Defeated In Quarter-Finals VeterAn Pinehurst Amateur In Championship Round for Third Time; Eyes First Win By HENRY W. THORNBERRY United Press Sports Writer PORTHCAWL, Wales, May 25.— Dick Chapman of Pinehurst, N. C, and slender Charles Coe of Oklahoma City, two former U. S. amateur, champions, fought their way into the finals of the British Amateur Golf Championship today with two victories each and will meet tomorrow at 36 holes in the second straight all-American final. Runner-up in 1947 and again last year, the 40-year-old Chapman downed the last home-bred hope in the semi-finals with a 4 and 3 triumph over Joe Carr of Ireland after disposing of Squadron Leader Cecil Beamish of England, 4 and 3 in his morning match. Coe, winner of the U. S. title in 1949, reached the final round by defeating Albert Evans of Wales, 4 and 2, but it was his morning victory over U. S. Amateur Champion Sam Urzetta of Rochester, N. Y., that won the hearts of the galleries. The 27-year-old Oklahoman ousted the popular American champion. 3 and 2, in a display of superb golf reckoned by veteran Welsh observers as the finest in the history j of the tournament. ] Complete master of his irons, Coe blazed out in four under par 32 but still couldnt shake the almost equally brilliant Urzetta, whose outgoing 33 put him only one down, at the turn. The break came at the twelfth where Urzetta, twice in trouble, missed a six-foot putt to go two down. Coe then rammed down a 15-foot putt on the thirteenth and won the match by halving the remaining three holes. * I Despite his wealth of experience on foreign shores, Chapman rated no better than an even choice in tomorrows final against Coe, an oil investment broker making his first appearance overseas. "Theres an old saying that the third time is lucky," said Chapman. "Well, I hope this time I dont have to stand around and watch a compatriot receive the trophy. Coe played wonderful golf today but I think I have a good chance." Chapman lost to Willie Turnesa in the 1947 final and to Frank Stranahan last year, but he was every inch a champion as he turned back the pipe-smoking Carr in the semi-finals today. Carr eliminated Stranahan yesterday and had been favored to take Chapmans measure. Goes Out in Two-Under-Par Chapman, U. S. titleholder in 1940, went out in two-under-par 34 and gained a one up lead to Carrs 35. Thereafter, he clicked off straight par golf for six straight holes, extending his margin each time the smiling Irishman erred— at the tenth, thirteenth and fourteenth holes. Coe wasnt quite as sharp in the afternoon after his spectacular golf against Urzetta but he closed fast with one under par golf for the last seven holes to defeat Evans, a great putter who had trimmed J. E. Gent of England, 6 and 5, in the quarter-finals. The Oklahoman went out in 37 against Evans and had to sink an 18-footer on the ninth green to reach the turn one up. They halved the tenth and eleventh, then Coe reeled off two in a row with a deadly approach on the twelfth that left him only a four-foot putt and an unexpected break on the thirteenth. -where the usually sure Evans blew a two-footer. On the sixteenth, Coe clinched victory by sending a 40-yard approach dead to the pin, a foot away, while Evans was roughed off the tee and short with his second. The Coe-Urzetta match was a classic the Welsh will be talking about for years to come. Both were razor-sharp and so evenly matched over the front nine that Coe had to go to the ninth green before gaining a lead he never again surrendered. Coe won the first hole with a four-footer for a birdie but conceded the second when Urzetta put his second two feet from the pin. Coe missed a three-footer at the fifth to go one down but drew even at the seventh with a birdie two, hurdling a stymie with a one foot chip. Coe then gained his lead at nine by sinking a two-footer after Urzetta had rolled his third shot in front of Coes ball only four inches from the cup. Since Urzetta rested inside the six-inch stymie distance, he picked up his ball and Coe sank his putt for a three to win the hole. They halved the 10th and 11th but Urzetta hit his second into the rough at the 12th, shot his recovery over the green and pitched back to six feet but missed his putt. Coe was on in three, 15 feet away and went down in two putts to go two up. On the 13th, he ranged in a 15-footer to go three ! up and halved the remaining three holes! in par to close out the match. Chapman had a mild tussle with Beamish j in the morning but led two up at the turn with a one-under-par 35 to the Britons 36. Beamish won the 10th when Chapman missed a three-footer but the veteran American rapped approach shots within four feet of the pin and sank his putts to win the next two holes, then won the short 14th by dropping his tee shot six feet away and sinking his birdie two. They halved the next one and it was all over. Carr gained the semi-final opposite Chapman with a 3 and 2 victory over John Debendern of Ireland «nd then came the match the spectators had been waiting for. To their consternation, Chapman knocked home a 25-foot putt on the first hole and went 1 up. Carr holed a nine-footer on the second to draw even but muffed his third short on the third hole and went one down again. Chapman held on until his troubled eighth where he drove into the rough, trapped his second and was short with his third and the match was squared. At the ninth, however, Chapman put down another long putt, 24 feet, and turned one up. Carr fell into trouble at the 10th, being short with his second and over the green with his third to go two down. On the 12th, Carr gained a half by leaping a partial stymie but lost the 13th when he found a bad lie, chipped 10 feet past the hole and missed his putt while Chapman got down .in par four! The 14th virtually was the clincher as Carr was trapped on his drive and sailed his recovery over the green. Chapman parred the hole in three with a three-foot putt to go four up and won the match with a half on the 15th.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1951052601/drf1951052601_2_1
Local Identifier: drf1951052601_2_1
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800