Reward for Persistence

Dick Chapman is a part-time bond salesman and a full-time student of golf Who lives in the heart of the U.S. golf world at Pinehurst, N.C. At 40, he can look back on a distinguished golf career on U.S. Walker Cup teams, a 1940 U.S. amateur title, and a trophy room full of lesser prizes calculated to satisfy the most demanding topnotcher. But not Dick Chapman. In 16 years he has twice reached the final of the British Amateur championship, and lost both times (to Willie Turnesa in 1947, Frank Stranahan in 1950). Last week, Chapman tried again.

Seldom brilliant, but always steady, Chapman ousted Irishman Joe Carr in one semifinal, while another former U.S. amateur champion (1949), Charley Coe, was beating Welshman Albert Evans to make it the third all-American finish in five years. In the final, after the first eighteen holes against younger (27) and longer-hitting Coe, Dick Chapman led 2-up, with a two-under-par 70 over the soggy, windswept Royal Porthcawl course.

But when he lost the 24th hole with his second consecutive 6 (leaving Coe only 1 down), steady Dick Chapman blew up, seemed on the point of blowing the match. He hurled his cigarette to the ground, petulantly kicked the turf and bawled out his caddy. After the fit of temper his wife took him aside and gave him a stern lecture. "What are you," she demanded, "a man or a mouse?"

Chastened Golfer Chapman settled down, held his 1-hole lead to the 27th-hole turn, then unleashed a blazing finish that left the gallery gaping. A burst of three consecutive birdies on the next five holes (he missed a hole-in-one by inches) swamped Charley Coe, 5 and 4.*

When a cheering crowd finally let him leave the green after 30 minutes, Chapman explained how he had finally broken his jinx: "I owe it all to Ben Hogan. He taught me to shift my right hand and cured me of hooking my irons. I changed my grip just before I came over here." Added beaming Dick Chapman: "I've been waiting a long time to say this is the happiest day of my life."

*Making Chapman the seventh golfer to win both the U.S. and British amateur titles. The others: Harold Hilton, Walter Travis, Jess Sweetser, Bobby Jones, Lawson Little and Willie Turnesa.

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