Dick Chapman

Richard Davol Chapman was an American amateur golfer. Time magazine dubbed him "the Ben Hogan of amateur golf".

Career

Chapman was born in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Chapman won the 1940 U.S. Amateur. He was a member of Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, which was the site of his first major triumph. He remains one of only three players to have won a USGA title on their home course. He holds a place in the Masters Tournament record book for the most appearances as an amateur, a distinction he shares with Charles Coe.
Although Chapman was quite the international player, winning the 1951 British Amateur and French Amateur twice. Chapman also won a number of notable domestic events, including the Connecticut Amateur, Massachusetts Amateur, New York Amateur, New England Amateur, and Carolinas Amateur. He also won the prestigious North and South Amateur. At the 1958 U.S. Amateur, Chapman and his son, Dixie, both qualified, giving a rare father-and-son appearance.
Chapman's career was put on hold for World War II, where he served as a major in the U.S. Army Air Corps. After the war, Chapman picked up where he left off, with a string of victories in the British, French, Canadian, and Italian amateurs. Chapman is one of only two players who has won the U.S., British, and Canadian Amateur Championships.
"Blessed with a strong competitive spirit and an inquiring mind into the technicalities of the swing," reads the entry on Chapman in Who's Who in Golf. "Chapman not only played the game but wrote about it and worked at its many phases."
In the 1950s, Chapman collaborated with the USGA on a handicap format for foursomes play called the Chapman System, also known as Pinehurst or American Foursomes. The system worked as follows: two golfers on the same team each tee off, then play the other's ball. From there, they select the ball with which to complete the hole and continue as in foursomes.
Chapman played on the winning Walker Cup teams in 1947, 1951, and 1953. Chapman was a member of The Tin Whistles. Chapman's final success came in 1967 with a victory in the International Senior Amateur.

Death

In the early 1970s, a stroke hampered his career. In 1978, he died in Rancho Santa Fe, California.

Awards and honors

In 1986, Chapman was inducted into the Carolinas Golf Association Hall of Fame
In 2001, Chapman was inducted into the Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame
Amateur wins

this list is probably incomplete

1934 Westchester Amateur
1936 Connecticut Amateur
1938 Connecticut Amateur
1939 French Amateur, New York State Amateur
1940 U.S. Amateur
1948 Golf Illustrated Gold Vase
1949 Canadian Amateur
1950 Massachusetts Amateur
1951 British Amateur, New England Amateur
1952 French Amateur
1953 Carolinas Amateur
1957 Carolinas Amateur
1958 North and South Amateur
1960 Italian Open Amateur
Major championships

Amateur wins (2)

Results timeline

Tournament	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	1946	1947	1948	1949
Masters Tournament		T19 LA		NT	NT	NT	T41	T14	T40 LA	50
U.S. Open	T36	T49	NT	NT	NT	NT		CUT
British Open	NT	NT	NT	NT	NT	NT
U.S. Amateur	1 M	R64	NT	NT	NT	NT	R16	R16	R128
British Amateur	NT	NT	NT	NT	NT	NT		2	R16

Tournament	1960	1961	1962
Masters Tournament	DQ	CUT	CUT
U.S. Open	CUT
British Open		CUT
U.S. Amateur	R64		R32
British Amateur

Note: Chapman never played in the PGA Championship.
M = Medalist

LA = Low Amateur
NT = No tournament
WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R256, R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Source for The Masters:
Source for U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur:
Sources for British Amateur: , , , , , ,
Source:

U.S. national team appearances

Amateur

Walker Cup: 1947, 1951, 1953