Gary Cowan
Encyclopedia
Gary Cowan is a Canadian golf
er who has achieved outstanding results at the highest class in amateur
competition.
, Ontario
, Canada
. He began to play golf at the municipal golf course, Rockway, in Kitchener, and found great rivalries there with such excellent players as Moe Norman
and Gerry Kesselring. The three were coached by Lloyd Tucker.
Cowan reached the semi-finals of the Ontario
Amateur Championship at age 17 in 1956, a record for a player so young.
He won the 1956 Canadian Junior Championship. His first national championship victory at men's level was the 1961 Canadian Amateur Championship
, which was to be his only win, but he reached the finals on four other occasions (1959, 1960, 1964, 1968), and finished second at stroke play twice more (1974, 1978). Cowan finished as the low individual scorer at the 1962 Eisenhower Trophy
, an international amateur team event, in Japan
.
Cowan went on to win the United States Amateur Championship on two occasions. In 1966, he was victorious at the Merion Golf Club
in suburban Philadelphia, after defeating Deane Beman
in an 18-hole playoff. Then in 1971, he won at the Wilmington Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware
, by sinking his approach shot on the final hole with a nine-iron for an eagle two. Cowan remains the only player to win the U.S. Amateur twice at stroke play, and he remains one of only two Canadians (the first was Sandy Somerville in 1932) to win the U.S. Amateur.
Cowan also won the Sunnehanna Amateur
in 1964 and the Porter Cup
in 1969.
Cowan has captured nine Ontario Amateur Championships, a record.
Cowan turned professional at age 52 and played on the Senior PGA Tour (now Champions Tour) for a couple of years with three top-10 finishes.
Cowan was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
in 1967, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame
in 1972, and was selected as the Canadian Male Golfer of the 20th Century in 2000 by the Royal Canadian Golf Association
. Cowan is also a member of the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame.
Cowan had a successful career in the insurance
business.
Amateur
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er who has achieved outstanding results at the highest class in amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
competition.
Biography
Cowan was born in KitchenerKitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He began to play golf at the municipal golf course, Rockway, in Kitchener, and found great rivalries there with such excellent players as Moe Norman
Moe Norman
Murray Irwin "Moe" Norman was a Canadian professional golfer. He was widely considered the best ball striker who ever lived among the best players in the world...
and Gerry Kesselring. The three were coached by Lloyd Tucker.
Cowan reached the semi-finals of the Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
Amateur Championship at age 17 in 1956, a record for a player so young.
He won the 1956 Canadian Junior Championship. His first national championship victory at men's level was the 1961 Canadian Amateur Championship
Canadian Amateur Championship
The Canadian Amateur Championship, begun in 1895, is the men's amateur golf championship of Canada. It is staged annually by the Royal Canadian Golf Association. It was played at match play until 1968, went to stroke play beginning in 1969, and reverted to match play in 1995...
, which was to be his only win, but he reached the finals on four other occasions (1959, 1960, 1964, 1968), and finished second at stroke play twice more (1974, 1978). Cowan finished as the low individual scorer at the 1962 Eisenhower Trophy
Eisenhower Trophy
The Eisenhower Trophy is a biennial world amateur team golf championship for men organized by the International Golf Federation. It is named for Dwight D. Eisenhower, the President of the United States when the tournament was first played, who was a keen amateur golfer. Recent tournaments have...
, an international amateur team event, in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Cowan went on to win the United States Amateur Championship on two occasions. In 1966, he was victorious at the Merion Golf Club
Merion Golf Club
Merion Golf Club is a private golf club located near Ardmore, Pennsylvania that is consistently rated by Golf Digest, among America's greatest golf courses, and will host the U.S. Open in 2013...
in suburban Philadelphia, after defeating Deane Beman
Deane Beman
Deane R. Beman is an American professional golfer, golf administrator, and golf course architect.Beman was born in Washington, D.C. and graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, where he played for the varsity golf team. Following graduation, Beman had a career in the insurance...
in an 18-hole playoff. Then in 1971, he won at the Wilmington Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, by sinking his approach shot on the final hole with a nine-iron for an eagle two. Cowan remains the only player to win the U.S. Amateur twice at stroke play, and he remains one of only two Canadians (the first was Sandy Somerville in 1932) to win the U.S. Amateur.
Cowan also won the Sunnehanna Amateur
Sunnehanna Amateur
The Sunnehanna Amateur, officially the Sunnehanna Amateur Tournament for Champions, is a men's amateur golf tournament. Founded in 1954, it is hosted annually at the Sunnehanna Country Club in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States...
in 1964 and the Porter Cup
Porter Cup
The Porter Cup is a 72-hole, medal-play elite amateur golf tournament held annually at the Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston, New York. It was first played in 1959 and over the years has hosted some of the biggest names in golf...
in 1969.
Cowan has captured nine Ontario Amateur Championships, a record.
Cowan turned professional at age 52 and played on the Senior PGA Tour (now Champions Tour) for a couple of years with three top-10 finishes.
Cowan was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 1955 to "preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements and to promote a greater awareness of Canada's heritage of sport." It is located at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta...
in 1967, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame
Canadian Golf Hall of Fame
The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum and hall of fame covering the history of the game of golf in Canada, and celebrating the careers and accomplishments of the most significant contributors to the game in that country...
in 1972, and was selected as the Canadian Male Golfer of the 20th Century in 2000 by the Royal Canadian Golf Association
Royal Canadian Golf Association
Golf Canada, formerly known as the Royal Canadian Golf Association is the governing body of golf in Canada.-Beginnings:The RCGA was founded on June 6, 1895 as the Canadian Golf Association at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club. The Royal prefix was granted to the CGA in June 1896 by Queen Victoria through...
. Cowan is also a member of the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame.
Cowan had a successful career in the insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
business.
Amateur wins (17)
- 1956 Canadian Junior Amateur
- 1961 Canadian Amateur
- 1964 Ontario Amateur, Sunnehanna AmateurSunnehanna AmateurThe Sunnehanna Amateur, officially the Sunnehanna Amateur Tournament for Champions, is a men's amateur golf tournament. Founded in 1954, it is hosted annually at the Sunnehanna Country Club in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States...
- 1966 U.S. Amateur
- 1968 Ontario Amateur
- 1969 Porter CupPorter CupThe Porter Cup is a 72-hole, medal-play elite amateur golf tournament held annually at the Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston, New York. It was first played in 1959 and over the years has hosted some of the biggest names in golf...
- 1970 North and South Amateur
- 1971 U.S. Amateur, Ontario Amateur
- 1974 Ontario Amateur
- 1975 Ontario Amateur
- 1977 Ontario Amateur
- 1978 Ontario Amateur
- 1981 Ontario Amateur
- 1983 Ontario Amateur
- 1984 Ontario Amateur
Team appearances
this list may be incompleteAmateur
- Eisenhower TrophyEisenhower TrophyThe Eisenhower Trophy is a biennial world amateur team golf championship for men organized by the International Golf Federation. It is named for Dwight D. Eisenhower, the President of the United States when the tournament was first played, who was a keen amateur golfer. Recent tournaments have...
(representing Canada): 1960, 1962 (individual winner), 1964, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1978