Charles Robert Coe (October 26, 1923 – May 16, 2001) was an American amateur golfer who is considered by many to be one of the greatest American amateurs in history.

Early life Born in Ardmore, Oklahoma, Coe served as a pilot during World War II,Coe, Charles R. Obituary and later attended the University of Oklahoma from 1946 to 1948. He won the Big Seven Conference championship all three years. He was a member of the Gamma Phi chapter of Beta Theta Pi.

Golf career Coe did not turn professional. He later stated, "When I was growing up, golf was a gentleman's game." In addition, his wife did not think Coe's potential career as a touring professional was amenable for family life. "If I thought I was going to raise three children out of a suitcase, I was crazy," she later said. For his career, Coe worked in the oil business.

Coe won the U.S. Amateur in 1949, beating Rufus King 11 & 10 in the finals, and won it again in 1958 with a 5 & 4 victory over Tommy Aaron. He finished runner-up to Jack Nicklaus in the 1959 tournament. Coe won the Western Amateur in 1950, and made the finals of the British Amateur in 1951, losing to Dick Chapman. He won four Trans-Mississippi Amateurs, in 1947, 1949, 1952, and 1956. He played on six Walker Cup teams from 1949 to 1963, including as playing captain on the 1959 team, and was non-playing captain on a seventh team in 1957.

Coe made 19 Masters Tournament appearances and owns almost every Masters amateur record, including most cuts made (15); top-25 finishes (9); top-10 finishes (3); eagles (6), rounds played (67) and most times low amateur (6).SoonerSports.com. Coe Golf Center . University of Oklahoma. Retrieved on 2007-08-21. Coe won low amateur honors at Augusta in four consecutive decades: 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He also holds the amateur records for best finish (2nd in 1961), lowest third round score (67 in 1959), and lowest 72-hole score (281 in 1961). In 1961, Coe rallied in the final round from six shots down to finish one stroke behind Gary Player.

Personal life Coe was married to Elizabeth. They had three children.

Death and legacy Coe died in his sleep on May 16, 2001, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.Amateur golfer Charlie Coe dies at 77 When he died, the Rocky Mountain News quoted a Castle Pines golf club member saying, "Charlie Coe was an amateur at everything except life."

The Charlie Coe Golf Center at the University of Oklahoma was named after him. In addition, five years after his death Jack Nicklaus named him an honoree at his Memorial Tournament.

Award and honors In 1964, Coe received the Bob Jones Award, given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf. In 1987, Coe was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. In 2006, Coe was posthumously named an honoree at the Memorial Tournament. The Charlie Coe Golf Center at the University of Oklahoma is named in his honor.

Amateur wins (7) this list is probably incomplete 1947 Trans-Mississippi Amateur 1949 U.S. Amateur, Trans-Mississippi Amateur 1950 Western Amateur 1952 Trans-Mississippi Amateur 1956 Trans-Mississippi Amateur 1958 U.S. Amateur 1963 Mt. Vernon Classic

Major championships Amateur wins (2) YearChampionshipWinning scoreRunner-up 1949 U.S. Amateur 11 & 10 Rufus King 1958 U.S. Amateur 5 & 4 Tommy Aaron

Results timeline Tournament194719481949Masters TournamentT16 LAU.S. OpenU.S. AmateurR128SF1British Amateur Tournament1950195119521953195419551956195719581959Masters TournamentT32T12 LAT46T16T20T32DQT236 LAU.S. OpenT13 LAT38U.S. AmateurR32QFR16R64R256R256R16R3212British Amateur2R64 Tournament1960196119621963196419651966196719681969Masters TournamentT39T2 LAT9 LAT37CUTCUTT50U.S. OpenU.S. AmateurR64R64R256SF–––––British Amateur Tournament19701971Masters TournamentT23 LACUTU.S. Open Note: Coe never played in The Open Championship nor the PGA Championship.

LA = Low amateur DQ = disqualified 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: www.masters.com

Source for U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur: USGA Championship Database

Source for 1959 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 28, 1959, pg. 9.

U.S. national team appearances Amateur Walker Cup: 1949 (winners), 1951 (winners), 1953 (winners), 1957 (winners, non-playing captain) 1959 (winners, playing captain), 1961 (winners), 1963 (winners) Eisenhower Trophy: 1958 Americas Cup: 1952 (winners), 1954 (winners), 1958 (winners), 1960 (winners), 1961 (winners), 1963 (winners)

References

External links Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame profile Article on Coe at the Masters Charlie Coe Golf Learning Center at the University of Oklahoma Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Coe, Charles Robert (1923-2001) 1951 British Amateur film clip