1947 U.S. Amateur: Skee Riegel wins at Del Monte Golf & Country Club (Pebble Beach)
Skee Riegel won the 1947 U.S. Amateur at Del Monte Golf & Country Club (Pebble Beach) in Pebble Beach, California, beating Johnny Dawson 2 & 1 in the final.
Updated October 22, 2026
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- Edition
- 47th
- Dates
- September 8, 1947 to September 13, 1947
- Course
- Del Monte Golf & Country Club (Pebble Beach), Pebble Beach, California
- Format
- match play (sectional qualifying only)
- Champion
- Skee Riegel · age 32 · United States
- Champion's title
- 1st U.S. Amateur
- Runner-up
- Johnny Dawson · age 44
- Final
- 2 & 1
- Losing semifinalists
- Jack Selby and Felice Torza
- Defending champion
- Ted Bishop · lost in round of 32
- Entries
- 1,048
What happened at the 1947 U.S. Amateur
Johnny Dawson holed an eight-iron from 40 feet for an eagle 3 on the 20th hole to beat favorite Frank Stranahan after Stranahan missed a sub-2-foot putt on the 18th.
Riegel won the 33rd hole to go 2 up and closed out the 44-year-old Dawson 2 & 1 on Pebble Beach's 218-yard 17th (35th) after Dawson bunkered his tee shot.
Final, Skee Riegel v. Johnny Dawson, 2 & 1. Riegel was 2 up at 18 and 3 up at 27 (answering Dawson's 35 on the third nine with a 34); Dawson won two holes on the last nine, Riegel won the 33rd to go 2 up, made it dormie with a par half on the 34th and closed out the match on the 218-yard 35th, where Dawson drove into a trap and conceded.
Round of 32, Johnny Dawson v. Frank Stranahan, won on 20th hole. Stranahan, the pre-tournament favorite, was 1 up on the 18th but missed a putt of under 2 feet; after a half at the 19th Dawson holed an eight-iron from 40 feet for an eagle 3 on the 20th.
Round of 32, Chuck Kocsis v. Ted Bishop. Kocsis eliminated the defending champion in the fourth round.
The draw
Every match is recorded through the round of 16; earlier rounds are partial (round of 32 (1 of 16 matches with players and result; 2 rows); round of 64 (1 of 32 matches with players and result; 1 rows); second round (4 matches recorded)).
The final, 1947 U.S. Amateur
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skee Riegel | def. | Johnny Dawson | 2 & 1 |
Semifinals, 1947 U.S. Amateur
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnny Dawson | def. | Jack Selby | 5 & 4 |
| Skee Riegel | def. | Felice Torza | 2 & 1 |
Quarterfinals, 1947 U.S. Amateur
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnny Dawson | def. | Frank Strafaci | 6 & 5 |
| Jack Selby | def. | Bud Ward | 2 & 1 |
| Felice Torza | def. | Harvie Ward | 4 & 3 |
| Skee Riegel | def. | Bob Rosburg | 2 & 1 |
Round of 16, 1947 U.S. Amateur
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Strafaci | def. | Dick Chapman | 5 & 3 |
| Johnny Dawson | def. | Otto Hofmeister | 5 & 4 |
| Jack Selby | def. | Tommy Barnes | won on 22nd hole |
| Bud Ward | def. | Frank Hixon | 6 & 5 |
| Harvie Ward | def. | Jack W. Robinson | 3 & 2 |
| Felice Torza | def. | Charles Lind | 2 up |
| Bob Rosburg | def. | Chuck Kocsis | 4 & 3 |
| Skee Riegel | def. | Jack Bariteau | 3 & 1 |
Round of 32, 1947 U.S. Amateur
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnny Dawson | def. | Frank Stranahan | won on 20th hole |
| Chuck Kocsis | def. | Ted Bishop | unknown |
Round of 64, 1947 U.S. Amateur
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chuck Kocsis | def. | Bruce McCormick | won on 20th hole |
Round of 128, 1947 U.S. Amateur
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy Leonard | def. | Ray Billows | 1 up |
| Jack Bariteau | def. | Smiley Quick | 1 up |
| Donald P. Kennedy | def. | Robert Sweeny Jr. | 3 & 2 |
| Ted Bishop | def. | Henry Kershaw | default |
How this was built
Every value is shown as recorded in GNN's U.S. Amateur data set (research collected through October 20, 2026). "unknown" means no source confirmed it; nothing is estimated. Where sources disagree, the USGA's own record is used.
Data: us-amateur.json.