1951 U.S. Amateur: Billy Maxwell wins at Saucon Valley Country Club (Old Course)

Billy Maxwell won the 1951 U.S. Amateur at Saucon Valley Country Club (Old Course) in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, beating Joe Gagliardi 4 & 3 in the final.

Updated October 21, 2026

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Edition: 51st
Dates: September 10, 1951 to September 15, 1951
Course: Saucon Valley Country Club (Old Course), Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Format: match play (sectional qualifying only)
Champion: Billy Maxwell · age 22 · United States · North Texas State
Champion's title: 1st U.S. Amateur
Runner-up: Joe Gagliardi · age 39
Final: 4 & 3
Losing semifinalists: Tommy Jacobs and Jack Benson
Defending champion: Sam Urzetta · lost in round of 32
Entries: 1,416

What happened at the 1951 U.S. Amateur

Maxwell holed a 12-footer for a deuce on the 175-yard 22nd to go 5 up and closed out Gagliardi, who was playing with an abscessed tooth, 4 & 3.

16-year-old Tommy Jacobs became the youngest semifinalist in 47 years.

Final, Billy Maxwell v. Joe Gagliardi, 4 & 3. Maxwell (36-34—70 in the morning) went to lunch 2 up despite Gagliardi holing long putts on the 6th, 11th (34-footer for a deuce) and 18th; Maxwell won the 19th and 20th, holed a 12-footer for a 2 on the 22nd to go 5 up, three-putted the 26th and 27th, then went 4 up at the 28th; Gagliardi's 14-foot putt won the 29th but Maxwell won the 31st and closed it out on the 33rd. Gagliardi was playing with an abscessed tooth.

Semifinal, Joe Gagliardi v. Tommy Jacobs, 6 & 5. 16-year-old U.S. Junior champion Tommy Jacobs, the youngest semifinalist in 47 years (since Fred Herreshoff in 1904), was beaten 6 & 5 by 39-year-old Gagliardi.

Round of 32, Joe Gagliardi v. Sam Urzetta. Westchester lawyer Joe Gagliardi of Winged Foot upset defending champion Sam Urzetta, then beat 1949 champion Charles Coe in the quarterfinals.

The draw

Every match is recorded through the round of 16.

The final, 1951 U.S. Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Billy Maxwell	def.	Joe Gagliardi	4 & 3

Semifinals, 1951 U.S. Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Joe Gagliardi	def.	Tommy Jacobs	6 & 5
Billy Maxwell	def.	Jack Benson	10 & 9

Quarterfinals, 1951 U.S. Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Tommy Jacobs	def.	Edward P. Martin	4 & 2
Joe Gagliardi	def.	Charles Coe	2 up
Jack Benson	def.	James Frisina	4 & 3
Billy Maxwell	def.	Arnold Blum	won on 20th hole

Round of 16, 1951 U.S. Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Tommy Jacobs	def.	Billy Picard	1 up
Edward P. Martin	def.	Robert E. Eckis Jr.	5 & 4
Joe Gagliardi	def.	Richard E. Evans	3 & 1
Charles Coe	def.	George E. Victor	3 & 2
Jack Benson	def.	Harold Paddock Jr.	1 up
James Frisina	def.	Sol K. Spencer	1 up
Arnold Blum	def.	Ellis Taylor	4 & 3
Billy Maxwell	def.	L. M. Crannell Jr.	won on 19th hole

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.