1953 U.S. Amateur: Gene Littler wins at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club
Gene Littler won the 1953 U.S. Amateur at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, beating Dale Morey 1 up in the final.
Updated October 21, 2026
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- Edition
- 53rd
- Dates
- September 14, 1953 to September 19, 1953
- Course
- Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Format
- match play (sectional qualifying only)
- Champion
- Gene Littler · age 23 · United States
- Champion's title
- 1st U.S. Amateur
- Runner-up
- Dale Morey · age 34
- Final
- 1 up
- Losing semifinalists
- Bruce Cudd and Don Albert
- Defending champion
- Jack Westland · lost in third round
- Entries
- 1,284
What happened at the 1953 U.S. Amateur
Three down with nine to play, Morey squared the final with birdie putts on the 34th and 35th; Littler won with an 18-foot birdie putt on the 36th green.
Arnold Palmer knocked out defending champion Congressman Jack Westland 1 up in the third round.
Final, Gene Littler v. Dale Morey, 1 up. All square after a par-for-par morning; Morey led at the 21st, then lost four of the next five holes and was 3 down with nine to play. He won the 28th and holed birdie putts of 5 and 10 feet on the 34th and 35th to square the match; at the 36th Morey bunkered his approach and Littler holed an 18-foot birdie putt to win.
Round of 16, Don Albert v. Arnold Palmer, 1 up. Coast Guardsman Arnold Palmer, who had beaten defending champion Jack Westland 1 up in the third round and Walker Cupper Ken Venturi 2 & 1, lost 1 up to Purdue junior Don Albert.
Quarterfinal, Dale Morey v. Angelo Santilli, won on 20th hole. Steelworker Angelo Santilli, who had beaten former champion Sam Urzetta 2 & 1 that morning, took Western Amateur champion Morey (playing with a heavy cold) to the 20th hole.
The draw
Every match is recorded through the round of 16.
The final, 1953 U.S. Amateur
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gene Littler | def. | Dale Morey | 1 up |
Semifinals, 1953 U.S. Amateur
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gene Littler | def. | Bruce Cudd | 10 & 8 |
| Dale Morey | def. | Don Albert | 5 & 4 |
Quarterfinals, 1953 U.S. Amateur
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Don Albert | def. | Robert W. Kuntz | 4 & 3 |
| Dale Morey | def. | Angelo Santilli | won on 20th hole |
| Gene Littler | def. | Ted Richards Jr. | 4 & 3 |
| Bruce Cudd | def. | Raymond Palmer | 2 & 1 |
Round of 16, 1953 U.S. Amateur
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert W. Kuntz | def. | Irving Cooper | 1 up |
| Don Albert | def. | Arnold Palmer | 1 up |
| Dale Morey | def. | William C. Campbell | 1 up |
| Angelo Santilli | def. | Sam Urzetta | 2 & 1 |
| Ted Richards Jr. | def. | Donald C. Nichols | 2 & 1 |
| Gene Littler | def. | John L. Morgan | 5 & 4 |
| Raymond Palmer | def. | James G. Jackson | won on 19th hole |
| Bruce Cudd | def. | Arnold Blum | 2 & 1 |
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.