1956 U.S. Amateur: Harvie Ward wins at Knollwood Club
Harvie Ward won the 1956 U.S. Amateur at Knollwood Club in Lake Forest, Illinois, beating Chuck Kocsis 5 & 4 in the final.
Updated October 22, 2026
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- Edition
- 56th
- Dates
- September 10, 1956 to September 15, 1956
- Course
- Knollwood Club, Lake Forest, Illinois
- Format
- match play (sectional qualifying only)
- Champion
- Harvie Ward · age 30 · United States
- Champion's title
- 2nd U.S. Amateur
- Runner-up
- Chuck Kocsis · age 43
- Final
- 5 & 4
- Losing semifinalists
- Gerald Magee and Joe Campbell
- Defending champion
- Harvie Ward · won
- Entries
- 1,600
What happened at the 1956 U.S. Amateur
Ward, 2 down after the 19th, birdied the 21st and 24th to square and won four straight holes on the way to a 5 & 4 win on the 32nd green
Ward became the first repeat champion since Lawson Little in 1934-35, 11 under par for 144 holes of match play
Final, Harvie Ward v. Chuck Kocsis, 5 & 4. Kocsis led 1 up at lunch and won the 19th to go 2 up, then never won another hole; Ward holed a 12-ft birdie at the 21st, chipped to 2 inches for birdie on the 480-yd 24th to square, reeled off four straight holes, won the 29th and 31st and closed it out with a 12-ft putt for a half on the 32nd
Semifinal, Chuck Kocsis v. Gerald Magee, 4 & 2. Kocsis went 2 up with threes on the 11th-13th of the morning round (60-ft chip-in birdie on the 11th, 60-ft putt to win the 13th) and was never caught
Round of 16, Sergio Fontanini v. William C. Campbell, 1 up. Des Moines newcomer Sergio Fontanini upset Walker Cup player Bill Campbell
Round of 16, Joe Campbell v. Charles Coe, 4 & 3. Purdue's Joe Campbell eliminated 1949 champion Charlie Coe
The draw
Every match is recorded through the round of 16.
The final, 1956 U.S. Amateur
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvie Ward | def. | Chuck Kocsis | 5 & 4 |
Semifinals, 1956 U.S. Amateur
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chuck Kocsis | def. | Gerald Magee | 4 & 2 |
| Harvie Ward | def. | Joe Campbell | 2 & 1 |
Quarterfinals, 1956 U.S. Amateur
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gerald Magee | def. | Ted Gleichmann | 2 & 1 |
| Chuck Kocsis | def. | Rex Baxter Jr. | 3 & 2 |
| Joe Campbell | def. | Sergio Fontanini | 2 & 1 |
| Harvie Ward | def. | Arnold Blum | 3 & 2 |
Round of 16, 1956 U.S. Amateur
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ted Gleichmann | def. | Ward Wettlaufer | 3 & 2 |
| Gerald Magee | def. | Neil Croonquist | 1 up |
| Rex Baxter Jr. | def. | Ronald Wenzler | 3 & 2 |
| Chuck Kocsis | def. | Robert Shave Jr. | 2 up |
| Harvie Ward | def. | John P. Ward | 5 & 4 |
| Joe Campbell | def. | Charles Coe | 4 & 3 |
| Sergio Fontanini | def. | William C. Campbell | 1 up |
| Arnold Blum | def. | Frank Holt | 1 up |
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.