1963 U.S. Amateur: Deane Beman wins at Wakonda Club
Deane Beman won the 1963 U.S. Amateur at Wakonda Club in Des Moines, Iowa, beating R. H. Sikes 2 & 1 in the final.
Updated October 22, 2026
Walk this draw in the U.S. Amateur room.
- Edition
- 63rd
- Dates
- September 9, 1963 to September 14, 1963
- Course
- Wakonda Club, Des Moines, Iowa
- Format
- match play (sectional qualifying only)
- Champion
- Deane Beman · age 25 · United States
- Champion's title
- 2nd U.S. Amateur
- Runner-up
- R. H. Sikes · age 23
- Final
- 2 & 1
- Losing semifinalists
- George Archer and Charles Coe
- Defending champion
- Labron Harris Jr. · lost in round of 64
- Entries
- 1,768
What happened at the 1963 U.S. Amateur
Final: Sikes led 3 up after a 13th-hole birdie in the morning; Beman won five straight holes (15th-19th, birdies at 15, 17 and 18) to go 2 up, Sikes squared, Beman won the 28th when Sikes bunkered his approach, and closed it out 2 & 1 on the 35th.
Round of 16: Walter Stahl, who had eliminated defending champion Labron Harris Jr., beat future PGA champion Dave Stockton on the 21st hole; Beman needed 19 holes to beat Barry Meerdink of Muscatine, Iowa.
Semifinal, R. H. Sikes v. Charles Coe, 2 & 1. Sikes was 4 up after three afternoon holes; two-time champion Coe birdied the 10th and 13th to get within one, but at the 16th Sikes putted from 40 feet to inches and Coe's 10-footer hung on the lip; Coe bogeyed the 17th.
Round of 64, Walter Stahl v. Labron Harris Jr.. Ohio Amateur champion Walter Stahl of Cleveland eliminated defending champion Labron Harris Jr. in the third round.
The draw
Every match is recorded through the round of 16; earlier rounds are partial (round of 32 (5 of 16 matches with players and result; 5 rows)).
The final, 1963 U.S. Amateur
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deane Beman | def. | R. H. Sikes | 2 & 1 |
Semifinals, 1963 U.S. Amateur
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deane Beman | def. | George Archer | 5 & 4 |
| R. H. Sikes | def. | Charles Coe | 2 & 1 |
Quarterfinals, 1963 U.S. Amateur
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Archer | def. | Steve Spray | 1 up |
| Deane Beman | def. | Walter Stahl | 6 & 5 |
| R. H. Sikes | def. | John Owens | 6 & 4 |
| Charles Coe | def. | Dick Guardiola | 6 & 4 |
Round of 16, 1963 U.S. Amateur
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Archer | def. | John Lotz | 3 & 2 |
| Charles Coe | def. | James C. Thompson Jr. | 8 & 7 |
| Steve Spray | def. | Philip Olson | 1 up |
| Deane Beman | def. | Barry Meerdink | won on 19th hole |
| John Owens | def. | William C. Campbell | 2 up |
| R. H. Sikes | def. | Ed Tutwiler | 1 up |
| Walter Stahl | def. | Dave Stockton | won on 21st hole |
| Dick Guardiola | def. | Ross Mitchell | 3 & 1 |
Round of 32, 1963 U.S. Amateur
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deane Beman | def. | Jim Gabrielsen | 1 up |
| Barry Meerdink | def. | Bob Astleford | 1 up |
| William C. Campbell | def. | Robert Greenwood Jr. | 4 & 3 |
| John Owens | def. | Jim Jewell | 3 & 1 |
| Charles Coe | def. | Don Allen | 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.