William C. Campbell (golfer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids William C. Campbell |
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | William Cammack Campbell |
| Born | May 5, 1923 Huntington, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | August 30, 2013 (aged 90) Lewisburg, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st) |
| Career | |
| College | Princeton University |
| Status | Amateur |
| Best results in Major Championships |
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| The Masters Tournament | T36: 1955, 1966 |
| U.S. Open | T23: 1954 |
| The Open Championship | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| U.S. Amateur | Won: 1964 |
| British Amateur | 2nd: 1954 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| World Golf Hall of Fame | 1990 |
| Bob Jones Award | 1956 |
| Old Tom Morris Award | 1991 |
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William C. Campbell
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| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |
 Army |
William Cammack Campbell (born May 5, 1923 – died August 30, 2013) was a very famous amateur golfer. People often called him Bill Campbell. He was so good at golf that he was put into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1990.
Bill Campbell was born in Huntington, West Virginia. He went to Phillips Exeter Academy and won his first golf tournaments there. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army in Europe. After the war, he graduated from Princeton University in 1947 with a degree in history. At Princeton, he was a top player in both golf and swimming.
Even though he was a great golfer, Bill Campbell chose not to become a professional. Instead, he ran his family's insurance business for almost 60 years. He also served in the West Virginia State government and was on the boards of many companies. Fun fact: he was also the stepfather of actor Brad Dourif.
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Bill Campbell's Amazing Golf Career
Bill Campbell had a long and successful amateur golf career. He played in the U.S. Amateur tournament 37 times! His biggest win was the 1964 U.S. Amateur at Canterbury Golf Club.
He was also part of the Walker Cup team eight times between 1951 and 1975. The Walker Cup is a special golf competition between amateur teams from the United States and Great Britain/Ireland. He even led the U.S. team as captain in 1955. He was also a runner-up in the 1954 British Amateur tournament.
Bill Campbell won many other tournaments, including:
- Three West Virginia Open titles
- Four North and South Amateur titles
- Fifteen West Virginia Amateur titles
- The U.S. Senior Amateur in 1979 and 1980
He played in the famous Masters Tournament 18 times, which is more than any other amateur golfer. He also played in 15 U.S. Open tournaments.
Beyond playing, Bill Campbell helped lead the sport of golf. He was part of the Executive Committee of the United States Golf Association (USGA) for many years. He became the president of the USGA in 1982 and 1983. In 1987, he was named Captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews in Scotland. He was only the third American to ever hold this important position. This made him the first person to lead both of golf's main governing bodies!
Awards and Honors
Bill Campbell received many awards for his contributions to golf:
- In 1956, he was given the Bob Jones Award. This is the highest honor from the USGA.
- He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1990.
- In 1991, he received the Old Tom Morris Award. This is the top award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
- He was also inducted into the West Virginia Golf Hall of Fame in 2009, alongside another golf legend, Sam Snead.
Tournament Wins (32)
Here are some of the tournaments Bill Campbell won:
- 1941 Eastern Interscholastic Champion
- 1943 Eastern Intercollegiate Champion
- 1946 Eastern Intercollegiate Champion
- 1948 Tam O'Shanter World Amateur
- 1949 Tam O'Shanter World Amateur, West Virginia Amateur
- 1950 West Virginia Open, North and South Amateur, West Virginia Amateur
- 1951 West Virginia Amateur
- 1953 West Virginia Open, North and South Amateur
- 1955 West Virginia Open, West Virginia Amateur
- 1956 Mexican Amateur
- 1957 North and South Amateur, West Virginia Amateur
- 1959 West Virginia Amateur
- 1962 West Virginia Amateur
- 1964 U.S. Amateur
- 1965 West Virginia Amateur
- 1967 Ontario Amateur, North and South Amateur, West Virginia Amateur
- 1968 West Virginia Amateur
- 1970 West Virginia Amateur
- 1972 West Virginia Amateur
- 1973 West Virginia Amateur
- 1974 West Virginia Amateur
- 1975 West Virginia Amateur
- 1979 U.S. Senior Amateur
- 1980 U.S. Senior Amateur
Representing the U.S. Team
Bill Campbell played for the United States in several important amateur team competitions:
- Walker Cup: He was on the winning team in 1951, 1953, 1955 (where he was also the playing captain), 1957, 1967, and 1975. The team tied in 1965 and kept the cup.
- Eisenhower Trophy: He played in this competition in 1964.
- Americas Cup: He was on the winning team in 1952, 1954, 1956, and 1967.
