# 1959 in sports

1959 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

## American football

* NFL Championship: the Baltimore Colts won 31–16 over the New York Giants at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium
* August 14 – The American Football League is founded. Play would begin the following year.
* Sugar Bowl (1958 season):
** The LSU Tigers won, 7–0, over the Clemson Tigers to win the AP and Coaches Poll national championships.

## Association football

Brazil
* Taca Brasil, as predecessor for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A, that first officially games held on August 23.
Turkey
* Turkish National League, as predecessor for Super Lig of Turkey, that first officially game held on February 21.

## Athletics

* Pan American Games athletics held in Chicago with US sprinter Ray Norton winning three gold medals in the sprint events

## Baseball

* March 3 – The San Francisco Giants officially name their new stadium Candlestick Park.
* May 26 – In what many experts call the greatest pitching performance in history, Harvey Haddix—suffering with a flu and sore throat—hurls a 12 inning perfect game for the Pittsburgh Pirates but loses in the 13th inning 0–1 on a Don Hoak fielding error to the Milwaukee Braves as lightning storms threaten the end of the game.
* June 25 - Emperor Hirohito, watched Japanese professional baseball game for first time in Korakuen Baseball Stadium, Tokyo, Japan. At final resulting to Tokyo Giants win over Hanshin Tigers 5 to 4 in a home run by Shigeo Nagashima from Minoru Murayama.
* World Series – Los Angeles Dodgers win 4 games to 2 over the Chicago White Sox. The Series MVP is Larry Sherry, Los Angeles
* The Havana Sugar Kings defeat the Richmond Virginians to win the International League Governors' Cup.
* The Minneapolis Millers win the American Association championship.
* Havana wins 4 games to 3 over Minneapolis to win the Junior World Series.
* The Salt Lake City Bees win the Pacific Coast League pennant.
* The Winnipeg Goldeyes win the Northern League championship.

## Basketball

* FIBA World Championship
** Brazil World Champion
* NCAA Men's Basketball Championship –
** California wins 71–70 over West Virginia
* NBA Finals –
** Boston Celtics win 4 games to 0 over the Minneapolis Lakers

## Boxing

* June 26 – in New York City, Ingemar Johansson scored a 3rd-round TKO over Floyd Patterson to win the World Heavyweight Championship
* August 27 to September 7 – Pan American Games held in Chicago, United States

## Bowling

Nine-pin bowling
* Nine-pin bowling World Championships –
** Men's champion: Eberhard Luther, East Germany
** Women's champion: Hilde Beljan, East Germany
** Men's team champion: Yugoslavia
** Women's team champion: East Germany

## Canadian football

* Grey Cup – Winnipeg Blue Bombers win 21–7 over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats

## Cricket

* During a Currie Cup match against Natal at the Jan Smuts Ground in East London in December, Border set the record (which still stands) for the lowest aggregate score by a first class side in a match. Border scored 34 runs in the match – 16 in the first innings and 18 in the second innings.

## Curling

* Inaugural World Curling Championships held in Falkirk and Edinburgh for men only and known as the "Scotch Cup"; it is won by a Canadianteam from Regina, Saskatchewan, skipped by Ernie Richardson

## Figure skating

* World Figure Skating Championship –
** Men's champion: David Jenkins, United States
** Ladies' champion: Carol Heiss, United States
** Pair skating champion: Barbara Wagner & Robert Paul, Canada
** Ice dancing champion: Doreen Denny & Courtney Jones, Great Britain

## Golf

Men's professional
* Masters Tournament – Art Wall, Jr.
* U.S. Open – Billy Casper
* British Open – Gary Player
* PGA Championship – Bob Rosburg
* PGA Tour money leader – Art Wall, Jr. – $53,168
* Ryder Cup – United States 8½ to 3½ over Britain in team golf
Men's amateur
* British Amateur – Deane Beman
* U.S. Amateur – Jack Nicklaus
Women's professional
* Women's Western Open – Betsy Rawls
* LPGA Championship – Betsy Rawls
* U.S. Women's Open – Mickey Wright
* Titleholders Championship – Louise Suggs
* LPGA Tour money leader – Betsy Rawls – $26,774

## Horse racing

Steeplechases
* Cheltenham Gold Cup – Roddy Owen
* Grand National – Oxo
Flat races
* Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Macdougal
* Canadian Triple Crown races:
** Queen's Plate – New Providence
** Prince of Wales Stakes – New Providence
** Breeders' Stakes – New Providence
** New Providence becomes the first horse ever to win all three races.
* France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Saint Crespin
* Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Fidalgo
* English Triple Crown races:
** 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Taboun
** The Derby – Parthia
** St. Leger Stakes – Cantelo
* United States Triple Crown races:
** Kentucky Derby – Tomy Lee
** Preakness Stakes – Royal Orbit
** Belmont Stakes – Sword Dancer

## Ice hockey

* Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Dickie Moore, Montreal Canadiens
* Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Andy Bathgate, New York Rangers
* Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens win 4 games to 1 over the Toronto Maple Leafs
* World Hockey Championship
** Men's champion: Belleville McFarlands from Canada
* NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux defeat Michigan State University Spartans 4–3 in overtime in Troy, New York
* The Hershey Bears defeat the Buffalo Bisons 4 games to 2 to win the AHL Calder Cup.
* The Louisville Rebels defeat the Fort Wayne Komets 4 games to 2 to win the IHL Turner Cup.
* On November 1, Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jacques Plante was injured when struck in the face by a flying puck. He offers to return to play on the condition that he wears his goalie mask. His example soon leads to the mask becoming standard equipment for goalies and a symbol of the game itself.
* The TV-pucken tournament starts.

## Rugby league

* 1959 New Zealand rugby league season
* 1958–59 Northern Rugby Football League season/1959–60 Northern Rugby Football League season
* 1959 NSWRFL season

## Rugby union

* 65th Five Nations Championship series is won by France, the team's first outright championship title

## Swimming

* July 11 – US swimmer Michael Troy breaks his own first official world record (2:19.0), set earlier in the day, in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) at a meet in Los Altos, California, clocking 2:16.4.
* July 19 – US swimmer Becky Collins breaks the world record in the women's 200m butterfly at a meet in Redding, California, clocking 2:37.0.

## Tennis

Australia
* Australian Men's Singles Championship – Alex Olmedo (USA) defeats Neale Fraser (Australia) 6–1, 6–2, 3–6, 6–3
* Australian Women's Singles Championship – Mary Carter Reitano (Australia) defeats Renee Schuurman Haygarth (South Africa) 6–2, 6–3
England
* Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Alex Olmedo (USA) defeats Rod Laver (Australia) 6–4, 6–3, 6–4
* Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Maria Bueno (Brazil) defeats Darlene Hard (USA) 6–4, 6–3
France
* French Men's Singles Championship – Nicola Pietrangeli (Italy) defeats Ian Vermaak (South Africa) 3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–1
* French Women's Singles Championship – Christine Truman (Great Britain) defeats Zsuzsa Körmöczy (Hungary) 6–4, 7–5
USA
* American Men's Singles Championship – Neale Fraser (Australia) defeats Alex Olmedo (USA) 6–3, 5–7, 6–2, 6–4
* American Women's Singles Championship – Maria Bueno (Brazil) defeats Christine Truman (Great Britain) 6–1, 6–4
Davis Cup
* 1959 Davis Cup – Australia 3–2 United States at West Side Tennis Club (grass) New York City, United States

## Volleyball

* Volleyball at the 1959 Pan American Games in Chicago won by USA (men) and Brazil (women)

## Multi-sport events

* Central American and Caribbean Games held in Caracas, Venezuela
* Third Pan American Games held in Chicago, United States
* Third Mediterranean Games held in Beirut, Lebanon
* First Summer Universiade held in Turin, Italy

## Awards

* Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Ingemar Johansson, Boxing
* Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Maria Bueno, Tennis