1959 in sports

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

Years in sports
← 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 →
1959 in sports
Air sports American football Aquatic sports Association football Athletics Australian rules football Badminton Baseball Basketball Canadian football Chess Climbing Combat sports Sumo Cricket 1958–59 1959 1959–60 Cycling Dance sports Darts Equestrianism Esports Field hockey Flying disc Golf Gymnastics Handball Ice hockey Ice sports Korfball Lumberjack sports Mind sports Modern pentathlon Motorsport Orienteering Paralympic sports Precision sports Shooting Racquetball Roller sports Sailing Skiing Speedway Rugby league‎ Rugby union Snooker 1958–59 1959–60 Strength sports Weightlifting Squash Table tennis Tennis Triathlon Volleyball

• 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.

Brazil

• Taca Brasil, as predecessor for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A, that first officially games held on August 23.^{[citation needed]}

Turkey

• Turkish National League, as predecessor for Super Lig of Turkey, that first officially game held on February 21.^{[page needed]}

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

• 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.

• 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

• 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

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

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

• 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.^[1][2]

• 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

• 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

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

Steeplechases

• Cheltenham Gold Cup – Roddy Owen
• Grand National – Oxo

Flat races

• Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Macdougal
• Canadian Triple Crown races:
  1. Queen's Plate – New Providence
  2. Prince of Wales Stakes – New Providence
  3. 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:
  1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Taboun
  2. The Derby – Parthia^[3]
  3. St. Leger Stakes – Cantelo
• United States Triple Crown races:
  1. Kentucky Derby – Tomy Lee
  2. Preakness Stakes – Royal Orbit
  3. Belmont Stakes – Sword Dancer

• 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.

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

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

• 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.

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

• Central American and Caribbean Games held in Caracas, Venezuela
• Third Pan American Games held in Chicago, United States^[4]
• Third Mediterranean Games held in Beirut, Lebanon
• First Summer Universiade held in Turin, Italy

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