1963 in sports explained

1963 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

American football

• NFL Championship: the Chicago Bears won 14–10 over the New York Giants at Wrigley Field
• January 29 – First inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame are announced
• September 7 – the Pro Football Hall of Fame opens in Canton, Ohio with 17 charter members.
• Rose Bowl (1962 season):
  • The Southern California Trojans won 42–37 over the Wisconsin Badgers to win the college football national championship. This is the first postseason bowl game to feature the #1 and #2 ranked teams in the country.
• AFL Eastern Division Playoff – Boston Patriots win 26–8 over the Buffalo Bills
• AFL Championship – San Diego Chargers win 51–10 over the Boston Patriots on January 5, 1964
• The Heisman Trophy – Roger Staubach, Navy
• Instant replay is used for the first time during the broadcast of the Army–Navy Game.

Association football

• FA Cup final – Manchester United won 3–1 over Leicester City
• August 24 – Founding of the German Football League – Bundesliga

Athletics

• May – Athletics at the 1963 Pan American Games held in São Paulo

Australian rules football

• Victorian Football League
  • Geelong wins the 67th VFL Premiership (Geelong 15.19 (109) d Hawthorn 8.12 (60))
  • Brownlow Medal awarded to Bob Skilton (South Melbourne)

Bandy

• 1963 Bandy World Championship is held in Sweden and won by .

Baseball

• June 22 – Phillies center fielder Tony Gonzalez plays his 200th straight errorless game to help rookie Ray Culp beat Roger Craig and the Mets 2–0.
• World Series – Los Angeles Dodgers win 4 games to 0 over the New York Yankees. The series MVP is Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles.

Basketball

• NCAA Men's Basketball Championship –
  • Loyola (Illinois) wins 60–58 over Cincinnati
• NBA Finals –
  • Boston Celtics win 4 games to 2 over the Los Angeles Lakers
• Basketball World Championship –
  • Brazil World Champion

Boxing

• July 22 – Sonny Liston wins the Heavyweight Championship of the world by knocking out Floyd Patterson in the 1st round of their bout in Las Vegas.
• August 27 to September 7 – Pan American Games held in São Paulo, Brazil.

Canadian football

• Grey Cup – Hamilton Tiger-Cats win 21–10 over the B.C. Lions

Cycling

• Giro d'Italia won by Franco Balmamion of Italy
• Tour de France – Jacques Anquetil of France
• UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Benoni Beheyt of Belgium

Figure skating

• World Figure Skating Championships
  • Men's champion: Donald McPherson, Canada
  • Ladies' champion: Sjoukje Dijkstra, Netherlands
  • Pair skating champions: Marika Kilius & Hans-Jürgen Bäumler, Germany
  • Ice dancing champions: Eva Romanová & Pavel Roman, Czechoslovakia

Golf

Men's professional

• Masters Tournament – Jack Nicklaus
• U.S. Open – Julius Boros
• British Open – Bob Charles
• PGA Championship – Jack Nicklaus
• PGA Tour money leader – Arnold Palmer – $128,230
• Ryder Cup – United States wins 23 to 9 over Britain in team golf.

Men's amateur

• British Amateur – Michael Lunt
• U.S. Amateur – Deane Beman

Women's professional

• Women's Western Open – Mickey Wright
• LPGA Championship – Mickey Wright
• U.S. Women's Open – Mary Mills
• Titleholders Championship – Marilynn Smith
• LPGA Tour money leader – Mickey Wright – $31,269

Harness racing

• United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
  1. Cane Pace – Meadow Skipper
  2. Little Brown Jug – Overtrick
  3. Messenger Stakes – Overtrick
• Speedy Scot won the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Triple Crown races –
  1. Hambletonian – Speedy Scott
  2. Yonkers Trot – Speedy Scott
  3. Kentucky Futurity – Speedy Scott
• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
  • Pacers: Cardigan Bay

Horse racing

Steeplechases

• Cheltenham Gold Cup – Mill House
• Grand National – Ayala

Flat races

• Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Gatum Gatum
• Canadian Triple Crown:
  1. Queen's Plate – Canebora
  2. Prince of Wales Stakes – Canebora
  3. Breeders' Stakes – Canebora
  • Canebora becomes the country's second Triple Crown winner, and the last until 1989.
• France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Exbury
• Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Ragusa
• English Triple Crown:
  1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Only for Life
  2. The Derby – Relko^[1]
  3. St. Leger Stakes – Ragusa
• United States Triple Crown:
  1. Kentucky Derby – Chateaugay
  2. Preakness Stakes – Candy Spots
  3. Belmont Stakes – Chateaugay

Ice Hockey

• Stanley Cup – Toronto Maple Leafs defeat the Detroit Red Wings 4 games to 1.

Motorsport

See main article: 1963 in motorsport and List of 1963 motorsport champions.

Radiosport

• Third Amateur Radio Direction Finding European Championship held in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Rugby league

• 1963 New Zealand rugby league season
• 1963 NSWRFL season
• 1962–63 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1963–64 Northern Rugby Football League season

Rugby union

• 69th Five Nations Championship series is won by England
• New Zealand All Blacks team tours Great Britain and is defeated only once: 3–0 by Newport RFC on 30 October

Swimming

• July 27 – US swimmer Susan Pitt breaks the world record in the women's 200m butterfly (long course) during a meet in Philadelphia, clocking 2:29.1.

Tennis

Australia

• Australian Men's Singles Championship – Roy Emerson (Australia) defeats Ken Fletcher (Australia) 6–3, 6–3, 6–1
• Australian Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Smith Court (Australia) defeats Jan Lehane O'Neill (Australia) 6–2, 6–2

England

• Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Chuck McKinley (USA) defeats Fred Stolle (Australia) 9–7, 6–1, 6–4
• Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Smith Court (Australia) defeats Billie Jean King (USA) 6–3, 6–4

France

• French Men's Singles Championship – Roy Emerson (Australia) defeats Pierre Darmon (France) 3–6, 6–1, 6–4, 6–4
• French Women's Singles Championship – Lesley Turner (Australia) defeats Ann Haydon Jones (Great Britain) 2–6, 6–3, 7–5

USA

• American Men's Singles Championship – Rafael Osuna (Mexico) defeats Frank Froehling (USA) 7–5, 6–4, 6–2
• American Women's Singles Championship – Maria Bueno (Brazil) defeats Margaret Smith (Australia) 7–5, 6–4

Events

• Federation Cup – USA 2–1 Australia (inaugural event)

Davis Cup

• 1963 Davis Cup – 3–2 at Memorial Drive Tennis Centre (grass) Adelaide, Australia

Volleyball

• Volleyball at the 1963 Pan American Games in São Paulo won by Brazil (both men's and women's tournaments)

Multi-sport events

• Fourth Pan American Games held in São Paulo, Brazil^[2]
• Fourth Mediterranean Games held in Naples, Italy
• Third Summer Universiade held in Porto Alegre, Brazil

Awards

• Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Sandy Koufax (Major League Baseball)
• Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Mickey Wright (LPGA golf)
• ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the year: Valery Brumel (track and field)
• Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year: Pete Rozelle NFL

Notes and References

1. Web site: Epsom Derby History, Winners, & Facts Britannica . www.britannica.com . 3 January 2022 . en.
2. Web site: FAQ: What are the Pan American Games? . Team Canada - Official Olympic Team Website . 3 January 2022.