Jeremy Chapman, a pioneer in the world of golf betting, who retired last year after more than half a century in journalism, has died aged 84.
Chapman had been unwell for some time, having been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2009, and died on February 11 after a brief spell in hospital near his home in Hersham, where he was comforted by his wife, Christa, with whom he enjoyed a 57-year marriage, and daughters Sara and Steph.
Chapman, who only retired in July last year, was the first person to be officially employed in Britain as a golf tipster, launching a career in which he amassed a legion of devoted followers by tipping the 1972 Open Championship winner Lee Trevino at 8-1.
A lifelong horse racing fan, Chapman went on to become a hugely respected sportswriter, serving five editors of The Sporting Life as deputy or associate editor. During that time, he established himself as golf’s finest tipster, his prowess at finding big-priced winners subsequently enjoyed by readers of the Racing Post, Racing and Football Outlook, and several specialist golf magazines and betting websites.
Among Chapman’s most notable successes were selecting the first, second and third at 33-1, 50-1 and 33-1 from just four selections in the 2006 Pebble Beach Pro-Am, while in 2021 his followers celebrated after being advised to back Stewart Cink to win the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage at odds of 150-1.
Legendary sportswriter Hugh McIlvanney once described Chapman as “the Tiger Woods of golf tipsters” in The Sunday Times, while Steve Palmer, who succeeded Chapman as the Racing Post’s golf betting guru, said: “Tiger Woods took professional golf up a level when he arrived on the scene – and Jeremy Chapman did the same with golf betting. He was the first one to make it seem possible to regularly predict winners of 156-runner golf tournaments.
“Jeremy was much more than a golf tipster, though – he was a huge character. Always quick to remind me he shared the same initials as Jesus Christ, this was a man who never lacked confidence, and being in his company was always entertaining”.
Bruce Millington, Chapman’s long-time friend, editor and colleague, said: “It is hard to think of anyone who was as passionate about life as Jeremy. He made sure he spent as much time as possible indulging in what he loved most, whether it was golf, racing, cinema, theatre or any number of other things.
“I’ll miss so many things about Jeremy, most of all the joyous phone calls he would make when he’d tipped a winning golfer, which happened with remarkable frequency. The pleasure it gave him, knowing people had won money on his advice, was always so obvious.”
Dave Tindall, who was inspired to get into writing about golf betting by Jeremy, wrote: “One thing I always admired Jeremy for was his ability to react quickly to emerging talents. I guess after a while it can be tempting to stick with the tried and tested but Jeremy taught me to always keep viewing professional golf with a fresh eye. In other words, to track who might be ahead of the handicapper.
“It was a great thrill to meet Jeremy for the first time in 2006 and what better venue than at an Open Championship. I didn’t tip the winner, Tiger Woods, at Hoylake that year but managed to bag some each-way returns via Jim Furyk at 50s. Jeremy asked me on Sunday evening how I’d got on and although I rather muttered something about Furyk coming fourth, he took great delight in me having a winning week. Twenty years on, I still think there is a generosity of spirit between those in the golf tipping community as we know that there can be barren runs. Jeremy set the tone for that, always encouraging me and others rather than giving any sort of hint that we were stepping on his ground or that he knew more.”
A long-time member of the Association of Golf Writers, Chapman was also a very handy golfer in his day and won an impressive seven AGW events over a 40-year period, including the highly prized Golfer of the Year title in 2011 – aged 70 – and two renewals of the Fred Pignon Trophy, the first in 1984 at Sunningdale, and the second over 30 years later at Wentworth in 2015.
His last victory came at the 2025 Michael Williams Hogget, played at West Byfleet in September 2024, where, playing off a handicap of 45, he returned a nett score of 70 to amass 37 Stableford points.
“It’s surely the highest winning score in AGW history,” he commented afterwards. “And to win when I thought my winning days were long over was a bonus I dreamed about, but could never see happening.”