1987 in sports

See also: 1986 in sports, other events of 1987, 1988 in sports and the list of 'years in sports'.

Auto Racing

• Stock car racing:
  • Bill Elliott won the Daytona 500
  • NASCAR Championship - Dale Earnhardt
• Indianapolis 500 - Al Unser, Sr.
• CART Racing -
• Formula One Championship - Nelson Piquet of Brazil
• 24 hours of Le Mans:
• Rally racing -
• Drag racing:
  • Dick LaHaie won the NHRA Top Fuel championship.
  • Darrell Gwynn won Top Fuel at the NHRA Winston Finals

Baseball

• October - World Series:

Basketball

• NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
  • Indiana wins 74-73 over Syracuse

• NBA Finals:
  • Los Angeles Lakers won 4 games to 2 over the Boston Celtics

Boxing

• March 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight titlist ever when he beat James Smith in a 12 round decision.

Cycling

• Tour de France - Stephen Roche of Ireland

Figure Skating

• World Figure Skating Championships:
  • Men's champion: Brian Orser, Canada
  • Women's champion: Katarina Witt, Germany
  • Pairs champions: Jekaterina Gordejewa & Sergej Grinkow, Soviet Union

Football (Soccer)

• England - FA Cup:

Football (American)

• Super Bowl XXI: New York Giants won 39-20 over the Denver Broncos

Canadian Football League

• Grey Cup: Edmonton Eskimos win 38-36 over the Toronto Argonauts
• Vanier Cup: McGill Redmen win 47-11 over the UBC Thunderbirds

Golf

Men's Golf

• Grand Slam of golf results:
  1. May - The Masters golf tournament - Larry Mize
  2. June - US Open - Scott Simpson
  3. July - British Open - Nick Faldo
  4. August - PGA Championship - Larry Nelson

• PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Curtis Strange - $925,941
• PGA Champions Tour leading money winner Chi Chi Rodriguez - $509,145
• Ryder Cup of world golf

Women's Golf

• US Women's Open - Laura Davies
• LPGA Championship - Jane Geddes
• Ayako Okamoto:leading money winner on the LPGA tour, earning $466,034

Thoroughbred Horse Racing

• Australia - Melbourne Cup
• Canada - Queen's Plate - Market Control
• France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
• Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Sir Harry Lewis

• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. Two Thousand Guineas Stakes
  2. Epsom Derby - Reference Point
  3. St. Leger Stakes

• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. Kentucky Derby - Alysheba
  2. Preakness Stakes - Alysheba
  3. Belmont Stakes - Bet Twice

Harness Racing

• The North America Cup - Runnymede Lobell

• United States Pacing Triple Crown races:
  1. Cane Pace
  2. Little Brown Jug - Jaguar Spur
  3. Messenger Stakes

• United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
  1. Hambletonian - Mack Lobell
  2. Yonkers Trot - Mack Lobell
  3. Kentucky Futurity - Napoletano

• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
  • Pacers: Lightning Blue
  • Trotters: Tussle

Ice Hockey

• Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers

• Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers

• Stanley Cup: Edmonton Oilers won 4 games to 3 over the Philadelphia Flyers

• World Hockey Championship:
  • Men's champion: Sweden defeated the Soviet Union
  • Junior Men's champion:

Skiing

• Alpine Skiing
  • The men's overall season champion: Pirmin Zurbriggen, Switzerland
  • The women's overall season champion: Maria Walliser, Switzerland

Tennis

• Grand Slam in tennis mens results:
  1. Australian Open - Stefan Edberg
  2. French Open - Ivan Lendl
  3. Wimbledon championships - Pat Cash
  4. US Open - Ivan Lendl

• Grand Slam in tennis womens results:
  1. Australian Open - Hana Mandlikova
  2. French Open - Steffi Graf
  3. Wimbledon championships - Martina Navratilova
  4. US Open - Martina Navratilova

• Davis Cup: in world tennis.

General sporting events

• Embassy World Snooker Championship:
  • Steve Davis won 18-14 over Joe Johnson

Deaths

• April 15 - Northern Dancer, thoroughbred race horse