List of Women's Western Open champions

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The Women's Western Open was an annual golf competition, which was played in match play between 1930 and 1954, and strokeplay between 1955 and 1967. It was established in 1930 and was a women's major championship that was organized by the Women's Western Golf Association. This event has the distinction of being the first women's major championship ever played.

Contents

Patty Berg holds the record for the most victories with seven, which is the overall record of the combined eras of match and stroke play. During match play competition Berg, Louise Suggs, and Babe Zaharias holds the record for most victories with four. In the stroke play era, Berg and Mickey Wright holds the record for most victories with three. The most consecutive in the combined eras is two and was done by the following golfers: Berg, Suggs, Zaharias, Opal Hill and Wright. Berg and Betsy Rawls are the only two golfers to win the competition in match play and stroke play eras. In the match play era, 9&8 was the largest margin of victory by Marian McDougall in 1934, Hill in 1935, and Betty Jameson in 1942. During the stroke play era, Kathy Whitworth holds the record for lowest under-par at 11 in 1967 and the aggregate low of 289,

Key

Tournament won in a playoff
*Tournament won by an amateur, or had a runner-up who is an amateur

Champions

Note: All winners (and runners-up from the match play era) were from the United States.

Match play era

YearChampionMarginRunner-upCourseLocationNotes
1930 Lucia Mida *6 & 5 June Beebe *Acacia CC Indian Head Park, Illinois [1]
1931 June Beebe *3 & 2 Mrs. Melvin Jones * Midlothian CC Midlothian, Illinois [2]
1932 Jane Weiller *5 & 4 June Beebe *Ozaukee CC Milwaukee, Wisconsin [3]
1933 June Beebe *3 & 2 Jane Weiller * Olympia Fields CC Olympia Fields, Illinois [4]
1934 Marian McDougall *9 & 7 Mrs. Guy Riegel * Portland G&CC Portland, Oregon [5] [6]
1935 Opal Hill *9 & 7 Mrs. S.L. Reinhart * Sunset Ridge CC Chicago, Illinois [7]
1936 Opal Hill *3 & 2 Mrs. Charles Dennehy *Topeka CC Topeka, Kansas [8] [9]
1937 Helen Hicks 6 & 5 Bea Barrett * Beverly CC Chicago, Illinois [10]
1938 Bea Barrett *6 & 4 Helen Hofmann Broadmoor GC Colorado Springs, Colorado [11] [12]
1939 Helen Dettweiler *4 & 3 Bea Barrett *Westwood CC St. Louis, Missouri [13]
1940 Babe Zaharias *5 & 4 Mrs. Russell Mann Blue Mound G&CC Wauwatosa, Wisconsin [14]
1941 Patty Berg 7 & 6 Olga Strashun Weil Cincinnati CC Cincinnati, Ohio [15]
1942 Betty Jameson *9 & 7 Phyllis Otto Elmhurst CC Chicago, Illinois [16]
1943 Patty Berg 1 up Dorothy Kirby *Glen Oak CC Glen Ellyn, Illinois [17] [18]
1944 Babe Zaharias *7 & 5 Dorothy Germain *Park Ridge Chicago, Illinois [19] [20]
1945 Babe Zaharias *4 & 2 Dorothy Germain *Highland G&CC Indianapolis, Indiana [21]
1946 Louise Suggs *2 up Patty Berg Wakoda Club Des Moines, Iowa [22]
1947 Louise Suggs *4 & 2 Dorothy Kirby *Capital City Club Atlanta, Georgia [23] [24]
1948 Patty Berg 37 holes Babe Zaharias Skycrest CC Chicago, Illinois [25]
1949 Louise Suggs 5 & 4 Betty Jameson Oklahoma City CC Oklahoma City, Oklahoma [26]
1950 Babe Zaharias 5 & 3 Peggy Kirk Cherry Hills CC Denver, Colorado [27] [28]
1951 Patty Berg 2 up Pat O'Sullivan *Whitemarsh Valley CC Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [27] [29] [30]
1952 Betsy Rawls 1 up Betty Jameson Skokie CC Chicago, Illinois [27] [31]
1953 Louise Suggs 6 & 5 Patty Berg Capital City Club Atlanta, Georgia [27] [32]
1954 Betty Jameson 6 & 5 Louise Suggs Glen Flora CC Waukegan, Illinois [27] [33] [34]

Stroke play era

YearChampionCourseLocationScore To par Notes
1955 Patty Berg Maple Bluff CC Madison, Wisconsin 292E [27] [35]
1956 Beverly Hanson Wakonda CC Des Moines, Iowa 304E [27]
1957 Patty Berg Montgomery CC Montgomery, Alabama 291−1 [27]
1958 Patty Berg Kahkwa CC Erie, Pennsylvania 293+1 [27]
1959 Betsy Rawls Ranier G&CC Seattle, Washington 293−1 [27]
1960 Joyce Ziske   Beverly CC Chicago, Illinois 301+9 [36] [a]
1961 Mary Lena Faulk Belle Meade CC Nashville, Tennessee 290−10 [36]
1962 Mickey Wright  Montgomery CC Montgomery, Alabama 295+7 [36] [b]
1963 Mickey Wright Maple Bluff CC Madison, Wisconsin 292−4 [36]
1964 Carol Mann Scenic Hills CC Pensacola, Florida 308+8 [36]
1965 Susie Maxwell Beverly CC Chicago, Illinois 290−2 [36]
1966 Mickey Wright Rainbow Springs CC Mukwonago, Wisconsin 302+2 [36]
1967 Kathy Whitworth Pekin CC Pekin, Illinois 289−11 [36]

Multiple winners

This table lists the golfers who have won more than one Women's Western Open as a major championship. Bolded years and player name indicates consecutive victories. The (a) denotes amateur golfer.

Grand Slam winners ‡
CountryGolferTotalYears
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Patty Berg 71941, 1943, 1948, 1951, 1955, 1957, 1958
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Babe Zaharias 41940 (a), 1944 (a), 1945 (a), 1950
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Louise Suggs 41946 (a), 1947 (a), 1949, 1953
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Mickey Wright 31962, 1963, 1966
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States June Beebe (a)21931, 1933
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Opal Hill (a)21935, 1936
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Betty Jameson 21942 (a), 1954
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Betsy Rawls 21952, 1959

Winners by nationality

This table lists the total number of titles won by golfers of each nationality as a major.

RankNationalityWinsWinnersFirst titleLast title
1Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 382019301967

Notes

See also

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References

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