Women's Western Open

Last updated
Women's Western Open
Tournament information
Locationvarious, U.S.
Established1930
Tour(s) LPGA Tour
Format Stroke play (1955–1967)
Match play (1930–1954)
Prize fund $10,000
Month playedAugust
Final year 1967, 57 years ago
Final champion
Flag of the United States.svg Kathy Whitworth

The Women's Western Open was an American professional golf tournament founded in 1930. The LPGA was established in 1950, and it recognized the Western Open as one of its major championships through 1967. All of the events back to 1930 have been designated as majors by the LPGA.

Contents

Organized by the Women's Western Golf Association, the tournament was match play through 1954, then became a 72-hole stroke play event. All of the winners were American.

Winners

Stroke play era

YearWinnerScoreRunner(s)-upWinner's
share ($)		CourseLocationRef
1967 Kathy Whitworth 289 (−11) Flag of the United States.svg Sandra Haynie 1,500Pekin CC Pekin, Illinois [1] [2]
1966 Mickey Wright (3)302 (+2) Flag of Australia (converted).svg Margie Masters
Flag of the United States.svg Jo Ann Prentice 		1,500Rainbow Springs CC Mukwonago, Wisconsin [1] [3]
1965 Susie Maxwell 290 (−2) Flag of the United States.svg Marlene Hagge 1,500 Beverly CC Chicago, Illinois [1]
1964 Carol Mann 308 (+8) Flag of the United States.svg Ruth Jessen
Flag of the United States.svg Judy Kimball-Simon 		1,200Scenic Hills CC Pensacola, Florida [1]
1963 Mickey Wright (2)292 (E) Flag of the United States.svg Kathy Whitworth 1,200Maple Bluff CC Madison, Wisconsin [1]
1962 Mickey Wright 295 (+7)PO Flag of the United States.svg Mary Lena Faulk 1,200Montgomery CC Montgomery, Alabama [1]
1961 Mary Lena Faulk 290 (−10) Flag of the United States.svg Betsy Rawls 1,313Belle Meade CC Nashville, Tennessee [1]
1960 Joyce Ziske 301 (+9)PO Flag of the United States.svg Barbara Romack 1,313 Beverly CC Chicago, Illinois [1] [4]
1959 Betsy Rawls (2)293 (+5) Flag of the United States.svg JoAnne Gunderson (a)
Flag of the United States.svg Patty Berg 		1,313Ranier G&CC Seattle, Washington [5] [6]
1958 Patty Berg (7)293 (+1) Flag of the United States.svg Beverly Hanson   950Kahkwa CC Erie, Pennsylvania [5]
1957 Patty Berg (6)291 (−1) Flag of the United States.svg Wiffi Smith 1,000Montgomery CC Montgomery, Alabama [5]
1956 Beverly Hanson 304 (E) Flag of the United States.svg Louise Suggs 1,000Wakonda CC Des Moines, Iowa [5]
1955 Patty Berg (5)292 (E) Flag of Uruguay.svg Fay Crocker
Flag of the United States.svg Louise Suggs 		1,000Maple Bluff CC Madison, Wisconsin [5]

Match play era

YearWinnerScoreRunner-upWinner's
share ($)		CourseLocationRef
1954 Betty Jameson (2)6 & 5 Flag of the United States.svg Louise Suggs 1,000Glen Flora CC Waukegan, Illinois [5] [7] [8]
1953 Louise Suggs (4)6 & 5 Flag of the United States.svg Patty Berg 1,000Capital City Club Atlanta, Georgia [5] [9]
1952 Betsy Rawls 1 up Flag of the United States.svg Betty Jameson 1,000 Skokie CC Chicago, Illinois [5] [10]
1951 Patty Berg (4)2 up Flag of the United States.svg Pat O'Sullivan (a)   500Whitemarsh Valley CC Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [5] [11] [12]
1950 Babe Zaharias (4)5 & 3 Flag of the United States.svg Peggy Kirk    500 Cherry Hills CC Denver, Colorado [5] [13]
1949 Louise Suggs (3)5 & 4 Flag of the United States.svg Betty Jameson    500 Oklahoma City CC Oklahoma City, Oklahoma [14]
1948 Patty Berg (3)37 holes Flag of the United States.svg Babe Zaharias    500Skycrest CC Chicago, Illinois [15]
1947 Louise Suggs (a) (2)4 & 2 Flag of the United States.svg Dorothy Kirby (a)Capital City Club Atlanta, Georgia [16] [17]
1946 Louise Suggs (a)2 up Flag of the United States.svg Patty Berg Wakonda Club Des Moines, Iowa [18]
1945 Babe Zaharias (a) (3)4 & 2 Flag of the United States.svg Dorothy Germain (a)Highland G&CC Indianapolis, Indiana [19]
1944 Babe Zaharias (a) (2)7 & 5 Flag of the United States.svg Dorothy Germain (a)Park Ridge Chicago, Illinois [20] [21]
1943 Patty Berg (2)1 up Flag of the United States.svg Dorothy Kirby (a) Glen Oak CC Glen Ellyn, Illinois [22] [23]
1942 Betty Jameson (a)9 & 7 Flag of the United States.svg Phyllis Otto Elmhurst CC Chicago, Illinois [24]
1941 Patty Berg 7 & 6 Flag of the United States.svg Mrs. Burt Weil    100Cincinnati CC Cincinnati, Ohio [25]
1940 Babe Zaharias (a)5 & 4 Flag of the United States.svg Mrs. Russell Mann Blue Mound G&CC Wauwatosa, Wisconsin [26]
1939 Helen Dettweiler 4 & 3 Flag of the United States.svg Bea Barrett (a)Westwood CC St. Louis, Missouri [27]
1938 Bea Barrett (a)6 & 4 Flag of the United States.svg Helen Hofmann Broadmoor GC Colorado Springs, Colorado [28] [29]
1937 Helen Hicks 6 & 5 Flag of the United States.svg Bea Barrett (a) Beverly CC Chicago, Illinois [30]
1936 Opal Hill (a) (2)3 & 2 Flag of the United States.svg Mrs. Charles Dennehy (a)Topeka CC Topeka, Kansas [31] [32]
1935 Opal Hill (a)9 & 7 Flag of the United States.svg Mrs. S.L. Reinhart (a) Sunset Ridge CC Chicago, Illinois [33]
1934 Marian McDougall (a)9 & 7 Flag of the United States.svg Mrs. Guy Riegel (a) Portland G&CC Portland, Oregon [34] [35]
1933 June Beebe (a) (2)3 & 2 Flag of the United States.svg Jane Weiller (a) Olympia Fields CC Olympia Fields, Illinois [36]
1932 Jane Weiller (a)5 & 4 Flag of the United States.svg June Beebe (a)Ozaukee CC Mequon, Wisconsin [37]
1931 June Beebe (a)3 & 2 Flag of the United States.svg Mrs. Melvin Jones (a) Midlothian CC Midlothian, Illinois [38]
1930 Lucia Mida (a)6 & 5 Flag of the United States.svg June Beebe (a)Acacia CC Indian Head Park, Illinois [39]

(a) - denotes amateur
PO - won in playoff

Multiple winners

This table lists the golfers who have won more than one Women's Western Open as a major championship.

Deceased golfer †
Grand Slam winners ‡
Deceased 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, 1944, 1945, 1950
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Louise Suggs ∞41946, 1947, 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 †21931, 1933
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Opal Hill †21935, 1936
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Betty Jameson †21942, 1954
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Betsy Rawls 21952, 1959

Winners by nationality

All of the champions were from the United States.

NationalityNumber
of wins
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 38

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LPGA</span> Association of US female professional golfers

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at the LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite women professional golfers from around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Babe Didrikson Zaharias</span> American golfer and athlete

Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias was an American athlete who excelled in golf, basketball, baseball, and track and field. She won two gold medals and a silver in track and field at the 1932 Summer Olympics before turning to professional golf and winning 10 LPGA major championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's major golf championships</span> Championships in womens major golf

Women's golf has a set of major championships, a series of tournaments designated to be of a higher status than other tournaments. Five tournaments are currently designated as 'majors' in women's golf by the LPGA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louise Suggs</span> American golfer

Mae Louise Suggs was an American professional golfer, one of the founders of the LPGA Tour and thus modern ladies' golf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickey Wright</span> American professional golfer (1935–2020)

Mary Kathryn "Mickey" Wright was an American professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour. She became a member of the tour in 1955 and won 82 LPGA Tour career events including 13 major championships. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

The Titleholders Championship was a women's golf tournament played from in 1937 to 1966 and again in 1972. It was later designated a major championship by the LPGA Tour.

Elizabeth Earle Rawls was an American professional golfer who played on LPGA Tour. She won eight major championships and 55 LPGA Tour career events. She was a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlene Hagge</span> American professional golfer (1934–2023)

Marlene Hagge was an American professional golfer. She was one of the thirteen founders of the LPGA in 1950. She won one major championship and 26 LPGA Tour career events. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marilynn Smith</span> American professional golfer (1929–2019)

Marilynn Louise Smith was an American professional golfer. She was one of the thirteen founders of the LPGA in 1950. She won two major championships and 21 LPGA Tour events in all. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

The All American Open was a golf tournament on the LPGA Tour from 1943 to 1957. It was played at the Tam O'Shanter Country Club in Niles, Illinois. It was played concurrently with the men's All American Open on the PGA Tour as well as All American Amateur events. Some of the pre-1950 events are considered official LPGA wins.

The Hardscrabble Open, also known as the Hardscrabble Women's Invitation, was a golf tournament played at the Hardscrabble Golf Club in Fort Smith, Arkansas, from 1945 to 1953. It was an official LPGA Tour event from 1948 to 1950.

The Tampa Women's Open was a golf tournament on the LPGA Tour from 1947 to 1960. It was played at the Palma Ceia Golf & Country Club in Tampa, Florida. The 1950 event was the first official event on the LPGA Tour. The events played before the LPGA was founded in 1950 are recognized as official wins.

The 1950 U.S. Women's Open was the fifth U.S. Women's Open, held September 28 to October 1 at Rolling Hills Country Club in Wichita, Kansas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fay Crocker</span> Uruguayan professional golfer

Fay Crocker was a Uruguayan professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour. In her career, she won 11 LPGA tournaments, including two major championships, the 1955 U.S. Women's Open and 1960 Titleholders Championship. Crocker was the oldest player to win her first LPGA event, the first U.S. Women's Open champion from outside the United States, and the oldest women's major champion.

Sally Sessions was an American golfer. Sessions tied for second place in the 1947 U.S. Women's Open as an amateur, and was one of the 13 founders of the LPGA Tour in 1950.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace Lenczyk</span> American amateur golfer

Grace Lenczyk Cronin was an American amateur golfer. She won the Canadian Women's Amateur twice and the U.S. Women's Amateur once during the late 1940s. At major championships, she had top eight finishes at the Women's Western Open and Titleholders Championship. In team events, she was a member of the winning American team at the 1948 and 1950 Curtis Cup. Lenczyk was inducted into the Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame in 1969.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 LPGA Tournament Chronology - 1960-69 Archived June 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ "Caddy helps Kathy win Western title". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. August 21, 1967. p. 2B.
  3. ↑ Sayrs, Hank (August 22, 1966). "Wright wins Western". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 2, part 2.
  4. ↑ "Joyco Ziske golf champ". Ellensburg Daily Record. (Washington). Associated Press. June 27, 1960. p. 8.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LPGA Tournament Chronology - 1950-59 Archived January 2, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ "Blazing Putting Gives Betsy Title". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. August 17, 1959. p. 10. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Miss Jameson Wins Western Golf Crown". Pittsburgh Press. United Press. June 20, 1954. p. 3-3.
  8. ↑ "Louise Suggs, Berg Western Favorites". The Miami News . Associated Press. June 13, 1954. p. 9A. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Louise Suggs Sweeps to Easy Victory in Western Open". Victoria Advocate. (Texas). Associated Press. June 21, 1953. p. 14A.
  10. ↑ "Betsy Rawls Wins Open". Sunday Herald . (Bridgeport, Connecticut). United Press. June 22, 1952. p. 33.
  11. ↑ "Berg Victor Over Irish Lass". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. June 24, 1951. p. 14.
  12. ↑ "Patty Berg In Western Open Win". The Sunday Star. (Wilmington, Delaware). United Press. June 24, 1951. p. 25.
  13. ↑ "The Babe Wins Women's Western". The Palm Beach Post-Times . West Palm Beach, Florida. Associated Press. June 25, 1950. p. 17. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  14. ↑ "Suggs Whips Jameson In Women's Finals". St. Petersburg Times . St. Petersburg, Florida. Associated Press. June 26, 1949. p. 23. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  15. ↑ "Berg Defeats Zaharias For Western Open Title". St. Petersburg Times . St. Petersburg, Florida. Associated Press. June 27, 1948. p. 22. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  16. ↑ "Women's National Links Meet Next". The Evening Independent . St. Petersburg, Florida. Associated Press. June 23, 1947. p. 13. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  17. ↑ "Favorites Show Way in Women's Golf at Atlanta". The Evening Independent . St. Petersburg, Florida. Associated Press. June 19, 1947. p. 20. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  18. ↑ "Berg Upset By Suggs In Western". St. Petersburg Times . St. Petersburg, Florida. Associated Press. June 29, 1946. p. 21. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  19. ↑ "Babe Zaharias Sets Record; Keeps Title". Milwaukee Journal . Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Associated Press. June 24, 1945. p. II-5. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  20. ↑ "Mrs. Zaharias Wins Western Open Title". Milwaukee Journal . Milwaukee, Wisconsin. United Press. June 25, 1944. p. II-5. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  21. ↑ "Dorothy Germain and Babe Didriksen Zaharias In Showdown Battle For The Women's Western Open Championship". The Florence Times . Florence, Alabama. Associated Press. June 24, 1944. p. 5. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  22. ↑ "Patty Berg Comes Back to Beat Dorothy Kirby". Milwaukee Journal . Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Associated Press. July 2, 1943. p. 8. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  23. ↑ "Western Golf Open to Have Patriotic 'Motif'". The Montreal Gazette . Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Associated Press. June 10, 1943. p. 18. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  24. ↑ "Texan Cops Western Open". Spartanburg Herald-Journal . Spartanburg, South Carolina. Associated Press. June 28, 1942. p. 22. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  25. ↑ "Patty Berg Captures Western Open Crown". The Palm Beach Post-Times . West Palm Beach, Florida. Associated Press. June 15, 1941. p. 11. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  26. ↑ "Babe Zaharias Wins Western". Miami Daily News . Miami, Florida. Associated Press. July 1, 1940. p. 2B. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  27. ↑ "Dettweiler Wins Title". Miami Daily News . Miami, Florida. United Press. June 18, 1939. p. 4B. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  28. ↑ "Week End Sports in Briuef". The Day . New London, Connecticut. Associated Press. June 20, 1938. p. 10. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  29. ↑ "Girl Golf Stars Meet Today For Western Crown". The Evening Independent . St. Petersburg, Florida. Associated Press. June 18, 1968. p. 8. Archived from the original on November 22, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  30. ↑ "Helen Hicks Golf Winner". The Pittsburgh Press . Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. June 20, 1937. p. Sports-4. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  31. ↑ "Mrs. Hill Keeps Western Open Golf Championship". Reading Eagle . Reading, Pennsylvania. Associated Press. June 13, 1936. p. 14. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  32. ↑ "Mrs. Hill Takes Par Apart With 71 - Babe Trails". The Evening Independent . St. Petersburg, Florida. Associated Press. June 8, 1936. p. 6. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  33. ↑ "Mrs. Hill Wins Western Open". Spartanburg Herald-Journal . Spartanburg, South Carolina. Associated Press. June 30, 1935. p. 18. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  34. ↑ "Women's Finals In Golf Today". The Pittsburgh Press . Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. October 13, 1934. p. 7. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  35. ↑ "Sport Tabloids - Portland". The Bend Bulletin . Bend, Oregon. October 8, 1934. p. 2. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  36. ↑ Bartlett, Charles (July 1, 1933). "June Beebe Wins Golf Title; Beats Jane Weiller, 3 and 2". Chicago Daily Tribune . Chicago, Illinois. p. 21. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  37. ↑ "Miss Weiller Wins Western Open Golf". The Pittsburgh Press . Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. July 16, 1932. p. 9. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  38. ↑ "It's June in June". Chicago Daily Tribune . Chicago, Illinois. June 27, 1931. p. 21. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  39. ↑ Barry, Howard (July 19, 1930). "Mrs. Lee Mida Wins Western Open Golf Title". Chicago Daily Tribune . Chicago, Illinois. p. 12. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.