1972 U.S. Women's Open Golf Championship
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | June 29 – July 2, 1972 |
| Location | Mamaroneck, New York |
| Course(s) |
Winged Foot Golf Club, East Course |
| Organized by | USGA |
| Tour(s) | LPGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play – 72 holes |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 6,226 yards (5,693 m)[1] |
| Field | 150 players, 53 after cut[2] |
| Cut | 161 (+17) |
| Prize fund | $40,000 |
| Winner's share | $6,000 |
| Champion | |
 | |
| 299 (+11) | |
The 1972 U.S. Women's Open Golf Championship was the 27th U.S. Women's Open, held June 29 to July 2 at the East Course of Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York.
Susie Berning won the second of her three U.S. Women's Open titles, a stroke ahead of runners-up Kathy Ahern, Pam Barnett, and Judy Rankin.[3] Berning opened with a 79 (+7) and started the final round at 228 (+12), four strokes behind 54-hole leader Barnett.[2][4] Berning carded a one-under 71 for the third of her four major wins. Defending champion JoAnne Carner finished at 312 (+24), thirteen strokes back.[3]
With a winner's share of $6,000, the 1972 edition was the first to exceed that of the inaugural championship in 1946, the only one conducted as a match play event. The course conditions at Winged Foot were soft, affected by the recent heavy rains of tropical storm Agnes, originally a hurricane.[1][5] Two-time champion Louise Suggs made the cut at age 48.
The championship was previously held at the East Course in 1957; the adjacent West Course has hosted many major championships.
Past champions in the field
| Player | Country | Year(s) won | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | To par | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Susie Berning | | 1968 | 79 | 73 | 76 | 71 | 299 | +11 | 1 |
| Mickey Wright | | 1958, 1959, 1961, 1964 | 77 | 80 | 76 | 71 | 304 | +16 | T6 |
| Carol Mann | | 1965 | 79 | 77 | 78 | 71 | 305 | +17 | T9 |
| Kathy Cornelius | | 1956 | 74 | 80 | 75 | 79 | 308 | +20 | T19 |
| Betsy Rawls | | 1951, 1953, 1957, 1960 | 77 | 76 | 74 | 81 | 308 | +20 | T19 |
| Donna Caponi Young | | 1969, 1970 | 80 | 75 | 75 | 79 | 309 | +21 | T25 |
| JoAnne Carner | | 1971 | 79 | 79 | 75 | 79 | 312 | +24 | T29 |
| Mary Mills | | 1963 | 80 | 78 | 78 | 76 | 312 | +24 | T29 |
| Murle Breer | | 1962 | 83 | 76 | 82 | 74 | 315 | +27 | T34 |
| Louise Suggs | | 1949, 1952 | 78 | 80 | 82 | 76 | 316 | +28 | 39 |
Source:[3]
Final leaderboard
Sunday, July 2, 1972
| Place | Player | Country | Score | To par | Money ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Susie Berning | | 79-73-76-71=299 | +11 | 6,000 |
| T2 | Kathy Ahern | | 74-80-76-70=300 | +12 | 2,200 |
| Pam Barnett | | 73-76-75-76=300 | |||
| Judy Rankin | | 76-75-76-73=300 | |||
| 5 | Betty Burfeindt | | 75-78-74-75=302 | +14 | 1,500 |
| T6 | Jane Booth (a) | | 79-75-78-72=304 | +16 | 0 |
| Gloria Ehret | | 74-74-80-76=304 | 1,350 | ||
| Mickey Wright | | 77-80-76-71=304 | |||
| T9 | Jocelyne Bourassa |  | 76-75-78-76=305 | +17 | 1,150 |
| Carol Mann | | 79-77-78-71=305 | |||
| Carol Semple Thompson (a) | | 79-79-74-73=305 | 0 |
Source:[3]
References
- 1 2 "Surprising Shirley tops women's golf". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. June 30, 1972. p. 23.
- 1 2 "Pam Barnett's 75 takes Open lead". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. July 2, 1972. p. 1, sports.
- 1 2 3 4 "Finishing 71 brings victory to Susie Maxwell Berning". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. July 3, 1972. p. 10.
- ↑ "Marriage great for new champ of Women's Open". The Bulletin. Bend, Oregon. UPI. July 3, 1972. p. 6.
- ↑ "Englehorn stays in front, but her lead falls to one". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. July 1, 1972. p. 5B.
External links
- Golf Observer final leaderboard
- U.S. Women's Open Golf Championship
- U.S. Women's Open – past champions – 1972