1961 LPGA Championship
The 1961 LPGA Championship was the seventh LPGA Championship, held October 12–15 at Stardust Country Club in Las Vegas, Nevada.
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | October 12–15, 1961 |
| Location | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Course(s) | Stardust Country Club |
| Tour(s) | LPGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play – 72 holes |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 71 |
| Cut | none |
| Prize fund | $15,000 |
| Winner's share | $2,500 |
| Champion | |
 | |
| 287 (+3) | |
Defending champion Mickey Wright won the third of her four LPGA Championships, nine strokes ahead of runner-up Louise Suggs, the 1957 winner.[1][2] It was Wright's third major title of the year and the seventh of her thirteen career majors. It was her tenth tour victory of the 1961 season.[3]
Stardust Country Club opened earlier in the year and hosted the LPGA Championship for six consecutive years, through 1966. After several ownership and name changes, it became Las Vegas National Golf Club in 1998.[4]
The purse was substantially increased in 1961 to $15,000 with a winner's share of $2,500, up from $8,500 and $1,500 in 1960.
Past champions in the field
| Player | Country | Year(s) won | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | To par | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mickey Wright | | 1958, 1960 | 67 | 77 | 72 | 71 | 287 | +3 | 1 |
| Louise Suggs | | 1957 | 74 | 76 | 73 | 71 | 296 | +12 | 2 |
| Betsy Rawls | | 1959 | 76 | 76 | 71 | 74 | 297 | +13 | 3 |
| Marlene Hagge | | 1956 | 77 | 80 | 78 | 73 | 308 | +24 | T13 |
| Beverly Hanson | | 1955 | 80 | 78 | 73 | 77 | 308 | +24 | T13 |
Final leaderboard
Sunday, October 15, 1961
| Place | Player | Country | Score | To par | Money ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mickey Wright | | 67-77-72-71=287 | +3 | 2,500 |
| 2 | Louise Suggs | | 74-76-73-71=296 | +12 | 1,900 |
| 3 | Betsy Rawls | | 76-76-71-74=297 | +13 | 1,500 |
| 4 | Shirley Englehorn | | 72-74-77-76=299 | +15 | 1,200 |
| 5 | Marilynn Smith | | 80-75-75-70=300 | +16 | 1,000 |
| T6 | Mary Lena Faulk | | 75-81-76-70=302 | +18 | 720 |
| Barbara Romack | | 75-81-73-73=302 | |||
| 8 | Jo Ann Prentice | | 73-76-78-76=303 | +19 | 530 |
| T9 | Kathy Cornelius | | 75-79-72-78=304 | +20 | 430 |
| Ruth Jessen | | 75-79-76-74=304 | |||
| Beth Stone | | 72-83-75-74=304 |
References
- "Wright wins Ladies' PGA, Shirley 4th". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. October 16, 1961. p. 10.
- "Mickey Wright wins golf test". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. October 16, 1961. p. 2, final.
- "Wright seeks 11th tourney triumph". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. October 16, 1961. p. 2B.
- "History". Las Vegas National Golf Club. Retrieved August 2, 2014.