1997 U.S. Women's Open Golf Championship
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | July 10–13, 1997 |
| Location | North Plains, Oregon |
| Course(s) |
Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club Witch Hollow Course |
| Tour(s) | LPGA Tour |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 6,365 yards (5,820 m) |
| Field | 156 players, 64 after cut |
| Cut | 147 (+5) |
| Prize fund | $1.3 million |
| Winner's share | $232,500 |
| Champion | |
 Alison Nicholas | |
| 274 (–10) | |
|
«1996 1998» | |
The 1997 U.S. Women's Open Golf Championship was the 52nd U.S. Women's Open, held July 10–13 at the Witch Hollow course of Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club near North Plains, Oregon, northwest of Portland.
Alison Nicholas entered the final round with a three stroke lead and shot an even-par 71 to win her only major title, one stroke ahead of runner-up Nancy Lopez.[1] In the final pairing, Lopez slid a 15-foot (4.6 m) downhill birdie putt past the 72nd hole while Nicholas sank a three-footer (0.9 m) for par to win at 274 (–10).[2] Lopez, age 40 and in search of the title that eluded her, was the first-ever player to shoot four rounds in the 60s in the U.S. Women's Open.[1][3]
Two-time defending champion Annika Sörenstam's attempt for an unprecedented third straight title came up short. Five-over-par after her first nine holes on Thursday, she carded 77-73 for 150 (+8) and missed the 36-hole cut by three strokes, fourteen strokes behind the lead.[4] Through 2013, no one has won three consecutive U.S. Women's Opens.
The final round attendance on Sunday was a record 31,700 and the seven-day total was 123,850.[3]
This was the first U.S. Women's Open at Pumpkin Ridge; the championship returned just six years later in 2003. It previously hosted the U.S. Amateur in 1996, the third straight victory by 20-year-old Tiger Woods in his final competition as an amateur.
Final leaderboard
Sunday, July 13, 1997
| Place | Player | Country | Score | To par | Money ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alison Nicholas | England | 70-66-67-71=274 | –10 | 232,500 |
| 2 | Nancy Lopez |  United States | 69-68-69-69=275 | –9 | 137,500 |
| 3 | Kelly Robbins | United States | 68-69-74-66=277 | –7 | 86,708 |
| 4 | Karrie Webb |  Australia | 73-72-65-68=278 | –6 | 60,432 |
| T5 | Lisa Hackney | England | 71-70-67-71=279 | –5 | 46,159 |
| Stefania Croce |  Italy | 72-69-71-67=279 | |||
| T7 | Michele Redman | United States | 74-67-70-69=280 | –4 | 37,542 |
| Tammie Green | United States | 74-70-71-65=280 | |||
| T9 | Akiko Fukushima |  Japan | 71-71-69-71=282 | –2 | 28,769 |
| Chris Johnson | United States | 72-68-73-69=282 | |||
| Dawn Coe-Jones |  Canada | 72-67-73-70=282 | |||
| Donna Andrews | United States | 74-71-66-71=282 | |||
| Patty Sheehan | United States | 72-71-71-68=282 |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Shipnuck, Alan (July 21, 1997). "Open and Shut". Sports Illustrated: 44.
- ↑ Pumpkin Ridge.com - 1997 U.S. Women's Open - accessed 2011-08-26
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Rodman, Bob (July 14, 1997). "Nicholas wins duel with Lopez". Eugene Register-Guard. p. 1B.
- ↑ Rodman, Bob (July 12, 1997). "Lopez lurks one shot back". Eugene Register-Guard. p. 1D.
External links
- U.S. Women's Open - past champions - 1997