1961 LPGA Championship
| 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 | |
 Mickey Wright | |
| 287 (+3) | |
|
«1960 1962» | |
The 1961 LPGA Championship was the seventh LPGA Championship, held October 12–15 at Stardust Country Club in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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 $1,500 in 1960.
Past champions in the field
| Player | Country | Year(s) won | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | To par | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mickey Wright | United States | 1958, 1960 | 67 | 77 | 72 | 71 | 287 | +3 | 1 |
| Louise Suggs | United States | 1957 | 74 | 76 | 73 | 71 | 296 | +12 | 2 |
| Betsy Rawls | United States | 1959 | 76 | 76 | 71 | 74 | 297 | +13 | 3 |
| Marlene Hagge | United States | 1956 | 77 | 80 | 78 | 73 | 308 | +24 | T13 |
| Beverly Hanson | United States | 1955 | 80 | 78 | 73 | 77 | 308 | +24 | T13 |
Final leaderboard
Sunday, October 15, 1961
| Place | Player | Country | Score | To par | Money ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mickey Wright | United States | 67-77-72-71=287 | +3 | 2,500 |
| 2 | Louise Suggs | United States | 74-76-73-71=296 | +12 | 1,900 |
| 3 | Betsy Rawls | United States | 76-76-71-74=297 | +13 | 1,500 |
| 4 | Shirley Englehorn | United States | 72-74-77-76=299 | +15 | 1,200 |
| 5 | Marilynn Smith | United States | 80-75-75-70=300 | +16 | 1,000 |
| T6 | Mary Lena Faulk | United States | 75-81-76-70=302 | +18 | 720 |
| Barbara Romack | United States | 75-81-73-73=302 | |||
| 8 | Jo Ann Prentice | United States | 73-76-78-76=303 | +19 | 530 |
| T9 | Kathy Cornelius | United States | 75-79-72-78=304 | +20 | 430 |
| Ruth Jessen | United States | 75-79-76-74=304 | |||
| Beth Stone | United States | 72-83-75-74=304 |
References
- 1 2 3 "Wright wins Ladies' PGA, Shirley 4th". Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. October 16, 1961. p. 10.
- 1 2 3 "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.
External links
Coordinates: 36°07′41″N 115°07′30″W / 36.128°N 115.125°W