1961 LPGA Championship

The 1961 LPGA Championship was the seventh LPGA Championship, held October 12–15 at Stardust Country Club in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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)

Stardust CC

Location in the United States

Stardust CC

Location in 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

Source:[1][2]

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

Source:[1][2]

References

1. "Wright wins Ladies' PGA, Shirley 4th". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. October 16, 1961. p. 10.
2. "Mickey Wright wins golf test". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. October 16, 1961. p. 2, final.
3. "Wright seeks 11th tourney triumph". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. October 16, 1961. p. 2B.
4. "History". Las Vegas National Golf Club. Retrieved August 2, 2014.

External links

• Las Vegas National Golf Club