1991 U.S. Women's Open Winner and Scores
The 1991 U.S. Women's Open was the 41st time this major championship was played. Meg Mallon came from two behind on the final day to win.
Winner: Meg Mallon, 283
Where it was played: Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas
Tournament dates: July 11-14, 1991
Leader after first round: Pat Bradley, 69
Leaders after second round: Pat Bradley, Joan Pitcock, 142
Leaders after third round: Pat Bradley, Joan Pitcock, 214
What Happened in the 1991 U.S. Women's Open
Pat Bradley was the leader or co-leader for the first three rounds of the 1991 U.S. Women's Open, after Rounds 2 and 3 sharing the lead with Joan Pitcock. But when the final round ended, it was Meg Mallon holding the trophy.Bradley and Pitcock were at 1-over 214 following the third round, with Mallon two behind in a tie for fifth place. But in the final round, in near-100F temperatures on a baked golf course, Mallon carded a 67 that was, at the time, the second-lowest final-round score by the winner of the USWO in the tournament's history. Bradley had a 71 to finish second, two behind Mallon. Pitcock slipped to seventh place on a 75.
Mallon's 67 included a 32 on the inward nine. She moved into the lead when she sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole. Then she followed that with a 20-footer for birdie on the 15th hole. Mallon's victory happened just two weeks after her first win in a major at the 1991 LPGA Championship. She went on to win the 2004 U.S. Women's Open and finished her career with four overall wins in majors.
Kathy Whitworth, the LPGA's all-time wins (88) leader and a 6-time major champ, played for the U.S. Women's Open for the 31st and last time here, missing the cut. She never won the USWO. Sandra Palmer, 1975 U.S. Women's Open champ, finished 35th — the last time she made the cut in this major. Future LPGA major winner Kelly Robbins, playing as an amateur, made her major championship debut here and tied for 60th.
One of the all-time great protests against slow play was staged in the first round by Lori Garbacz. With play backing up to three or even four groups waiting on some tees, Garbacz, on the 14th hole, had her caddie find a phone and order pizza. The caddie requested the pizza be delivered to the 17th tee. When Garbacz reached the 17th tee, the pizza was waiting — and since there were two groups already waiting the tee, she had time to enjoy a slice.
1991 U.S. Women's Open Final Scores
| Meg Mallon | 70-75-71-67—283 |
| Pat Bradley | 69-73-72-71—285 |
| Amy Alcott | 75-68-72-71—286 |
| Laurel Kean | 70-76-71-70—287 |
| Dottie Mochrie | 73-76-68-71—288 |
| Chris Johnson | 76-72-68-72—288 |
| Joan Pitcock | 70-72-72-75—289 |
| Brandie Burton | 75-71-69-75—290 |
| Jody Anschutz | 73-72-72-73—290 |
| Kristi Albers | 76-70-71-73—290 |
| Debbie Massey | 72-72-75-72—291 |
| Beth Daniel | 74-76-75-66—291 |
| JoAnne Carner | 73-72-73-73—291 |
| Tina Barrett | 74-74-72-71—291 |
| Kris Tschetter | 77-72-67-76—292 |
| Patty Sheehan | 74-75-72-71—292 |
| Alice Ritzman | 72-71-77-72—292 |
| Ayako Okamoto | 76-72-71-73—292 |
| Liselotte Neumann | 74-72-74-72—292 |
| Adele Lukken | 75-76-70-71—292 |
| Colleen Walker | 72-77-74-70—293 |
| Nancy Scranton | 72-75-73-73—293 |
| Caroline Keggi | 74-72-73-74—293 |
| a-Tracy Hanson | 75-76-71-71—293 |
| Cathy Gerring | 76-70-76-71—293 |
| Mitzi Edge | 75-76-71-71—293 |
| Judy Dickinson | 72-74-74-73—293 |
| Alison Nicholas | 77-72-71-74—294 |
| Betsy King | 74-78-74-68—294 |
| a-Vicki Goetze | 76-75-71-72—294 |
| Jane Geddes | 71-74-76-73—294 |
| Gail Graham | 77-72-69-77—295 |
| Dale Eggeling | 77-72-75-71—295 |
| Amy Benz | 73-74-75-73—295 |
| Sandra Palmer | 77-75-73-71—296 |
| Patti Rizzo | 74-74-72-77—297 |
| Alice Miller | 73-73-77-74—297 |
| Dana Lofland | 72-77-75-73—297 |
| Vicki Fergon | 77-75-73-72—297 |
| Barb Bunkowsky | 81-68-73-75—297 |
| Hollis Stacy | 73-76-78-71—298 |
| a-Sarah Ingram | 71-77-76-74—298 |
| Missie Berteotti | 75-73-75-75—298 |
| Jan Stephenson | 76-73-76-74—299 |
| Alison Munt | 78-72-74-75—299 |
| Sally Little | 72-74-76-77—299 |
| Kay Kennedy | 77-75-73-74—299 |
| Laura Davies | 77-72-71-79—299 |
| Amy Read | 82-70-72-76—300 |
| Caroline Pierce | 79-72-75-74—300 |
| Tammie Green | 75-77-71-77—300 |
| Maggie Will | 74-77-74-76—301 |
| Tani Tatum | 76-72-75-78—301 |
| Marta Figueras-Dotti | 76-75-77-73—301 |
| Cindy Rarick | 77-73-75-77—302 |
| Ok-Hee Ku | 75-73-79-75—302 |
| Martha Foyer | 80-72-76-74—302 |
| Danielle Ammaccapane | 72-73-74-83—302 |
| a-Kelly Robbins | 76-75-74-78—303 |
| Kathy Postlewait | 78-72-75-78—303 |
| Marci Bozarth | 75-74-79-75—303 |
| a-Robin Weiss | 79-72-76-77—304 |
| Rosie Jones | 76-76-75-77—304 |
| Noelle Daghe | 73-77-76-78—304 |
| Cheryl Stacy | 75-76-77-77—305 |
| Cindy Riess | 73-77-77-78—305 |
| Barbara Mucha | 76-74-71-84—305 |
| Missie McGeorge | 72-79-75-79—305 |
| Therese Hession | 75-74-74-82—305 |
| Marlene Floyd | 74-78-74-79—305 |
| Pearl Sinn | 76-74-79-77—306 |
| Mindy Moore | 72-79-73-82—306 |
| Sue Fogleman | 75-77-78-76—306 |
| Susan Sanders | 76-75-79-79—309 |
Previous and next:
1990 U.S. Women's Open - 1992 U.S. Women's Open
Sources:
Eugene (Ore.) Register-Guard. "Mallon becomes a popular winner," Associated Press, July 15, 1991, https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jkdWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1OoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1198%2C3238447.
Ladies Professional Golf Association. 2004 LPGA Media Guide, Player Biographies, Sandra Palmer and Kelly Robbins.
United States Golf Association. U.S. Women's Open Past Champion, 1991, via Internet Archive, https://web.archive.org/web/20100314144601/https://www.uswomensopen.com/history/pastchamps/1991.html.
United States Golf Association. U.S. Women's Open Records, https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/media/online-media-center/usga-records/u-s--women-s-open-records.html.